Brian's First Bus

[kiltgy]

Anyone have a battery charger I can borrow? Or know of a place that will merrily charge my battery for me?

After sitting for the better part of a year, my battery is dead.

[hambone]

That's a long time to be dead, you may have to replace it. The plates inside get a sulfate build up.

[Oregon72]

Brian, I believe you can take your battery to most FLAPS and they will at least test it, if not charge it for you.

I just bought a new Optima RedTop battery (spendy little unit I tell ya') and I have my old one that is perfectly fine and fully charged. If your battery tray is in rough shape already, this one should be just fine as it tends to get a bit of white powdery oxidation on the tray which really bummed me out considering I fixed up my tray when I rebuilt my engine in 2009. I'm going to try to make it to the Lucky Lab on Monday, let me know if you're interested.

[tristessa]

I'm going to try to make it to the Lucky Lab on Monday

[kiltgy]

The engine turned over!!!

Then nothing.

Not even a click

I have a short somewhere in the wiring.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Crossed wires somewhere.

Looks like i get to learn to read a wiring diagram.

[tristessa]

Check connections at the starter, both the push-on connection to the solenoid and the ring terminals under the nut.

Do the lights come on?

[hambone]

It's probably the battery connection. Check.

[kiltgy]

I am pretty sure it is a short as I have power to some wires and not to others. Plus I am finding cooked wires as I go along. Most look to be pretty old (including one VERY scary looking one under my dash) but a couple are fresh (new since I installed the engine).

[ruckman101]

ouch.


neal

[kiltgy]

Things i have learned:

The really barbecued wire under the dash was/is the issue. It comes from the ignition switch. A check up under the ignition switch reveals that the entire thing is a slagging mess. So, for now, We are hot wiring the bus...

But it still won't start

Part of the problem was that the distributor was not spinning. A late night call to Hal (thanks buddy!) helped sort out the issue, and we got the drive pulled. The little washer at the bottom had become dislodged as was keeping the distributor from fully seating.

So, that issue got sorted out...

But the bus still won't start.

The current theory is that the little condenser on the side of the distributor was damaged when everything got fried. So another one is getting picked up today and we will try again.

[ruckman101]

Fingers crossed that a condenser is the ticket.


neal

[kiltgy]

Who's got two thumbs and a running bus? THIS GUY!!!!!

Katrina lives!!!!!

The condenser was fine. The problem came down to the ignition switch. It is cooked. There is power in the ON position. However, when the key is pushed forward to the START position, we lose power at the coil. So, with direct power from the battery to the coil everything starts. Then, when we pull the wire from the battery to the coil the bus still runs great!

So.....Does anyone have a dwell meter and a velocimeter I could borrow to get everything tuned and in sync? Or, know how to do it by ear?

[hambone]

I have a dwell, stop by and we can dial it in. Dual carbs?
Amazing all the trouble a bad ignition switch can cause. I've been there numerous times, with almost every VW I've owned. It's not too hard to replace.

[ruckman101]

Congrats are due! Congrats!


neal

[steve74baywin]

There is power in the ON position. However, when the key is pushed forward to the START position, we lose power at the coil.

I could see how that one could be difficult.
Put key on, go check voltmeter which it is attached to coil. 12 volts, great, go up front and try to start it....
If there was two people one might notice the power dropping at the coil, but if your by yourself, that could drive you nuts.
I have observed voltage at the coil while cranking at times just to make sure it wasn't dropping to low, I think I will keep doing that after what you found.