Simply disconnecting the vacuum retard will leave the base setting more advanced. With the timing more advanced at idle you will reduce the air flow at idle causing excessive CO and possible HC emissions. Say good bye to the catalyst. The vacuum retard is there to allow more advance under load but to reduce it a part throttle to reduce NOx emissions and peak flame temps to reduce pre-ignition. This approach allowed them to avoid EGR and air injection reaction. Belt driven air pump. It is a worthwhile compromise. 

Dennis
  

-----Original Message-----
From: mkriley@fuse.net [mailto:mkriley@fuse.net] 
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2014 10:40 PM
To: Dennis Haynes
Subject: Re: esoteric question about 1.9 distributor

The severely retarded ignition at idle does nothing for performance, it only exists for emission control.
It is overly complicated and hard to find replacement parts. I want to adapt a single vacuum distributor to a hall sensor so it goes with the ecu or modify the existing distributor to accept a single vacuum advance. Volkswagen found this system wanting and got rid of it in the 2.1. With a better advance curve the engine will pull better at lower rpms.  

mike

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@hotmail.com>
To: mkriley@FUSE.NET, vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2014 4:35:52 PM
Subject: RE: esoteric question  about 1.9 distributor

Why would vacuum control of ignition timing be a nightmare? This part rarely fails and is easily tested and adjusted.
Except for folks using 009's or 050's most type 1's have a single or dual advance vacuum distributor just like the 1.9. 

Dennis 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Mike Riley
Sent: Friday, October 17, 2014 8:31 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: esoteric question about 1.9 distributor

anybody graft a hall sensor into a type 1 distributor to get rid of the vacuum nightmare of the 1.9 distributor?
mike