-=> Quoting Ian Bortins to All <=-
 IB> @MSGID: 1:206/2734 1c97072c
 IB> Hi all, I recently got my Dwell corrected at the school's auto shop
 
 IB> When the car is idling in drive, it slows, sputters, nearly stalls,
 IB> then  speeds up.  Surges, if you will.
 IB> Then i had someone rev the engine and the mark never moved from that
 IB> spot.   The pedal was to the floor for a brief moment, but still the
 IB> timing mark never moved.  
 IB> I figure either the vac. advance is pulling ALL the time, or the
 IB> springs in   the distributor are too weak and letting  the mech.
 IB> advance go all the time. help!
How did the car run BEFORE you had things adjusted?
My three guesses are that (1) there is a little prong that comes out of the
back of the vacuum advance can that has broken off (this happened to me).
You will not get ANY vacuum advance with that little piece sitting in the
bottom of the distributor.
(2) You have a very bad vacuum leak that is so bad that there isn't enough
vacuum at the 'advance can to do anything.
(3) Your dwell isn't set right (highly unlikely though). Buy, borrow, or
(ah-hem) a dwell-meter and follow the directions to set your dwell right.
Since an authority figure (ok, ok, stop laughing) on automotive repair
set your dwell it is probably where it should be.
The correct dwell on my engine is 28-32 degrees, I've had it drop (over time)
to 17 degrees and the engine still ran (don't ask me how, it should have 
died).
How this is of some help.
... Catch the Blue Wave!
--- Blue Wave v2.12 [NR]
---------------