Sam was sputtering

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Thu Oct 07, 2010 3:37 am

Sam is down, did not start in the cold for two mornings and I am walking to the Bus stop. Not cool when my commute in the morning goes from two miles to no miles with my daily driver. I will see if I can eliminate the wiring issue at the starter this weekend. However, the cable from the battery to the starter has been spliced into by the PO. Where is a good replacement? Can something be had at a FLAPs store?

twinfalls · Post by **twinfalls** » Thu Oct 07, 2010 5:56 am

I guess there are plenty of such cables at junkyards from many car makes that will fit a VW bus.
I am not sure......they use to butcher the wires and hoses to dismantle faster.

Look for a cable long enough with copper cross section at least as thick with standard battery terminal.

At FLAPs I use to see battery terminals at outrageous prices and not so good for cable attachement..

dtrumbo · Post by **dtrumbo** » Thu Oct 07, 2010 9:18 am

I know you're in a time-bind, but this is the one I bought. It works great and it fits properly.

http://www.wolfsburgwest.com/cart/Detai ... 311971225C

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:19 am

I may make a trip tomorrow to get that setup. Thanks DT

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Sat Oct 09, 2010 3:34 pm

Scrap that, I am cleaning up the connections to the starter, then cleaning the contacts and the grounding strap. I really think I am not getting enough amperage to the coil. Also, the Bus runs like shit, the sputtering has to be the carb and crud in it. With that, I am accelerating my replacement of the carb this weekend and finishing my rebuild. So tonight it is me, two Solex 34 PICT 3's and Frank Sinatra. I will take some pictures, Go Reds (Shameless Plug).

75Z top
X127 bottom?

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Sun Oct 10, 2010 6:51 am

The tale of two carbs. One came with Samantha, could be the original she had long ago, might not be. The second came from a Ghia in a junkyard. I am not really combining the two, just planning on having a backup if needed, like the second Firefox jet. Here they are before I started, I used the rebuild kit from Euro-Max, no relation to Mad Max.

Here is the completed rebuild. It ain't pretty, but it is functional.

Tomorrow it goes in and the Weber goes away. I have a stock oil air cleaner for the carb but I have to have a pizza holder spot welded in before it goes in, so a EMPI small filter will have to do for awhile. I also have a brand new SVDA and Pertronix for it going in. That will be for another day though. Hopefully I will get the carb dialed in tomorrow, I unscrewed the Bypass Air Screw completely and did not get it screwed back in where it was, so I have this little helper:

Hopefully when I get and the electric Gremlins fixed, it will be camping time again. My number one fan of the Bus sure likes camping too:

Stay tuned for tomorrow. Hope there is no fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS8KthgFJJk

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Sun Oct 10, 2010 5:06 pm

Boy if I had a garage I would never try to do something like this again. I knew I would have to pull the generator on the engine to get the intake off, but try and do it with the fan shroud still on. Gads it must have taken me 2 1/2 to get it off then back on, after that I was pretty worn out. Did not get done today, will have to work on it tomorrow night some more. Boy do I miss having a garage!

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sun Oct 10, 2010 8:45 pm

Sylvester wrote:Boy if I had a garage I would never try to do something like this again. I knew I would have to pull the generator on the engine to get the intake off, but try and do it with the fan shroud still on.

Good Luck. I got your back as of October 26th or so.

Why would having a garage change anything?
Colin

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:43 am

Amskeptic wrote:
Sylvester wrote:Boy if I had a garage I would never try to do something like this again. I knew I would have to pull the generator on the engine to get the intake off, but try and do it with the fan shroud still on.
Good Luck. I got your back as of October 26th or so.

Why would having a garage change anything?
Colin

Room to work, out of the elements, I can leave things and come back alter without them being stolen. Outdoor sounds that drive me crazy when I am frustrated! (see quote below from post years ago) Nothing like working in the rain with the decklid your umbrella! I have done that. Here is the engine when I started, damn Weber!:

Here is the gaping hole from the fan and generator, 3 hours later. Could not remove carb from intake so this is as low as I had to go to get it out. I was ready to go crazy with a nearby birthday part and kids on skateboards going "Plunk plank BAM!" every 30 seconds like clockwork.

Badly cracked intake boots. I am sure they were leaking and just, sucked.

From a few years ago a quote I did when I was working years ago:

I remember years ago working on the 64 Bug, late at night, getting cold, have to get up in the morning, cannot get those damn eight 8mm bolts that hold the engine lid on the hinges. Neighbor's garage is open, their smoke detector battery is going dead, it beeps every 10 seconds. Other neighbors dog is barking, and not stopping. Rednecks in distance are shooting something, repetitively. 11:30 PM, cold, tired, with beep, bark bark bark, ka-pow! Beep, bark bark bark, ka-pow! Beep, bark bark bark, ka-pow! Beep, bark bark bark, ka-pow! Stripped bolt and hence knuckle! Beep, bark bark bark, ka-pow! Threw wrench into the street 50 feet away, kicked tools over, cursing woke up whole family, left it with two bolts holding my lid on for the next week. I have my father's temper.

sped372 · Post by **sped372** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:49 am

While you've got a bit better access, get in there with some Simple Green and elbow grease. A lot of that grime will come off, you'd be surprised.

Those chrome parts frighten me.

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 6:55 am

sped372 wrote:Those chrome parts frighten me.

You dissin my pimp bling? Hey, I did take off the chrome generator cover!

Honestly if I had time and a "garage" I would have had the engine out and done the entire engine bay rewire, refurbish and repaint (RRR). However, I do not have either, so it goes back together and back in service.

sped372 · Post by **sped372** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:31 am

I hear you. Went without a garage for quite some time before we got a house, garage, and a basement. Luxury.

No disrespect meant...

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 8:09 am

sped372 wrote:I hear you. Went without a garage for quite some time before we got a house, garage, and a basement. Luxury.

No disrespect meant...

Indeed, I am striving to correct that as we speak. No dis taken, Colin was calling me the IAC pimp some time ago, this was a PO chrome thing and not me. I would do all mine in OD Army green if I could.

Sylvester · Post by **Sylvester** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 1:45 pm

I am officially stuck the new intake will not go on for one reason or another, and in need of the Bus running I may have to put the old carb and intake back on. Colin, call me (Cell in PM I sent) so I can decide which route is best. I believe the engine will need to be dropped now, really for this it should have been in the first place.

Xelmon · Post by **Xelmon** » Sun Oct 17, 2010 1:58 pm

Sylvester wrote:

First one is an F-head, the second one is a brother of what I have!!
I just don't have all of the proper air filters and such.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Sam was sputtering