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Well, my long spell of The Baroness running great is over :^( I was coming home from Pacifica today, and was just thinking to myself, "Wow, the car is running great!" (I swear, I really was!) when The B starts to lose power. It was on that wicked hill on 1 between Pacifica and the exit for 35. I floored the pedal, felt the kickdown work, got a big roar, and then started losing power. The engine was making a rattling sound. Barely made it up the hill, doing about 30. When I got home, I looked at the engine. The cover to the fan belt was gone. I checked the timing, slightly off. I checked the rpm's, was only doing 800 (The B. runs best between 950-1000). Just then, the local neighborhood VW nut comes by and takes a look. He says the distributor is shot. Checked the vacuum advance, and says that the little rod that goes from the distributor into the vacuum thingy is barely moving----about 3/16 inch---so the engine can't advance properly. Says the distributor plate (contact plate?) should move a lot more, and thinks something broke loose and is jamming it. Also said the big spindle thing in the middle (the thing the pointer goes on) moves up and down too much. Does this sound plausible? He says I can buy a new one and install it myself, it's not too hard to do. Oh, and he also said that the thermostat is the wrong model, too tall and can't expand properly. Does that sound right? Looks like iI need a new distributor, cover, and thermostat :^( Lori ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org