TheSamba.com :: View topic - My parts van will idle but won't rev up wo backfiring. Help?

Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:31 pm

Hello,

I just picked up a 82 (air cooled) parts van that apparently had some severe engine damage. After I towed it home I noticed that a tube that connects the intake air distributor to one of the manifolds had slipped over so it would suck too much air. I moved the tube back over and it fired right up. It will idle but, when it does, it makes a pretty repetitive backfire through the fuel injection system. When I try to rev it up, it backfires more and won't increase in rpms much. Good fuel, good plugs, good wires. I've played with the timing but it doesn't seem to make much difference. I've pulled the valve covers off to see if there is any obvious problems but all looked good, from what I could tell. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You,
Chad

Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:33 pm

Firing order incorrect, most likely, or a cracked dist. cap. That's where I'd start.

Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:47 pm

:D sounds to me like it has a burnt valve... running lean like that will cause it to get really hot... Do a compression check, or just pull the wire from one cylinder at a time and rev the engine... it won't rev smothly, but when you get the right cylinder the backfire will stop... :twisted:

Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:50 pm

Thanks for the quick responses. The cap and rotor look brand new but I cleaned them up anyway. Double checked the firing order earlier today.
Just fired her up again and started pulling wires off, on at a time. Cyl 3 did the trick. When I pulled her off she ran better, no backfire, and will now rev up high w/o probs. If i put it back on, she runs up a bit and then starts backfiring again. Something to do with the valves? Bad plug wire? I only paid 41 bucks for this bus. I planned on just taking the front seats, a wing window, and whatever other goodies I could use on the 82 westfalia i just bought. If it runs, id love to sell her for some extra cash. Any advice on this situation? Thank you.

Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:14 pm

:D Might also be a bad lifter holding the valve open.... :twisted:

Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:39 pm

I forgot to add that I get some dark smoke when I give her fuel.

Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:41 pm

Thank you eric, just found a good article about lifters on type2.com

Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:58 pm

Just an update on the 41 dollar wonder. After reading a very informative article on type2.com about hydraulic lifters, I decided to adjust the cylinder that was causing a backfiring. I found some play between the valve stem and the rocker arm on the #3 exhaust. After tightening it up so that the valve stem and the adjusting screw were touching, I fired it up. She caughed a bit, then, after idleing for a bit, ran great. Just ran her down to the gas station to put 10 bucks of premium in the tank. She is much quicker than the 82 Westfalia I've been working on.

It feels gooood to have a good running vw!

Much thanks

:shock: :? :oops: :o :) :D :)

Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:05 pm

:D I am prety sure that your van has hydraulic lifters.... if so you need to run the adjuster domw till it touches, then give it two full turns and lock it down to preload the lifter... :twisted:

Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:23 pm

yup, did that. same thing the bentley said. she runs very well now. just drove her down the street for dinner and back. not sure of the internals. i have no idea why this valve train became so far out of adjustment. it was probably a 3/16ths out. i don't believe the previous owner did any maintainance himself, not sure though. the van screams, though. my old 75 westy couldn't touch this puppy. is a pleasure to drive. found out the owner of the 82 westy that I paid 250 for is in jail. i gave the money to his girlfriend and she signed a release of interest for it but it was never in her name. come to find out that a few days ago someone applied for a new title, after several years. i do not know how this transfer is going to take place but I have put much time and energy and some money into this bus. I would very much like it to be registered in my name. Going to find the address of where it was towed from, years ago, to where I picked it up. i should be able to find out the owner of the home and go from there. there is a title clerk at a local dealership that is helping me out with this. I am risking much for this all to come to a good ending.

Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:04 pm

just an update to 41 and westy. 41 wouldn't pass emissions yesterday. too much co. needed 1. to pass, had 1.32. said it was partially burnt fuel and possibly exhaust leaks, which i knew it had. I had, rather hastily, wrapped the offending cold start return with aluminum foil. I think it blew off somewhere between home and the station, cause when I returned home, it was a gonner. I had 3 of the 6 nuts/studs attached to the exhaust manifolds/heater boxes. ok. now. i have all new plugs, replaced all of the nuts and one broken stud. the cold start return has been repaired with silicone tubing and jb weld. (hey, it was a $41 bus, not going to blow a bunch of cash on making her sweet sounding, just get me the tabs!) much better wires will be attached from the westy for the test, too. i think that that will do it. i've had a few notions of contacting the previous owner about this bus. he thought the engine needed some serious work. I just adjusted the valves and slid the sleeve back over the intake manifold/air distributor box on the fuel injection system, after that, no probs. as for the westy. the state said that the person i "bought" (paid $250 to) was not authorized to sell this bus as her name is nowhere on the registration or title. they also said that they would forward a letter to the owner for me as a courtesy explaining the situation and giving the party my contacting information. that was 3 days ago and I haven't heard anything yet. ok. i reeeeeaaaaalllllyyy want this westy. i have stopped cleaning and working on her until she is in my name. if the owner wants her back, i want my 250 and all of the stuff in her that I've installed. like the new front seats that are super comfy and have armrests and the new battery. a few friends and i have cleaned her up really good, got her running, adjusted the timing, and replaced the exhaust. i suppose that i may have no recourse on the money, and the owner would get a much nicer bus. it had been sitting for about 4 years and a cat had taken it to be its castle (definitely no mice evidence, but a passenger seat full of cat hair.) there were kitty feet marks gliding up the mildew ridden door leading to the missing passenger wing window. it has also been rescued from the several creators of beehives, of which there where at least 3, and one is still there (as a nice ornament) at the lip of where the top meets the luggage rack. the tires have all been inflated to their proper pressure but the lawn mower vomit is still leaching from the wheel covers. 4 years of mowing around this thing. who would let something like this rot. jail seems appropriate, maybe even too light of a sentence for vw neglection. hope to take 41 back up to emissions for its second chance (free) testing on friday.

Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:07 am

The CO is adjustable at the AFM, but the system should be complete (no exhaust leaks) before you mess with it. Don't expect any speed from your state government. I'm not sure how your state works but you may try to get a salvage title for it since it is in your possession and I'm guessing it hasn’t been registered in a few years.

Thu Mar 31, 2005 6:39 pm

well, im in washington and they sure sounded friendly and helpful. the owner applied for a new title 2 weeks ago, 2 weeks after i've had possession of it. the state said i would need to be a tow truck company in order to declare it an abandoned vehicle and take legal possession. 41 just failed emissions worse than before. i have a friend who lives out of the emissions jurisdiction so we might change its home address.

Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:38 pm

took 41 up to emissions today. put new plugs on her and good wires. if failed much worse than before. after leaving the station, i checked my jb weld hack job and the cold air return. all that was left was the expensive silicone tubing. got a hold of a friend that lives in a rural area and he is going to let me register it to his home. it only has another year or two until it no longer needs to pass emissions. called up a local vw shop. they said that the "vanagones" (he was very accentuating in the "gone" part) really need their cat converter to pass. that is another 150 to 200 bucks. i would get a waiver if i spent 150. rather resort to the change of address and fine tune the fuel injection.

Sun Apr 03, 2005 9:13 pm

I can't believe you are doing anything with this rig without talking to the REAL owner.

Yeah, you spent money on it. If you got it fraudulently (seller, not you) you have no recourse except sueing the lady you bought it from (fat chance).

If the previous owner is applying for a new title you have:
a) been scammed
b) are working on someone else's car that was sold without their knowledge or permission.

Either way it's a loser. Stop wasting your time unless you think you can sweet talk the REAL owner out of it!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but fair is fair. You may try sending a resonable amount of cash the owner's way (as a promise at this point). Money makes people talk in a hurry. Don't mention you made it run!

Mike!

Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:23 am

Mike, I hear you loud and clear. I haven't touched her since i found this deal to be a bit sketchy. Haven't heard a peep from the real owner yet. Heard he may have just gotten out of jail very recently. I definitely could be very boned by this deal, for sure. The only justifiable recourse that I could see would be me taking out the new battery and ignition parts that I put in and giving her back to the real owner. You know that I might just start to cry at that point, that would really suck. I understand if it was sold without his knowing, and I could not keep the vehicle under such conditions. I don't know the outcome of this situation, but I am very hoping for a happy ending.

chad