Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

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Sluggo
Wishin' I was Fishin'
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Sluggo » Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:07 pm

Made my own ring for the temp sender. Temps are even higher now. Plenty of power but temps rise quickly on the hills. Up to 450 within seconds. I'll swap out the 50 needles and replace them with the 75's.

Colin,

You were mentioning a temporary lean condition causing my issues. Could it possibly be a temporary RICH issue? This could also account for the high HC level in my DEQ test. Possibly my mains are too big? Just a thought.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

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Amskeptic
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:13 pm

Sluggo wrote:Made my own ring for the temp sender. Temps are even higher now. Plenty of power but temps rise quickly on the hills. Up to 450 within seconds. I'll swap out the 50 needles and replace them with the 75's.

Colin,

You were mentioning a temporary lean condition causing my issues. Could it possibly be a temporary RICH issue? This could also account for the high HC level in my DEQ test. Possibly my mains are too big? Just a thought.
Heat = Lean High HC is not necessarily a "rich" symptom, it is definitely a misfire symptom.

Also check the timing throughout the range. Over-advance can cause heat.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Sluggo
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Sluggo » Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:59 pm

I'll check out the advance range today too.

I could have very well been misfiring during my last test. My timing was jumpy until I realized (while at Hal's) that the magnet for the compufire was riding up the shaft slightly because I had cut the rotor too short. Replaced the rotor & cut the new one to fit tightly and my timing is rock steady.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

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hambone
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by hambone » Fri Apr 15, 2011 1:01 pm

Why do you have to cut your rotor?
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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Sluggo
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Sluggo » Sat Apr 16, 2011 11:58 am

hambone wrote:Why do you have to cut your rotor?
Pertronix & Compufire magnets sit just a little too high on the shaft for the rotor to seat all the way. So you need to shave a little off the bottom of the rotor. I guess you could shave a little off the top of the magnet but I don't wanna try it.

It was pouring all day yesterday so I didn't get a chance to do much. On my way to Hal's I still had much higher head temps. Realized that I had adjusted the cable for the air flaps too tight and they weren't closing all the way. Now my temps are back to the normal but still too high readings as before.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

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Gypsie
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Gypsie » Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:21 pm

Sluggo wrote: Pertronix & Compufire magnets sit just a little too high on the shaft for the rotor to seat all the way. So you need to shave a little off the bottom of the rotor. I guess you could shave a little off the top of the magnet but I don't wanna try it.
Huh....?

I have a pertronix and have done nothing of the sort. P'raps I need to take a closert look at my setup....

Hmmmmm....
So it all started when I wanted to get better gas mileage....

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Sluggo
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Sluggo » Sat Apr 16, 2011 1:40 pm

Gypsie wrote:
Sluggo wrote: Pertronix & Compufire magnets sit just a little too high on the shaft for the rotor to seat all the way. So you need to shave a little off the bottom of the rotor. I guess you could shave a little off the top of the magnet but I don't wanna try it.
Huh....?

I have a pertronix and have done nothing of the sort. P'raps I need to take a closert look at my setup....

Hmmmmm....
It depends on the style of the distributor. There are many threads about it on Samba. You'd know. I can't get the cap on mine unless I trim it.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

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Sluggo
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Location: Portland, Or.
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Sluggo » Sat Apr 16, 2011 4:18 pm

Timing is 7.5 BTDC at idle
28* at 3500 hose off.
40* at 3500 hose on.

Replaced the fuel filter too. No change. I'll be doing the needles & seats as well as checking float levels later today.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

User avatar
Sluggo
Wishin' I was Fishin'
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Location: Portland, Or.
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Sluggo » Mon Apr 18, 2011 12:44 pm

Swapped out the 150 seats for 175s on Saturday. The 3/4 float was slightly out of adjustment so I reset that. Also made sure my jets were clear.

On Sunday morning I took a day trip up to Badger Creek (very hilly 3 hour drive each way) with Jacki & the brat for Jacki's 40th B-Day. No real change in temps. Bus is at 375* on the streets. 390-400 highway and 390-415 on hills.

Other than the temps the Bus performed like a champ getting us over the most treacherous roads I've ever driven on. Until we stopped at the store a few blocks from home. All of a sudden the Bus would not start. No starter crank or nothing. Luckily we were on a slope so it was an easy push start. I'll be checking that out today.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

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Xelmon
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Location: LA or Portland, OR
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Xelmon » Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:07 pm

DOH!
That sucks man, hopefully it's a very easy fix.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Apr 18, 2011 8:36 pm

Sluggo wrote:Swapped out the 150 seats for 175s on Saturday. The 3/4 float was slightly out of adjustment so I reset that. Also made sure my jets were clear.

On Sunday morning I took a day trip up to Badger Creek (very hilly 3 hour drive each way) with Jacki & the brat for Jacki's 40th B-Day. No real change in temps. Bus is at 375* on the streets. 390-400 highway and 390-415 on hills.

Other than the temps the Bus performed like a champ getting us over the most treacherous roads I've ever driven on. Until we stopped at the store a few blocks from home. All of a sudden the Bus would not start. No starter crank or nothing. Luckily we were on a slope so it was an easy push start. I'll be checking that out today.
Temps seem normal.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Sluggo
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Sluggo » Tue Apr 19, 2011 10:21 am

Amskeptic wrote:Temps seem normal.
Colin

Really? I thought they still seemed a little high. That 415* scared me. But that's also uphill at 50-55 in 3rd.
:vwgauge420:

1977 Bus with Sunroof - "Lucky '77"
2000cc Type IV w/Dual Weber 36s,
Aircooled.net SVDA w/Compufire,
Redline Weber Fuel Pump,
Holley Regulator,
Half Ass Brush & Roller Rustoleum Paint Job,
Incomplete Custom Interior,
Dual Batteries,
Crunched Slider Door.
------------------------------------------------------

User avatar
Amskeptic
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Re: Oil in the #4 combustion chamber!

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Apr 20, 2011 10:41 am

Sluggo wrote:
Amskeptic wrote:Temps seem normal.
Colin

Really? I thought they still seemed a little high. That 415* scared me. But that's also uphill at 50-55 in 3rd.
I can speak more definitively as the summer progresses, but for the past eight years I have been driving the hell out of these Type 4 engines in insane heat at ridiculous highway speeds and seeing 460* spikes on that VDO CHT gauge that RandyInMaine lent me, and the dipstick was easy to handle, the engine smelled fine, the oil was fine, the valve adjustments held, and I think we have some spooked people getting upset with high temps because of pre-existing conditions that caused failures at those 400* temps. Cause and effect gets very muddy with traumatized engine failure survivors looking at their last best guess. Meanwhile, I do not yet have a failure, so I am more relaxed about it.

If you look at how lean and hot these cars ran when meeting stringent Federal Emissions standards, especially the '73-'74 buses with air injection, I think we can conclude that the engines *can* tolerate general high temps, but will punish you if you have stupid vacuum leaks and clogged cylinder fins and grossly off timing and shut the engine off immediately after a hot hillclimb, etc.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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