Rough running advice for a complete novice!

[KTetley]

Hope someone can help me out here - not sure where to start.
Engine has been starting first time cold and hot, but running a bit rough until warmed up.
Once warmed up - runs well.
After a run this morning, just came back to the van and really struggled to start it - took a long time to fire upon the ignition, but very little reaction/revs when pushing the gas peddle. Have managed to drive it, but bearley pulls away in first and splutters in 2nd and 3rd - the power is very flat. As you can see by my description Im harldy a mechanic! Where to start?

Thanks

Kev

 

[carrottopper]

my bet is carb icing. barney has suffered this winter and it will very rarely happen in the summer. start the van and rev it slightley for a couple of minutes. go to the engine and look at the inlet manifold on the carb. if its iced up or got condesation running off it thats the problem. also a pic of engine bay may help. do you have stock or aftermarket exhaust?

 

[KTetley]

Im fairly sure its aftermarket. I will have a go now and take some pics.

 

[carrottopper]

if its aftermarket i can pretty much bet its the same as ours. there will be no warm air feed coming into the filter (presuming its got the standard filter on) to help the fueling. there isnt anywhere to mount the warm air feed on an aftermarket exhaust so we let our bus idle for 5 mins or so before we drive it and its fine

 

[carrottopper]

it could of course be blocked heat risers on the manifold itself. they tend to get carbon build up over the years so hot air cannot rise through them

 

[KTetley]

Well - no icing or condensation. Any thoughts? Exhaust does sound a bit rougher than before too.

 

[carrottopper]

did you touch the manifold to see if it was really cold and get a picture?

 

[KTetley]

Manifold wasnt cold to touch. Trouble uploading pic - board attachment quote full?? whatever that means.

 

[carrottopper]

hmmmmmmmm have you had it serviced recentley? could be worth doing it. spark plugs could be shaftoed? when you drive it from cold does it run good , then after a few hundred start spluttering and hesitating , then after a mile or so (once warm) pulls strongley with no probs?

 

[KTetley]

Had it serviced in September and a new carb fitted. Its has been a problem unitl today. Has been starting well - even in very cold weather - a little bit chunky until warmed up, but has been running like a dream. Was like that first thing today too.
It has been warm today and sat in the sun most of the afternoon. Took ages to fire up / start on the igintion key and didnt rev well once started. Very flat from the gas peddle. I drove a while, but didnt improve - very flat / unresponsive and almost died when changing up into a higher gear.

 

[carrottopper]

look for or ask questions here dude

http://volkszone.com/VZi/forumdisplay.php?f=11" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

very helpful and knowledgable bunch

 

[streetboy]

Could be numerous things, ignition, points closed up, blocked jet in the carb, air leak on carb, manifold etc.

Check your points gap, if there ok then try to get it to idle and spray some wd 40 all round the carb and manifold and pay attention to the rubber seals. If the engine speed increases you have an air leak somewhere as its drawing it in.

I'm sure others will be along with more advice

 

[KTetley]

Thanks for that. What about crap in the carb? Looks like Ive got a dodgey / intermittant fault on the fuel guage - tank was near on empty and parked on a slope! Despite showing quarter full! Once filled, running somewhat better, but might be crud in the carb from the bottom of the tank - a possibility? Its pulling away better, but with a bit of splutter and less umf than normal!

 

[71Westy]

I've got exactly the same problem. Fine when cold. No power, spluttery, dying on idle when slightly warm. Then fine when warmed up fully. I'm pulling my hair out! Had the carb off and cleaned it through three times (twice by garage, once by me). Points, plugs, tappets all checked several times. I've cleaned out the fuel tank, changed the filter position, and changed the fuel lines. I've moved around the vacuum tubes (like to the air cleaner) and tried them in different configurations.

The carb (34 PICT3) ran fine on the old engine with a vacuum dizzy. But I have a new 009 on a recon engine, and it now doesn't. It's more than the 009 flat spot, I'm sure.

So, very keen to see the answer here.....

Nick

 

[BJ1]

009 - makes a great fishing weight but never found any other use for one :lol:
Same with aftermarket pancake filters.
We have stock carbs, dizzies and filters on our vans with warm air pipes properly set up. Never have icing or flat spots.

 

[cyberdyne systems]

Particularly when its been as cold as recent, you need all the help you can get, starting with the correct aircleaner, because..

this will have the pipe that goes down to where the cooling air exits the engine so it can draw up this now heated air and put it through the carb. On earlier bay aircleaners they had a cable going to the thermostat to open and close the warm air supply, usually this cable is long gone so you may have to keep it open for winter and close for summer.

The vacuum distributor will help with smooth acceleration and is the ONLY one to use with a 34pict3 carb, they were designed for use together.

Finally the heat risers, these work best with a standard exhaust as the design creates a directional flow to circulate the warm gases near to the manifold where it gets coldest (right under the carb). You can still have some of this effect with an aftermarket but its not quite as good. Some headers like a bugpack are not drilled through to let any heat through, so make sure this is done. You could try an IMDU unit, but I have no idea whether these are that effective?

Gareth

 

[carrottopper]

You could try an IMDU unit, but I have no idea whether these are that effective?

they are shite :lol: