keep cutting out - pls help - stuck in middle of roundabout

[jangles]

hello everyone/.....

Been getting my camper ready for my mum to live in for next 3 months around england - everything going great untill she ran the tank low and clogged up the system..
After that the tick over was low and everytime i stopped at some traffic lights the engine would cut out. . .so. . .
That was about 2 weeks ago and since then have had the fuel drained out and tank semi washed out (not sure to what extent this was actually done?) carb cleaned etc...
Now the engine starts fine.... doesn't cut out when braking/ at traffic lights etc..... but even worse it now completely randomly just dies - and in the most terrible places too - earlier today i was stuck in middle of main roundabout leaving brighton for 15 mins!!!! not popular!!!

so what happens now is the van will just suddenly loose power... from experience (this happening almost every day for last week!) there seems to be no point in trying to restart the engine imediately - as it just runs the battery low... after waiting 10... 15 minutes it will start again - sometimes it wont run properly and i can only travel as little as a few extra meters before cutting out and waiting again!!! this will repeat itself untill eventually it desides it does want to go and i can drive it home...
I'm almost too worried to drive it anywhere but my mother is renting her house tommorrow and needs to use the camper!!
I imagine i have still got gunk/rust in the system somewhere - can i get a new tank?? new fuel lines??
what can i do ... i have got some money at the moment as i sold my mk1 golf and really desperate to get this sorted so my mum can enjoy her long awaited summer travelling in the camper...
any old tips, methods, new fuel tanks... anything! i dont know what i'm doing so pls pls help us
my camper is a 1971 bay...

thanks, Rowan.

 

[Clarkson46]

First, do you have filter fitted in the fuel line. Is it blocked? If there is no filter then get one fitted as any debris from the tank will wind up in the carb or fuel pump if there is nothing to stop it. When you lose power, what happens if you remove the fuel tank filler cap, is there an in rush of air and does the van now start OK? Check these points first and post back.

 

[Araon]

WHS^^^

Also when it was cleaned did the fuel lines and pump get flushed? have you the type of pump you can strip and clean?

 

[jangles]

ok thankyou... will get back to you both on that tommorrow.... cheers

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

When it does go,check to see if you're loosing spark.Probably the easiest way would be to carry a spare spark plug with you.Disconnect one of the HT leads, plug on you spare plug,rest it on a clean metal part of the engine for earth and get someone to crank it.If no spark I would suspect coil or points/condensor.Outside chance live feed to coil gone.If spark is strong check for fuel.
You could check the fuel pump,carry a jam jar around with you,when it cuts out disconnect the coil to prevent sparking and possible fire.Then disconnect the fuel line which feeds the carb.Point this into your jam jar and get someone to crank it over.No fuel? pump is faulty or blocked or tank or pipework is blocked.Fuel present? carb needs cleaning out.
Fit a fuel filter either way between tank and pump outside of engine bay.

 

[jangles]

thanks for your help and suggestions guys...
seeing as i need to get this sorted asap i am thinking of buying a second hand fuel tank, cleaning it with a tank cleaning kit.. re-painting it .... so that then i can take the refurb tank to local garage and just ask them to swap it over and also put in new fuel lines, pump etc while they're at it....
Does this seem like the most certain way of fixing the problem as i dont have much time (mum homeless untill we can get van sorted and she can go off on her 3 month planned trip around uk - house rented out as of today to fund trip!)
Also i have not the space or knowledge to take out the engine and fuel tank..

havn't used camper much today from fear of getting stuck on roundabouts again but have noted down suggestions and am keeping in glove box for when it next dies on me..
thanks again, Rowan. :mrgreen:

 

[Lang]

Had the same problem with a bug a few years ago. Gunge had been drawn into the fuel pump meaning it would run, cut out, wouldn't start, then after a while start up & repeat the process.
Clean the fuel pump!!!!!!!!
Also if you have a inline filter dispose of it an add a new one (unless it can be stripped & clean)
Well worth trying before you start messing around with fuel tanks.

 

[Araon]

Thats a hard call to make fella as its not deffinately been pinpointed to a fuel starvation issue, have you drained some fuel into a jar and had a look? let it settle a while and see what forms...

have you had a look at the pump to see if its cleanable, even if you cant strip it remove it and see if anything flushes out of it...

when you had your original problem was the carb cleaned down? thats a straight forward little job sat in the garden in the glorious sunshine beer in hand, plus you start to get to know your motor....

is it a single or twin port ?

if its a twin port what state are your gaiters on the inlet manifold in ?

get plenty of pics up as well of all the areas you never know something may just jump out...

 

[ronmidg]

Not a vw but I once had a nice clean elastic band in a clean tank with clean filter new pump and clean lines and clean carbs and it gave exactly these symptoms. I'd started at the carbs and worked back, it didn't come out with a tank flush as it swells to 10x normal and stuck behind the surge plate, only found it with a mirror and a light in the tank, the elastic is sucked onto the pump inlet and needs to lose pipe suction before it lets go.