Need to time or something else?

[A Pixel Beetle]

Last week I changed the oil on it and today it is running sluggish, and there is white smoke pumping out of it.

So I am thinking I need to readjust everything to accommodate the summer weather?
_________________
68 Beetle

[dkmullen]

Do you have reason to think your oil change is related to what it's doing now? As long as it has oil in it and it's up to the right level on the dipstick then there's not much you can foul up with an oil change!

It never hurts to go through a complete tune-up routine. Set the valve clearance (really quite easy to do), the the points gap, spark plug gap, timing, tweak the carb. Make sure you have a proper manual and you take it step by step. Don't try fiddling with things if you're not fairly sure what the result should be!

Good luck with it.
_________________
Desmond Mullen
'65 patina splitty daily driver

[A Pixel Beetle]

Well when I changed the oil, I also replaced the oil cooler; it was leaking before I changed it. It is doing a smoke screen, (started today) so my thought is the engine went out, but it is white smoke, leading me to adjust timing. AZ heat is starting to kick in now. It never acted like this, so I figured I post the question.
_________________
68 Beetle

[dkmullen]

Okay, oil change is insignificant. Oil cooler change is very significant!

White smoke can be burning oil. It would be reasonable to think your changing the oil cooler and the white smoke are related. They might not be, but that's the first line of investigation that I would follow.

Now, why would you change the timing seasonally? Warm weather (even hot weather) doesn't dictate a timing change. Maybe a carb tweak, probably an electric choke tweak, but not timing.

Good luck!
_________________
Desmond Mullen
'65 patina splitty daily driver

[A Pixel Beetle]

Thanks dkmullen for the replies.

It is due for a valve adjustment, but I am trying to figure out what to rule out. My thought was being sluggish equal timing or fuel mixture. Maybe I am wrong thinking like this?
_________________
68 Beetle

[dkmullen]

You're right that running sluggishly could have something to do with timing or mixture. I thought you were thinking about timing having to do with the white smoke.

It's probably a good idea to go through the whole tune-up procedure. It really doesn't take very long - less than an hour if you know what you're doing, maybe a couple of hours if you're new to the process.

Start with adjusting the valves (with a cold engine - like after sitting overnight) to .006 and then do the rest: points gap, timing, carb adjust. Do it all by the book unless you have good reason to do something otherwise.

Don't forget a new fuel filter if you haven't changed yours lately!
_________________
Desmond Mullen
'65 patina splitty daily driver

[A Pixel Beetle]

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction dkmullen. Now something to work on this weekend.
_________________
68 Beetle

[Paul Windisch]

Sounds silly, but did you put too much oil in it? That would make it run sluggish and have high oil consumption (smoke).
_________________
*ASE Recertified Master Automotive Tech*

1984 Mexican Beetle
-1914cc
-L3 Heads 35x32 valves 52cc chambers
-0.040" deck for about 9.1:1 Compression
-Engle W110 cam
-CB Super Stock 1.1:1 Rockers
-Stock Heat Exchangers w/ Tri-Mil Muffler
-Dual Weber IDF 40s w/ 26mm venturis
-034 SVDA Distributor

2013 Chevrolet Volt DD
2005 Pontiac Montana SV6

MAHLE Service Solutions
Applications Engineer

[doc1369]

Is it leaking oil, is the smoke coming from out of the exhaust or around the engine. You may have a oil leak thats burning on the exhaust pipes.
_________________
Fatchicks: Daily drivers, donor cars, collectibles. What can't they do?

[A Pixel Beetle]

I put in a little over 2.5.

I thought it was from residual from it leaking but I see no signs of that. No puddles or leaks from the engine. The smoke is blowing from the pea shooters - white. I placed my hand in front of it and it did not smell like oil burning, but I could not make out gas either.
_________________
68 Beetle

[Paul Windisch]

Did you just fill up your fuel tank? Bad gas perhaps? Usually the only thing that creates white smoke is water based (water, coolant [which you don't have] etc.). Has your location had a good amount of rain lately? Sometimes rain gets into the holding tanks at gas stations. Oil smoke will usually have a bluish color and will hang / hover for a while with low wind. Too rich will usually cause a blackish smoke that stinks like half burned gasoline ('cause that's what it is). Try to decipher then post results.
_________________
*ASE Recertified Master Automotive Tech*

1984 Mexican Beetle
-1914cc
-L3 Heads 35x32 valves 52cc chambers
-0.040" deck for about 9.1:1 Compression
-Engle W110 cam
-CB Super Stock 1.1:1 Rockers
-Stock Heat Exchangers w/ Tri-Mil Muffler
-Dual Weber IDF 40s w/ 26mm venturis
-034 SVDA Distributor

2013 Chevrolet Volt DD
2005 Pontiac Montana SV6

MAHLE Service Solutions
Applications Engineer

[A Pixel Beetle]

As a matter of fact, I filled up on Wednesday. We have not had any rain for a while now, but maybe the station sprayed/cleaned the pump area? It is something else to check into.

How would I know if the gas is bad or not? And what would be the fix? Drain and refill?
_________________
68 Beetle

[Paul Windisch]

Well, gas and water don't mix well, so if there's alot of water in it, they will separate and you'll see a blob of a different color at the bottom of the gas. Draining it is the solution. At the dealership, we will put a sample of the fuel in a one pint glass jar from the fuel pump outlet hose if we suspect water contamination, then let it sit 5-10 minutes so the water separates from the fuel, then you can see the layers. It is a semi-common occurance up here in Michigan, especially in early spring when all the snow melts and we get a decent rain. You might want to try driving it around the block a few times to see if it clears up.
_________________
*ASE Recertified Master Automotive Tech*

1984 Mexican Beetle
-1914cc
-L3 Heads 35x32 valves 52cc chambers
-0.040" deck for about 9.1:1 Compression
-Engle W110 cam
-CB Super Stock 1.1:1 Rockers
-Stock Heat Exchangers w/ Tri-Mil Muffler
-Dual Weber IDF 40s w/ 26mm venturis
-034 SVDA Distributor

2013 Chevrolet Volt DD
2005 Pontiac Montana SV6

MAHLE Service Solutions
Applications Engineer