So my 74 2.0 was rescued from a field and has become my daily driver. I have put a different engine it about a month ago. This engine and the last seemed pretty doggy, like driving a VW. Yesterday I was reading a post and a guy said he 2.0 felt like a 2.0 six that he used to have. I get to thinking that is crazy because this (2.0) not like any Porsche 6 that I have owned. Anyway, my teener was acting up, kind of bucking at mid speed. I search the forumn and figure it is the TPS track. So I am driving it yesterday and my idle is about 2500rpms and it is normally around 1000+- so I am thinking . Well it runs like a bat out of hell now, way faster than it has ever been. There was a time I thought how pissed off I would have been if I bought this Porsche in 74 and it was such a dog. So I still have some slight bucking and high rpms so I will have to check into that but I am afraid I will mees up whatever changed to make it quicker.

Sorry I am rambling...

...actually sounds like your timing might be a little advanced. Mine was, idle was to high, I thought 1st and 2nd gear was there just to get me to 3rd.

got the timing just right, tons more pull in 1st and 2nd, and idles fine.

oh yeah...just my humble .02 worth of experience....

Remember, they run the best just before they scatter.

Find the problem...

I hope you are kidding about the scatter...

So do I, but it made you think... Could be an intake leak.

Made me crap...it is running really well, i thought it might scatter just sitting in the parking lot.

Timing, you may want to do some investigative work around the distributor advance area.

runs like a dog = no advance
runs like a scaulded dog with high idle = full advance

I thought that was a diesel mercedes saying!

Thanks Joe, Does anybody have a "correct" Diagram of the vacumn hose. I read that the pelican one was not correct.

Ok at lunch I went out and check the teener. I found the vacumn line diconected from the distribitor so I hooked it back up-still had high idle but it ran really crappy. What now?

Check your timing.

Trigger Points, clean them up or replace.

The points are new.

Now would also be a good time to make sure your vacuum pot is working -- it controls the advance and retard of your ignition.

Vacuum Pot? Where would I find that?

The little canister with two (or one) vacuum port sticking out of it, on the side of the distributor.

Silver on the side of the distribitor? The one that works the advance right. It is the one that if I plug the vacuum hose into that makes the car run crappy.

"points" might be new....but xperu (Mike) is talking about the "Trigger Points". Located at the lower portion of your dizzy...for lack of a better discription at this point.

if you engine was mis-firing diagonal cylinders, they would be the culprit.

Ok now I am a dumb ass- I have heard alot about the dizzy, where is it? in the distribitor? sorry for my ignorance.

sorry...yes, distributor. Part No. 16
if bad, I think you car would be bucking and missing...or maybe that's your definition of running like a dog?

Thanks Ray-it is bucking and missing big time if I have the vacuum hooked up

Dizzy is just another term for the distributor. Points and trigger points are both located in distributor. Points control the spark to the plugs and trigger points tell the fuel injectors when to fire in relation to the timing. Hope this helps.

The CRITICAL FIRST STEP to getting the engine to actually go is a valve adjustment. Are you confident the valves are right? It is worth doing yourself because then you can be SURE. I like the shop I sometimes use, but they can be a little sloppy sometimes. I think that may be OK with a beetle, but last time they did my valves, it was not an improvement. Everything is better now.
After you replace those fi points, you should look into the valve thing. It CAN make a huge difference in the way the engine runs.

Vacuum is something I've been trying to wrap my mind around since Brad Anders posted that link back a while ago. A dumb question if I may. The stock pot has 2 ports one for advance the other for retard. Which one is which? Are they working on the same diaphram so that they are really doing the total advance/retard based on the difference between one side of the throttle and the other?

Paul which side of the pot is is that you are plugging into? Which vacuum line?

I am plugging into the front side with a vacuum line coming from under the throttle body.

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My 73 had your cars symptoms- I had a vacuum leak and the timing was way too advanced.

I am sure I have a vacuum leak...I took the air scew on the side of the throttle body and screwed it all the way in and it still idles at 2100. I have found that when I start it after it has been sitting for an hour or it wont idle but with in the first 1/4 mile my idle will shoot up to 2100. This is fun...

your timing is advanced.

check this out....Brad's Site