Dizzy Vacuum Advance bad?

[Christian Stanton <cstanton@pixley.com>]

I disassembled, cleaned and lubed my distributer (-or?)  last night and ran 
across a few issues that you experts out there may be able to answer without 
breaking a sweat. (if you are not sweating already).

The Dizzy is an EID type converted with an unknown type of external Electronic 
Ignition.  The car is a '78 California but the engine is from a Tr***ph 
Spitfire. (I haven't exactly determined the year of the engine yet).

There is the chopper (slotted disk) which is friction fit on the shaft.  There 
is no descernable indexing.  How do I align it relative to the rotor?  I looked 
at an older dizzy I had from an MGB and eyeballed the slots to coorespond to 
the high spots on the mechanically cammed shaft.  Is this right? (it runs like 
this).

I tested the Vacuum advance (suck on tube, plate advances) before I took it off 
and it worked.  After I reassembled it it did not work.  (suck on tube, no 
vacuum seems to be leaking somewhere?, block end of tube and there is vacuum, 
vac advance bad, qed?)  Are the vacuum advance units that fragile?  (I removed 
it from the old amplifier body because it was loose and shimmed it )  It was 
not dropped or twisted although I may have rotated the dizzy plate with it 
connected.  Does any one have a vac advance (or a whole dizzy with a working 
vac advance) of these in your junk box?

Thanks for your help.

Christian Stanton