My 71 Superbug doesn't feel like it's running smoothly. You put your foot down, nothing happens, then all of a sudden it goes like a rocket. It seems there's a flat spot. The distributor is AA9. Has anyone got any suggestions with the distributor and carby to fix it or make it a smoother ride???

Bertie_64,
Ditch the 009. You have the dreaded flatspot that is prevelant with 009/34 Pict 3. Get an 034 SVDA or pillage a wreck for the standard distributor.

Failing that there are several mods you can make to your car to attempt to cure this.

First make sure your 009 is timed at 30 BTDC at 3500 rpm. Let the idle timing fall where it will. Do this after first determining where TDC is on your pulley, and checking that it is true.

Next up, adjust accel pump stroke to full volume. http://www.vw-resource.com  (Rob and Dave's website). You can check that your acc pump outlet nozzle is directed at the plate/throat junction (? if memory serves).

Go for a drive and see whether it's better or worse.

Next up is plugging the hole in the throttle plate. Can't remember the website but one does list all this. I'll see if I can dig up the site.

May as well give it a tune up as well. Rob and Dave's again.


Ctefeh

Make sure there are no air leaks. Especially check the 2 rubber boots on the manifold where the end castings join. If they are cracked - change them.

Here ya go.

http://www.aircooledtech.com/34pict3_modification/ 

Note that a 130 main appears to be the go with this mod.


Ctefeh

Do the factory-spec tune up first - plugs, points, leads, headtorque, tappets, timing, carby idle speed and accelator pump to stock specs. Make sure your pulley timing mark is TRUE TDC and not 10 deg retarded like some of them are. You may be surprised. THEN you can play with all the old wife's fixes...

Thanks for all your input.
Ctefeh, could you give me more info on the 034 SVDA? I don't know anything about it.

Go for the correct dizzy. pretty much any SVDA from a type 1 will do. Aircooled.net do one too. I have done all the mods and tweaked and it still ran heaps better with the SVDA dizzy. Part throttle response is awesome and economy +++ will pay for itself. Someone will prob swap you one for you 009.

OR

keep the 009 and put a decent set of carbs that go with a mech only dizzy.

Hi,
What they ^^^^ said.


Ctefeh

check ya points and condensor too.... I had a flatspot or a stumble depending upon what I had the timing set to... firstly it turned out the points had burned out in 3 months due to a bad condensor... as soon as i replaced the points it was good for a while... still not perfect tho, but deteriorated. replaced the condeensor and it was fairly good but still a bit dodgy in the transission from idle. balancing the carbs and lowering the float in the left carb fixed that... but the last bit wouldnt apply in a beetle.