Early Bus Won't Start - Simple Thing Gone Wrong

[skin daddio]

The new 30/2 carb turned out to have a faulty cut-off solenoid. By the time I learned that, I had somehow created an electrical problem. In the beginning I installed the carb and tried to start with a good battery. It turned over, but would not catch. I would try the key five times then check ignition wires, then try again. Then I'd make sure the distributor was giving a click at tdc. Once again with the key a few times and in the process it got worse. Now I'm down to just a 'click' for ignition. I hooked up the newer battery in the bus to my six-cylinder jeep and with all its battery, I still got click. Meantime, I did test the cut-off and replaced it with a working one, but still just click for the starter. Headlights are super strong; I have good juice.

Since then I put the screwdriver to the solenoid at the starter. The starter whizzed as it should. I tried to put the screwdriver from the battery lead to the small tab in an attempt to check the ignition switch, and just got hellisparks. Hard to make good contact there.

I ran a clip from the regulator hot to the coil and it didn't start. I'm hoping that means the ignition switch is good.

I'm not getting much spark from the coil, just a faint one. No spark at the #3 plug tested against the block. Other tests for the distributor passed per Muir recommendations. I got test light on and off with engine rotation and condenser is good too. Swapping the coil didn't make a difference, click, and stumped.

[Amskeptic]

screwdriver to the solenoid at the starter.
starter whizzed as it should.
small tab in an attempt to check the ignition switch, and just got hellisparks.

If the two 13mm nuts, bridged by screwdriver, ran the starter motor, but the solenoid spade terminal against the 13mm terminal just gave sparks, then you have a bad solenoid. Make sure you are not accidentally grounding out against metal in the vicinity.

I ran a clip from the regulator hot to the coil and it didn't start. I'm hoping that means the ignition switch is good.
spark from the coil, just a faint one.
stumped.

Let's simplify your roving diagnostics. With a simple test lamp, you just turn on ignition and see if you have juice at coil #15 (+). Yes? Switch is good and any problem is downstream of the coil.
Take cap off distributor. Turn engine over with your hand on the pulley/belt/whatever until you SEE points close. Take the high tension wire from coil to distributor cap center, and hold it 1/4" away from metal. Carefully (don't short your screwdriver against adjacent metal!) push points open with the tip of your screwdriver. You will get a spark every time the points are opened. Pull the center wire further and further from metal until it can't spark as you nudge points open. Usually, you will get 5/16" before spark can't jump the gap. Now double-check your points gap by turning engine with hand until point rubbing block is on center of a lobe. You should have a .016" gap. If this checks out, you have ignition.
Well?
Colin

[skin daddio]

Thanks for that wisdom.

I know this is a cop out but I just changed out the starter with a known good. It was working in the doublecab a couple years ago. I swapped it before I knew I had an ignition switch to change. Everybody in town knows about the young brewer from wild duck brewery fame, very experienced VW head who accidentally killed himself doing that task.

With known used starter I tried the key and turned to the second thing you brought up. I got a strong spark at the coil-to-dizzy lead on the block - well on out a little beyond 5/16. Points gap is good, not more than 200 miles ago I had 50 degrees on the dwell angle. To be sure I re-measured and it was .016 like butter.

[skin daddio]

Dog damn, have I been busy but I got around to charging up the battery and connected a wire that broke off the aftermarket solenoid spud. Whatever the problem was there it's gone now. It started up but I did not drive it since I'm back to overwhelmed.

[glasseye]

Was it the solenoid wire? I hate it when, suddenly, the problem disappears and you don't know what you did to fix it. You learn nothing. There's always the nagging knowledge that the problem will someday RE-appear. Happens to me all the time with computers.

[skin daddio]

Yoikes, certainly don't you know it.

The wire snapped off that bob relay thing folks put in - whats it called - hot start, cold start relay, on acid start..? Plus the battery was around 11.5 but I don't know what came first on this case. The chicken? Egg? I could have slammed the wire during troubleshooting or it went earlier in the process. Could have worn the battery down while cranking. At least this time it's narrowed down to just those two simple things gone wrong.