Thank you Steve. I thought about what I had seen at the timing light when I moved the distributor. What I decided was, the change I saw was simply the timing settling down to where it should be without vacuum as the engine speed decreased. So from my view it appeared to adjust the timing. And just to keep from ruining a good cap, I will roll her over to TDC this weekend and set the rotor directly on the timing mark at the distributor.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Maurice,if you start with #1 at TDC on a compression stroke, you will see where the rotor points, it should be pointing at a tickmark on the outer edge of the distributor body. Remove one bolt and lift the distributor out. When you roll the chain in and have connected both ends, roll the engine through two complete revolutions (to ensure no piston/valve contact), and finish up at TDC on #1. When you stab the distributor it's a simple matter of setting the distributor in the hole, and meshing the drive gear, if the rotor doesn't point at the tick mark lift slightly and move the rotor in the direction of the mark then set the distributor back down. Easiest distributor I have ever stabbed.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.