The Official 356Talk Forum

Well said, Mike. PO of my car had an 009 in it. Ran about as you would expect, compromised between too much advance at idle and not enough advance at higher rpms. I bought a correct original, had it gone through twice (second time by John Jenkins, who did it correctly) and now the car runs as it was supposed to. I do carry the 009 as a "get me home" spare, either for me or another 356 on a tour.

Wes, all, the original 356 cast iron bodied distributors, the BR18, and 022 specifically, and the 061/031 later 912, and the over the counter 031s after about '68, all have a curve which if studied, extends out to the left, at under a "nominal" 3000 RPM, and it is in this detail, where the under 3000 boost in torque exists, and especially in stock displacement engines, can be felt in the "seat of the pants". The 009, with it's avg. 21* timing, the 050 with its avg. 26* timing (perhaps the least cost, best spare out there, other than originals), and even the later Bosch aluminum bodied units, as in the T IV, 914, etc., do Not have this "bump" in their "straight line curve. I can't speak to the later Asian products, as my "bench self education" time, was primarily before these "clones" came out, so I'll qualify that here.

As you said, any unit which is timed to the engine, and runs, will get you home. When the "spare" is timed in a spare timing collar, leave the pinch bolt alone, and when it is initially timed, move the clamp to one extreme, or the other, over the third piece stud, and mark which side, and remove it at the 13 (or?)mm nut and spring washer, and that swap, can be done at the roadside, with a small flashlight, held in your mouth, in the dark, and will be in close enough timing, to get you, or another 356/912 home,

(yes, coming from aviation, I am a "belt & suspenders" kind of guy)