Diagnostic questions

Hi guys, I've been gone a while but I just picked this group up again.

One day several months ago I loaned my bug to my daughter for the day
and something happened when she was out and about with it and almost
didn't get it home. I'm having trouble narrowing down what's wrong.
When the problem started the weather was crappy and I didn't have the
garage space to roll it in so I put it off until things got warm. Then
I was busy all summer and I'm just getting back to it. Along the way I
worked on it a little here and there but not enough to really get to the
bottom of the problem.

This engine has about 30k miles on it. I rebuilt it and had Dan Hall's
machine shop in Portland do all the machine work. The compression is
good and the oil pressure hasn't changed since the engine was first put
into service. BTW, this is the engine that I used to refer to the
perpetual project. It spent over 10 years in my bedroom closet waiting
for me to get around to finishing it...

The engine cuts out a low RPM and gets worse as it warms up. By the
time it should be warmed up enough to idle, it's running worse and I
can't get to the back of the car to tinker with it. BTW the power is OK
until it warms up then it hard to keep it running. Judging by the oil
pressure, it never gets to fully warmed up before it's running like crap.

My first thought was the points and condenser were likely bad. I had
the money so I put in an electronic ignition kit. It ran the same and I
thought maybe it was fuel starving. Draining the gas gave an
unimpressive flow rate so I pulled the tank and cleaned the screen. The
screen was about half blocked so I figured I found the problem. Since I
was in there, I installed an electric fuel pump and put a new fuel
filter between the pump and tank. Still no change.

I've also been going over the electrical connections. I've been
cleaning them or replacing them as required and packing them with
dielectric grease. I've fixed all sorts of little problems that have
had no effect on the problem.

There is a bit of soft soot inside the end of the exhaust pipe and while
I don't see any black smoke, it does smell a little rich. right now I'm
thinking it's either the carb or the coil is weak. Any suggestions?

Tony

On Nov 4, 6:52*pm, Tony W wrote:
Hi guys, I've been gone a while but I just picked this group up again.

One day several months ago I loaned my bug to my daughter for the day
and something happened when she was out and about with it and almost
didn't get it home. *I'm having trouble narrowing down what's wrong.
When the problem started the weather was crappy and I didn't have the
garage space to roll it in so I put it off until things got warm. *Then
I was busy all summer and I'm just getting back to it. *Along the way I
worked on it a little here and there but not enough to really get to the
bottom of the problem.

This engine has about 30k miles on it. *I rebuilt it and had Dan Hall's
machine shop in Portland do all the machine work. *The compression is
good and the oil pressure hasn't changed since the engine was first put
into service. BTW, this is the engine that I used to refer to the
perpetual project. *It spent over 10 years in my bedroom closet waiting
for me to get around to finishing it...

The engine cuts out a low RPM and gets worse as it warms up. *By the
time it should be warmed up enough to idle, it's running worse and I
can't get to the back of the car to tinker with it. *BTW the power is OK
until it warms up then it hard to keep it running. *Judging by the oil
pressure, it never gets to fully warmed up before it's running like crap.

My first thought was the points and condenser were likely bad. *I had
the money so I put in an electronic ignition kit. *It ran the same and I
thought maybe it was fuel starving. *Draining the gas gave an
unimpressive flow rate so I pulled the tank and cleaned the screen. The
screen was about half blocked so I figured I found the problem. *Since I
was in there, I installed an electric fuel pump and put a new fuel
filter between the pump and tank. *Still no change.

I've also been going over the electrical connections. *I've been
cleaning them or replacing them as required and packing them with
dielectric grease. *I've fixed all sorts of little problems that have
had no effect on the problem.

There is a bit of soft soot inside the end of the exhaust pipe and while
I don't see any black smoke, it does smell a little rich. *right now I'm
thinking it's either the carb or the coil is weak. *Any suggestions?

Tony

Electric fuel cut off on the side of the carb? Check to see that it
hasn't worked loose and destroyed the idle jet seat.......... use a
fixed idle jet in the air :-)
======================
Leon McAtee

I screwed up. I meant to post this in the aircooled VW news group...

I disabled the electric fuel cut off. The guy at an air-cooled VW shop
in Amity, OR recommended that cut off the end of the valve on the cut
off because it wouldn't flow enough of the alcohol/gas blend that we
have now.

wrote:
On Nov 4, 6:52 pm, Tony W wrote:
Hi guys, I've been gone a while but I just picked this group up again.

One day several months ago I loaned my bug to my daughter for the day
and something happened when she was out and about with it and almost
didn't get it home. I'm having trouble narrowing down what's wrong.
When the problem started the weather was crappy and I didn't have the
garage space to roll it in so I put it off until things got warm. Then
I was busy all summer and I'm just getting back to it. Along the way I
worked on it a little here and there but not enough to really get to the
bottom of the problem.

This engine has about 30k miles on it. I rebuilt it and had Dan Hall's
machine shop in Portland do all the machine work. The compression is
good and the oil pressure hasn't changed since the engine was first put
into service. BTW, this is the engine that I used to refer to the
perpetual project. It spent over 10 years in my bedroom closet waiting
for me to get around to finishing it...

