Hello folks,

I need your help. This is going to be long. So please bear with me. I have
searched our archives and looked elsewhere in the net and I am getting many
different and conflicting information.

So lets begging shall we? This past winter my 1985 vanagon started stumbling
at cruising speed,  just a little bit. I changed the fuel filter and that
seem to help. I also noticed some exhaust leaks, but disregarded them. At
the beginning of this summer the van developed a serious bucking and
stumbling issue. I checked those exhaust leaks to find out that #3 cylinder
pipe was had crumbled all the way across. I thought that this would
certainly have something to do with the stumbling as this leak was a giant
crater before the O2 sensor. The J pipe also had a whole as well as the
muffler. I have since ruled out the exhaust. All the pipes are in place
there is no leak to be found in the back end. Yet the issue continues.

I figured timing then is the culprit. Distributor cap, rotor and plugs have
been changed. I have looked at all the information on timing for the 1.9
starting with the bently (which looks like Greek to me) to a number of
answer in the archives, to a vanagain news letter. I followed many of these
and yet el guapo does not run under load worth a poop.

I looked at my crank pulley closest to the block, there is V notch on it. I
think that is TDC. On the rear pulley (closest to back of van) There is
another notch this is one is a U shape and it is to the right of the V
shaped one. Here is where I need clarification #1, is this 5* after top dead
center ATDC?

When I set the timing I make sure that I get the rotor, notch in the
distributor and V notch all lined up TDC to cyl #1 to set this timing mark
and the van does not run appropriately. I have also tried setting to the
5*ATDC and that is just as bad. Come to think of it both in both settings
the marks seem to dance a bit not being constant.  On road test it bucks,
stumbles and cuts off. Can someone clarify the right timing to use.

I am using a timing light without any features to it. I get my Pos from the
alternator, my negative from the tranny bolt, and my signal from the wire to
cyl #1.

I have disconnected the idle stabilizer and plug the 2 connectors, also
setting iddle with the adjustment screw using the tach as my guideline. I
know that is not perfect, but I am sure that I am at 850 rpm + or - 50 rpm.

I have read information that suggest that timing should be done at 15-17
BTDC is this right? I have not tried this yet.

Before there are suggestion that this is an AFM problem, I have tried 3
including one that is known good or new. Something tells me that I need to
get this timing right before I can move (no pun intended) forward.

I know I am wordy, but I am trying to paint the whole picture. I welcome
information from those of you who may have experienced this set of issues
and had success solving it.

Thanks,
Tony
--
82 Scirocco "Rodolfo"
85 Vanagon "El Guapo"
90 Fuji Ace