Well, in the mean time....
Installed the replacement alternator and ran into a problem I had 2 years before. Every time I tightened the fan nut, everything locked up and wouldn't turn. Looking through Samba, because Volkswebbin was off line, I found I had had the same problem originally. So much time had gone by, I had forgotten about having the problem before and the solution. It was the spacer between the hub and the alternator body...which somehow disappeared after removing the old alternator. The alternator came with a replacement, but it was too long and the fan would jam against the shroud. A look on line revealed none, used or new. So, here I was with the car ready to go back together...I mean, I didn't even have to loosen the shroud or the engine which I had been told I'd have to do, I figured out how to get it apart almost like a normal car....and I'm stuck because of a $4 steel bushing.
I posted on the local club forum, but only got responses offering to send me shims which I have a zillion. The offers were welcome, but didn't solve the problem. Saturday or Sunday night, I recalled seeing a VW Beetle at a form machine shop, turned garage, in the next town. Another time, I had spotted a Bay bus there. So, I threw the bushing and alternator (backing plate attached) into the Volvo and headed to the shop. I was happy to see: a Vanagon and two Beetles outside the shop and another on the rack inside the shop. It seems that we had another air cooled shop in the area, something missing from here since the NC floods of 1999. The owner comes out to greet me. I tell him my problem and show him the bushing. I'm disappointed when he asked me where it goes...,meaning I'm hitting a dead end. I reach into the car and retrieve the alternator. I point out where the bushing goes and then he realizes what he's the part is I'm seeking, but gives me the bad news you have to use the old one. The alternator does take one half the size of the pulley side, which is what I had. As I'm walking away, back to my car trying to figure out the next move, he calls me back.
"It's your lucky day", he says and hands over a bushing. He remembered he had one in his tool box. He didn't want any money for it, just a "remember me when you need something fixed".
Had the car back together and running two hours later. Installed the correct carburetor for the car, but decided I didn't want to do the new distributor yet. I wanted to make sure everything cranked and ran like before and that my alternator diagnosis was correct...which it was.
The carburetor, though I still have some minor adjustments to make, has made a big difference in the driveability of this car. It still wants to drop idle for no apparent reason, but it did that with the old carb and I'm beginning to think the NAPA incorrect distributor is the culprit. The new distributor is an SVDA from aircooled.net. The new carb is one recommended here from CIP1.
I need to adjust the choke. I think it is a little sluggish, like it is running rich, but I'm going to wait until after I adjust the valves and install the new distributor before I make any more adjustment to the mixture.
Anyways, thanks for the help and referrals. Everything is almost back to normal and on a path to running even better.
1974 Beetle- Red Bug
1971 Beetle--in pieces, will be finished someday.
1978 Westfalia--workin' on it.
1979 Triple White convertible--rusty hulk, but can't bring myself to part it out.