D-Jet part-load issue goes away when TPS disconnected Options

[fslick]

I have a D-Jet question ('73 1.7).

Symptom is poor running/stumbling when transitioning from idle to part-load. It happens when the engine is both cold and completely warm, but seems to be worse the warmer it is (i.e. full engine temp + hot summer day). Starts and idles just fine hot or cold.

Interesting thing is that it's pretty much not noticeable if you VERY SLOWLY go from idle to part-load either with your tippy toes on the gas pedal or just moving the throttle with your hand on the throttle body. Of course you can't drive that way, so if you go from idle to part load normally or quickly, the response is poor and it stumbles but will catch up after about a second (or less).

Getting to my question, I took it to a [reputable] shop and they were able to figure out that it runs ok (at least doesn't have this problem) with the TPS disconnected.

I am going to take the car back to the shop to have them finish the repair (when they are free) but the engineer in me wants to know why this is a 'fix,' (albeit not the complete FI system). Also does it mean that the TPS is actually the problem? Is this a symptom of it being maladjusted?

(All the other usual suspects were checked and seem to be ok (i.e., new vac lines, new fuel lines, good compression and fuel pressure, fuel pump relocated, valves adjusted, checked dizzy, points, swapped ECUs for testing, A/F mix adjusted, replaced MPS, CHT, etc etc).
EDIT: I forgot to mention that replacing the TPS (with a used/known good one) has already been done as well.

Thanks for reading.

[fslick]

Thanks, Jeff, good to know and I'll add that to the annual maintenance list.

I guess it's possible but like I mentioned, the car runs pretty well with the TPS disconnected. I would imagine in a mechanical part like the dizzy that the sticking would still be noticeable even with the [electronic] TPS disconnected.

This does cut one of the canons of my question though -- how does the rest of the D-Jet system function without the TPS? Does disconnecting it to solve a problem usually point to that as the culprit?