If you advance the timing sufficiently and disconnect the vacuum retard, you
should have no need for the idle stabilizer.  It is only there to advance
the timing when you are putting it under too much load for the retarded
timing.  This is just one more thing that breaks and can be disconnected.
If your idle is too high after advancing the timing, this is normal.  The
engine is running better, so it runs faster.  Turn the idle speed down.

Sincerely,

Craig Rogers
----- Original Message -----
From: "wb6otg" <wb6otg@INTREX.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 9:48 AM
Subject: Advancing timing

> I have seen many references to the benefits of advancing the timing on the
1.9l engine, so I decided to try it.  I found that if I advanced the timing
at all, the idle would start to surge (jumping between about 1000 RPM and
2500).  Any ideas?
>
> Some related info:  I have had a problem with the idle being rough.  The
engine runs ok (passes emissions with more margin than any other car I have
owned) but sounds kind of like it has a "hot" cam.  While setting the
timing, I noticed that the timing would vary by a degree or so, several
times a second.  I disconnected the idle stabilizer and adjusted the idle
speed to spec (it dropped significantly and the timing variation stopped
when I disconnected the stabilizer)  When I re-connected the idle
stabilizer, the idle speed was right and the timing variation was gone.  I
wonder if I have a bad idle stabilizer.
>
> Bill
>