Need springs for an 008 distributor!

[Dan in RI]

Hello

My 2.2T's Bosch '...008' distributor appears to have been overhauled at some point, as it is clean and tight. Too tight, as the shafts will not move independently of each other even the smallest amount. A closer look revealed that one of the springs appears to be something from a hardware store, crimped with pliers/vise grips!

Where should I begin my search for correct distributor springs? I'm going to try doing this myself before sending it out west to Vintage Werks.

Any advice or input is appreciated.

[304065]

McMaster-carr has a nice section on springs

You need to know the following variables

Overall length
Length inside ends
Outside diameter
Wire diameter
Load range
Deflection at load range
Rate range-- number of pounds of force it takes to extend the spring 1"
Initial tension range-- force it takes to get the coils to separate

Pretty complicated, but not too hard to do with a fish-scale type spring checker and a micrometer for the other measurements.

Stoddard offers advance springs for 356 and 912 distributors, you might see what those look like. NLA-602-650-04