Any suggestions? Tuning Issues

[Vanmoose]

Hi all,

Been using the site for sometime now, there's a lot of really useful information on here! However I've got a bit stuck and was hoping for some advice please.

I have a stock 1600 single carb with a Dual Vacuum Distributor. I have followed the procedure here http://www.vw-resource.com/34pict3.html to tune it up.

It drives very well, no hesitation while accelerating and seems there are no flat spots. However when I drop the clutch from higher revs the engine sometime won't idle and just dies. It has only happened a few times and will restart again.

I have adjusted the timing, points.....it has new spark plugs, HT leads, rotor arm, condenser, coil and points. Anything else I can check?

The other issue is the heat, before I tuned it it was running hot, I couldn't touch the dipstick. It was running rich too at this point, the spark plugs had a bit of soot on them. I have only tuned it today, seems to run a bit cooler but hard to tell, I only managed a couple of miles! I was wondering if the stalling could be due to soot on the plugs? I have only cleaned one so far as it was too hot!

When I got the van it was badly tuned, they had over tightened the fast idle adjuster to compensate for the idle, I have now sorted it so it idles properly and all seems tuned and timed correctly.

Any help would be great!

thanks

 

[71Westy]

Usually, overheating is running too lean rather than too rich...

It is perfectly possible for it to be running too rich at idle and too lean in the cruise, since different jets are in play. It might be worth your while looking at what main jet you are running, and what air bypass jet you are running. I've ended up with richer main and air bypass jets (although it still runs a bit hot), which improved the economy from 18mpg to 26mpg.... I also richened the idle jet so I could get some decent adjustment on the idle mixture screw.

You can really only tell with your plugs if you go on a decent run and switch off before it idles too much. Running slightly rich at idle is recommended I believe.

Nick

 

[Vanmoose]

Thanks for the reply, I think stripping down the carb might be the way forward. the engine is supposed to be only 8 years old according to the previous owner but i would suspect that the carb etc are orignial and just bolted back on without being cleaned. I'll check the jeting as suggested. I am planning a fairly long run tonight so will check the plugs at the other end and see how rich it is running.