107 timing vacuum check valve and warm up reg questions

[Bondavi]

Theoretically speaking on the the warm up regulator has two vacuum connections, one to the upper chamber and another to the lower chamber. Am I right that one chamber needs to have vacuum from the upper manifold, while the other chamber needs to have lower manifold vacuum in order to operate correctly? It needs to know vacuum levels from both ends of the intake system between (before/after) the throtle body in order to operate correctly?

I have a green/white check valve for the distributor advance diaphragm that appears worn out. When I suck on both ends I get air freely, no restriction. I have a new black/blue check valve that is used on other portions of the car. Will this work as a replacement?

My impression is vacuum is leaking into the distributor advance when the car is idling when it should not, hence my timing is not set correctly. Set it to 16 degrees with vacuum connected at idle (750 rpm) and the car lost some of its zip. Is it best for me to set the base timing with distributor advance vacuum disconnected just to make sure and then repair the vacuum check valve, and then reconnect the distributor advance? If yes, I should set it to the specified 16 degrees BTDC, or should it be something else?

Also when I first got my car it had the EGR vacuum line tied together with the charcoal canister valve. Is this permissible or should the EGR valve have a direct line coming from the throttle body and nothing else like the manual states?

Thanks in advance! Basically I need to know if the blue/black vacuum check valve will work, if so, which end represents the green/white side (direction of air). I'll figure out the rest eventually....