The engine cuts out a low RPM and gets worse as it warms up. By the
time it should be warmed up enough to idle, it's running worse and I
can't get to the back of the car to tinker with it. BTW the power is OK
until it warms up then it hard to keep it running. Judging by the oil
pressure, it never gets to fully warmed up before it's running like crap.

My first thought was the points and condenser were likely bad. I had
the money so I put in an electronic ignition kit. It ran the same and I
thought maybe it was fuel starving. Draining the gas gave an
unimpressive flow rate so I pulled the tank and cleaned the screen. The
screen was about half blocked so I figured I found the problem. Since I
was in there, I installed an electric fuel pump and put a new fuel
filter between the pump and tank. Still no change.

I've also been going over the electrical connections. I've been
cleaning them or replacing them as required and packing them with
dielectric grease. I've fixed all sorts of little problems that have
had no effect on the problem.

There is a bit of soft soot inside the end of the exhaust pipe and while
I don't see any black smoke, it does smell a little rich. right now I'm
thinking it's either the carb or the coil is weak. Any suggestions?

Tony

Electric fuel cut off on the side of the carb? Check to see that it
hasn't worked loose and destroyed the idle jet seat.......... use a
fixed idle jet in the air :-)
======================
Leon McAtee

"Tony W" wrote in message
...
... The engine cuts out a low RPM and gets worse as it warms up. By the
time it should be warmed up enough to idle, it's running worse and I can't
get to the back of the car to tinker with it. BTW the power is OK until
it warms up then it hard to keep it running.
...
Draining the gas gave an unimpressive flow rate so I pulled the tank and
cleaned the screen. The screen was about half blocked so I figured I
found the problem. Since I was in there, I installed an electric fuel
pump and put a new fuel filter between the pump and tank. Still no
change.


Sounds like crap in the fuel system that has found it's way in to the idle
jets in the carb (assuming carburetor). Not unusual for for a car that has
been sitting for years. Expected given that you found crap in the screen...

Runs OK cold (choke on) not ok warm (choke off) - sounds like carb plugged
up.

You could try a can of fuel system cleaner from the wishfull thinking isle
in the auto parts store, but more likely you are going to end up pulling
out the carb, soaking in parts cleaner, blowing out, etc... before you get
it to run right.

--
Geoff
The Sea Hawk at Wow Way d0t Com
remove spaces and make the obvious substitutions to reply by mail
When immigration is outlawed, only outlaws will immigrate.

On Thu, 5 Nov 2009 20:18:18 -0500, "Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe" The Sea
Hawk @See My Sig.com wrote:

"Tony W" wrote in message
...
... The engine cuts out a low RPM and gets worse as it warms up. By the
time it should be warmed up enough to idle, it's running worse and I can't
get to the back of the car to tinker with it. BTW the power is OK until
it warms up then it hard to keep it running.
...
Draining the gas gave an unimpressive flow rate so I pulled the tank and
cleaned the screen. The screen was about half blocked so I figured I
found the problem. Since I was in there, I installed an electric fuel
pump and put a new fuel filter between the pump and tank. Still no
change.


Sounds like crap in the fuel system that has found it's way in to the idle
jets in the carb (assuming carburetor). Not unusual for for a car that has
been sitting for years. Expected given that you found crap in the screen...

Runs OK cold (choke on) not ok warm (choke off) - sounds like carb plugged
up.

You could try a can of fuel system cleaner from the wishfull thinking isle
in the auto parts store, but more likely you are going to end up pulling
out the carb, soaking in parts cleaner, blowing out, etc... before you get
it to run right.
Look for "sea foam" in the "wishfull thinking aisle" - available at
NAPA and other fine auto parts stores - and as fuel system cleaners
go, it works pretty well.

wrote:
Look for "sea foam" in the "wishfull thinking aisle" - available at
NAPA and other fine auto parts stores - and as fuel system cleaners
go, it works pretty well.

I'm going to tear into the carb the next time I can get to it.

Tony

wrote:

Sounds like crap in the fuel system that has found it's way in to the idle
jets in the carb (assuming carburetor). Not unusual for for a car that has
been sitting for years. Expected given that you found crap in the screen...

Runs OK cold (choke on) not ok warm (choke off) - sounds like carb plugged
up.

You could try a can of fuel system cleaner from the wishfull thinking isle
in the auto parts store, but more likely you are going to end up pulling
out the carb, soaking in parts cleaner, blowing out, etc... before you get
it to run right.
Look for "sea foam" in the "wishfull thinking aisle" - available at
NAPA and other fine auto parts stores - and as fuel system cleaners
go, it works pretty well.

Ha! I had tried two or three potions in the oil to fix a stuck noisy lifter.
Then on a tip, I tried Sea Foam - and bingo! All went quiet - and stayed
quiet ever since. (it's true a gasket came loose where the sea foam took
out the gasket cement I suspect! :-)

Brian W