Itinerant Air-Cooled

So I have a 79 Bus. The Troutmobile.

I pulled apart the 1/2 cylinder side, so that I could remove the head on that side with the engine still in the bus. I replaced with a different head that had been looked over and worked on by my machinist.

It came apart and went back together fairly smoothly. They did have the cylinder head temp sensor mounted by the intake of number 2. I moved it back to the hole that existed for it by number 3, I am not sure why they moved it, drilling and tapping new hole in the process.

When it came time to fire it up, it would start up easily, but then it would die out after running for 5 to 10 seconds, unless I horsed around with the gas pedal. But then if I did that I would get some backfiring. Even after running it for a couple of minutes it won't idle or run smoothly.

Right now it will start up easily but it won't idle.

Any ideas?

Sounds like vacuum leak(s).

x2, and mixture/timing/valves. I'm sure you went thru the tuneup procedures tho.

Mark said he had it running before I disassembled, I figured it should idle, at least roughly. I didn't mess with anything that should affect timing or dwell.

Couldn't keep it running w/o foot on gas, so I couldn't run back and do the checks for vacuum leaks, there was nothing obvious but with those old hoses and me monkeying around in there it is not unlikely that something got POd and decided to crack.

Maybe we could spend a few minutes on Thursday morn trying to figure it out? Might be simple enough with someone nursing it alive on the gas pedal and someone else shooting some starting fluid around the hoses to find the leak.

Any advice on finding vacuum hoses in Portland? Mark recommends DIP.

Check with Halsey or Always VW, a lot closer to you. DIP is pretty far south.

Todd, when I get back in the saddle Wed, I'll poke my head in the compartment too. I'm guessing something got knocked loose...I've done that many times, and often I don't find the hose until I've looked several times, and then it's doh! Glad it all went relatively smooth...just wish I would have been there to watch, learn and help.

chitwnvw wrote:Couldn't keep it running w/o foot on gas.

Do this default adjustment procedure in order A/B/C to try to keep it running so you can back there. Please note all initial starting points so you can reverse:
A) Turn AFM mixture screw clockwise until it seats.
Turn idle air screw counterclockwise as many turns as you can without it getting loose or falling out.

Not yet?
B) Cap off AFM, turn black cog CCW ten clicks.

Not yet?

C) Advance timing by loosening distributor and go CCW 1/4 to 3/8"

Once you get it running by itself, you can dork around by reversing these steps back there starting at C.
Colin

chitwnvw wrote:When it came time to fire it up, it would start up easily, but then it would die out after running for 5 to 10 seconds, unless I horsed around with the gas pedal. But then if I did that I would get some backfiring. Even after running it for a couple of minutes it won't idle or run smoothly.

Right now it will start up easily but it won't idle.

Any ideas?

Had a similar situation and changing the condensor helped a ton. Eventually, a new wiring harness fixed it completely.

-John

Keep em coming. I'm in Portland now and can get parts before heading back out there on Thursday morning

Any quick fix on an accelerator pedal that doesn't seem to want to spring up on it's own, it does, sort of. Just doesn't seem to have the usual amount of responsiveness. Do the lines get corroded? Should I replace the accelerator cable?

I'd definitely pick up a spare throttle and clutch cable anyway for your trip home....just in case.

Looks like a lot of the bigger vac hose is NLA. Are there larger size vac hoses available? American equivalents that will work?

chitwnvw wrote: Any quick fix on an accelerator pedal that doesn't seem to want to spring up on it's own, it does, sort of. Just doesn't seem to have the usual amount of responsiveness. Do the lines get corroded? Should I replace the accelerator cable?

Mine did the same thing when I got it. Turns out that pedal assembly hinge was cracked and was binding everything up. I had it welded back and it was good as new.

Mr Blotto wrote:

chitwnvw wrote: Any quick fix on an accelerator pedal that doesn't seem to want to spring up on it's own, it does, sort of. Just doesn't seem to have the usual amount of responsiveness. Do the lines get corroded? Should I replace the accelerator cable?

Mine did the same thing when I got it. Turns out that pedal assembly hinge was cracked and was binding everything up. I had it welded back and it was good as new.

Holy crap, did I just constructively participate in a technical forum?!?!?!?!?!?!

Mr Blotto wrote:

Mr Blotto wrote:

chitwnvw wrote: Any quick fix on an accelerator pedal that doesn't seem to want to spring up on it's own, it does, sort of. Just doesn't seem to have the usual amount of responsiveness. Do the lines get corroded? Should I replace the accelerator cable?

Mine did the same thing when I got it. Turns out that pedal assembly hinge was cracked and was binding everything up. I had it welded back and it was good as new.

Holy crap, did I just constructively participate in a technical forum?!?!?!?!?!?!

Not only that, you also quoted yourself.

-John

i always start with compression test and go from there....i might have missed where you mention that