Please help, I'm struggling!!

[Vanmoose]

Hi guys, I have been really struggling with my van over the last few days and was hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

I have just rebuilt my carb due to fairly big air leaks (including rebushing the throttle shaft). I got it started, warmed up and tuned it. Took it for a run and it was pulling away well and running perfectly in all gears. It was also starting first turn when hot. Next day I went to start it which is did fine but within a few seconds the revs dropped and it started to stumble and splutter, reving it didn't help and it died. Alot of fiddling and trying to start it and it finially fired, it was running poorly but kept going and once warmed it was running ok, took it out for a run and there was a fair bit of hesitation. I managed to fix this by winding out the volume control screw a bit (it is now at about 3 and a half turns out). Once i got back turned it off and left it for about an hour before restarting. It did the same again, fired....ran for a few seconds then really struggled and died.

To me it feels like there is a fuel problem so i am going to strip the fuel pump tomorrow, I have the old type you can take apart. while trying to get it to run it would just seem to suddenly start working like it had cleared a blockage.

I have checked all the obvious things, points, timing, plugs etc. The vacumm advance also seems to work as it should.I have also checked for air leaks and can't seem to see anymore.

Is there anything else people can suggest i check while i'm at it?

It is a stock 1600 with a dual advance distriutor and a sotex 34 pict/3 carb.

thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[aogrady]

Hi,

When was the fuel filter last changed?, if it's a while ago, replace it, and the fuel pipe too, not braided, keep the filter out of the engine bay, under the gearbox the best place.....Sounds like maybe the carb is cruddy?

Good luck

Alistair

 

[bluenose]

I had an engine that did this it was a right pain in the arse, i'd be heal towing to keep it running for the first 10 minutes of a journey then as soon as it was warm it would just run perfectly. I'm crap at setting engines up but if i remember right I changed a few things and then it came good.

I ditched crappy pancake air filter for proper oil bath one
I changed 009 dizzy for a SVDA one
I adjusted the choke
I put an electronic ignition in

I do remember the one thing that really did make a difference and rid of the hesitation was adjusting the accelerator pump, i followed this guide;
http://www.vw-resource.com/accelerator_pump.html#adjust

 

[rpp123456]

Might be worth just double checking the idle shut off valve is working - should click when power is put to it. Had me stumped for a while...

 

[marco]

Might be worth just double checking the fuel shut off solenoid is working - should click when power is put to it. Had me stumped for a while...

Whs mine was weak so was fine when reving but not strong enough to stay open when idling

 

[Vanmoose]

Thanks for all the replies, I have checked the idle shut off and it dies click, if I can't sort the problem I will replace. Going to have another play today.....I'll update any findings.

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 4

 

[Trikky2]

Re check the idle jet. Its accessible from outside the carb so no dismantling required.

Its a very fine drilling and blocks very easily.

 

[Vanmoose]

Bit of an update, I think we're there.

I did alot of changes:
New distributor clamp as this was bent.
New points, condensor, rotor arm, ditstributor cap (these were only about 1000miles old but it think they were a bit cheap and nasty, brought as a bundle)
Cleaned the idle jet again (this looked ok but pumped alot of carb cleaner through it)
I also found what I thought was another filter on the fuel line, turned out to be an "Inline Fuel Saver". From what I read these seems to be a con that was floatng around 10 years ago or so......it is in the bin now.

Everything back together and it fired up first go running much better and it tuned fairly well.

After a bit more playing it does seem though that dual advance isn't working correctly. It advances fine but the retard isn't pulling it back correctly making timing it impossible. I'll order a new vacumn unit and see if that sorts it.

Amazing how you fix one thing and it has a knock on effect over other things.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[Trikky2]

Bit of an update, I think we're there.

I did alot of changes:
New distributor clamp as this was bent.
New points, condensor, rotor arm, ditstributor cap (these were only about 1000miles old but it think they were a bit cheap and nasty, brought as a bundle)
Cleaned the idle jet again (this looked ok but pumped alot of carb cleaner through it)
I also found what I thought was another filter on the fuel line, turned out to be an "Inline Fuel Saver". From what I read these seems to be a con that was floatng around 10 years ago or so......it is in the bin now.

Everything back together and it fired up first go running much better and it tuned fairly well.

After a bit more playing it does seem though that dual advance isn't working correctly. It advances fine but the retard isn't pulling it back correctly making timing it impossible. I'll order a new vacumn unit and see if that sorts it.

Amazing how you fix one thing and it has a knock on effect over other things.

Thanks for all your help.

You can disconnect the retard side of the vac can. Block off the carb end (its the one facing backwards) but don't block the vac can hole. Then set your timing to 7.5 BTDC static or tickover.

Your dissy will then run like an ordinary svda one. Used to do this a lot back in the day to cure flat spots.