What makes a SVDA distributor less terrible than the 009? Options

[Tdskip]

I know there’s about 1,000,001 variations of the distributors on these cars, and I’ve also read here that the Pertronix Distributors are clones of the much hated 009 distributors. Is the SVDA unit they sell considered acceptable because it has a better curve than their other units?

D186504 Flame Thrower distributoR

Thanks!

[nditiz1]

I know there’s about 1,000,001 variations of the distributors on these cars, and I’ve also read here that the Pertronix Distributors are clones of the much hated 009 distributors. Is the SVDA unit they sell considered acceptable because it has a better curve than their other units?

D186504 Flame Thrower distributoR

Thanks!

So the SVDA, like the one I'm selling is better than the 009 because it smooths the acceleration. Although it should be understood it is in fact the same curve as the 009 with an added bonus. It does this because during the transition from the idle circuit to the main circuit with carbs the mixture starts to go lean. When your mixture is lean its good to increase timing. The vac pod on this setup does this. You can, and a lot do, bypass the 009 "flat spot" by richening up the mixture with bigger jets. With the svda you can keep your accurate jets, but create no flat spot. With light throttle and the teetering point between idle and main the svda jumps the timing higher than the 009. When you open the carb butterfly more and pretty much erase the vacuum that exists it will bring the timing back to its full advance, 27-28 degrees. Hope that helps.

[Tdskip]

Thanks for the information.

[IronHillRestorations]

The only thing I don't like about the Pertronix SVDA is it's exclusively for a Ignitor and you can't put points in it. So for me (who has Ignitors fail in my bare hands) it's not my first choice, but it's got a good advance curve and is new.

[Ansbacher]

The only thing I don't like about the Pertronix SVDA is it's exclusively for a Ignitor and you can't put points in it. So for me (who has Ignitors fail in my bare hands) it's not my first choice, but it's got a good advance curve and is new.

The solution to that is to carry a standby 009 dizzy with points. If the SVDA fails, pull it and throw in the standby.

Ansbacher

[Tdskip]

The only thing I don't like about the Pertronix SVDA is it's exclusively for a Ignitor and you can't put points in it. So for me (who has Ignitors fail in my bare hands) it's not my first choice, but it's got a good advance curve and is new.

@IronHillRestorations - I’m personally more concerned about the curve and drivability than being able to swap points in. Compared to the Mallory units or getting a 050 rebuilt you can buy two of these and keep on as a spare.

It is a touch concerning that people have a variable experience with these products, personally I’ve been lucky but....

[IronHillRestorations]

If you want a vacuum advance carb, just get one from a 1.8, for that matter it's got (IIRC) 5* of vacuum retard on the other side of the dashpot

[bbrock]

Can anyone enlighten me on why the 1.8L dizzy is the preferred stock dizzy for carbs? Is it the lack of injector trigger points or is the curve better? I've looked at the specs on the 1.8 vs 2.0 but don't know enough to understand if the differences would significantly affect performance.

[davep]

022 905 205 T is the (unlisted on your pages) correct distributor for the 1.8V (V=Vergasser or carb version). This was the European 1.8 AN engine with carbs.

[bbrock]

022 905 205 T is the (unlisted on your pages) correct distributor for the 1.8V (V=Vergasser or carb version). This was the European 1.8 AN engine with carbs.

Is that the one people are using for carb conversions? I got the impression they were re-purposing dizzies from L-Jet cars for carbs but maybe I have that ll wrong.

[nditiz1]

Is the European 1.8 version a DVDA or SVDA?

Not sure you would need the dual vac.

[Tdskip]

Is that the one people are using for carb conversions? I got the impression they were re-purposing dizzies from L-Jet cars for carbs but maybe I have that ll wrong.

No, I’m with you on that understanding.

[bbrock]

Is the European 1.8 version a DVDA or SVDA?

Not sure you would need the dual vac.

I've found this tech article on aircooled.net pretty informative on dizzy choices. https://www.aircooled.net/vw-distributor-options/

Here's what they say about DVDA.

DVDA = Dual Vacuum, Dual Advance Distributor. The same as the SVDA, but also has a Vacuum RETARD port. One vacuum port is for advance, the other is for an idle retard, which improved emissions a lot!

I've also read it can help smooth the idle in some cases.

[Tdskip]

There’s one more moving part here that we haven’t really talked about, which is that if you send one of these out to get rebuilt most rebuilders can set the curve up to be whatever you want.

It does make me wonder however if at the point in time that you buy a distributor core and then ship it back-and-forth to rebuild her and pay the rebuilder for his/her time if you aren’t in a 1 to 3 distributor price zone at that point anyway.

[djway]

You can replace the Dual can with a single so if you find a dual distb with a bad retard can or don't want the extra timing step just change it out.
This thread set me up for hours of reading about the dual now I have a headache ;O
I am considering switching to singles instead of blocking off the retard port after all I read.

[bbrock]

So far I haven't read any downside to using the vacuum retard other than having one extra hose to hook up. I figure if it reduces emissions without robbing performance, why not?

I have read that you should not block it off if you don't use it because that will affect the advance side too. Someone on my thread (Dave Darling?) said on some 914 models, there was a hose connected to the retard port that was just routed to some hidden place and not connected on the other end.

[Al Meredith]

The only thing I don't like about the Pertronix SVDA is it's exclusively for a Ignitor and you can't put points in it. So for me (who has Ignitors fail in my bare hands) it's not my first choice, but it's got a good advance curve and is new.

The solution to that is to carry a standby 009 dizzy with points. If the SVDA fails, pull it and throw in the standby.

Ansbacher

I build my own engines and have an engine stand for run-up. I have electronic dizys but I always time a 009 with points as a spare to carry with me incase the electronics fails.

[djway]

So far I haven't read any downside to using the vacuum retard other than having one extra hose to hook up. I figure if it reduces emissions without robbing performance, why not?

I have read that you should not block it off if you don't use it because that will affect the advance side too. Someone on my thread (Dave Darling?) said on some 914 models, there was a hose connected to the retard port that was just routed to some hidden place and not connected on the other end.

Understanding that I was reading comments on the Interweb but there was all sorts of things about how to properly time and couldn't find agreement on where to hook the retard side for vacuum.
None of my throttle bodies have a second port so all I can find is the plenum and T off of the line that goes to the pressure regulator.

[porschetub]

The 009 throws in advance too quickly and generates a flat spot before transition,it was never setup to do anything else as it was originally designed for industrial motors,the early T1 industrial motors used the old cast-iron 010 model,seem to remember the 009 was used on the later stationary motors which if memory serves me were 1600 cc the early ones were 1200cc like the one I had in my fun buggy.
These units were controlled by a crank driven governor which mechanically bought the rpm up to max after load was applied,the T4 industrial motors I know nothing about but believe they built many mainly for generator units.
The current SVDA is an off shot of the 0231 170 034 used on 1600 T1 beetles and they worked great and will do on a t4 if you have a correct carb vacuum supply.
Some say the 050 was a better solution but never used one so no comment.
The current SVDA won't play well with a cammed large bore T4 so its down to a 009 and just put up with it,no one offers a recurve on these as far as I know,good luck.

[Tdskip]

Good morning/evening mate, hope you’re doing well. Thank you for the detailed response.