ALFAGTV6.COM

Are there any pros or cons to running just the ignition advance mechanism on the early cars that were fitted with both the advance and retard mechanism?

Ie, I have been running my car ('82) with the ported vacuum (top of throttle body) to the ignition advance, and the full vacuum (bottom of throttle body) to the ignition retard, but a shop mentioned that i should just run the ported vacuum to the advance and plug/disconnect the ignition retard mechanism (and then re-time). Is this smart?

Also, my car appears to have two timing marks close together (P, F) and then a third mark further away (M). I have been progressively increasing the static advance and have not been able to detect any pinging- even when timing is set at the 'M' mark!?!?!

Any suggestions? Should I try plugging the vacuum retard mechanism? has anyone done this?

thanks!!

-rich

Hi Rich!

Haven't really heard about what you are talking about with discont. the ignition retard - did you look at Greg G's site: http://www.hiperformancestore.com/Ljetronic.htm

Sounds like maybe there is a problem with your advance mechanism??

GV

Rich,

Did you resolve this?

I 've just got an April '83 GTV6 and I've just discovered that the tube going from the front top of the throttle body to the distributor is missing, I think it's the advance.

Or anyone else with an idea?

Thanks,
AL

AL,

I tried several setups and finally settled back on the original install:

1. Ported vacuum to ignition advance. Plugged the vacuum port on the manifold. Left the retard port open on the advance/retard unit. Retimed distributor. Worked fine, backfires more on decel than I wanted.

2. Ported vacuum to ignition advance. Manifold vacuum port to ignition retard. Retimed dist. Works the best so far.

I was most intested in engine performance differences- but i don't have a dyno to check anything with- so for all around driving, i went back to the original set up. Don't run the ported vacuum to the retard, or the manifold vacuum to the advance. those set ups don't work well

I would connect the ported vac line back up to the ingition advance, and set the timing again.

cheers

-rich

My mistake.

The tube on the throttle body is blocked.

There has never been a vacuum advance device on the distributor.

Thanks for the reply though.

\AL.

I have an 81 gtv6 with vacuum retarded dist. the top vac hose on the plenum goes to the back of the diaphragm and the bottom hose goes into the front. sometime it works the way it is supposed to most of the time it doesn't. is there a replacement for this stuff?

Hi all,

Has anyone found a source for replacements of these original dual action vacuum advance / retard mechanisms?

I've gone through an engine wide hose replacement of the fuel , coolant and vacume lines. Plugs, dizy cap and rotor and the electrical. The only thing thats been buggin me the last few months is this slight stutter on acceleration.

I'm wondering if the diaphragm in the vacume advance is getting tougher with age and is just not giving me the range of motion as it did a few years ago. It does seem to respond a bit better after it's a bit warmer, but still not great. There are no pin holes in it as far as I can tell, I've had a hand held vacume pump with guage on it before and there is no leak over say 2 min testing from each side of the membrane.


Thanks,
Glen