TheSamba.com :: View topic - LF VW Guru in SD to assist with 1776 Ghia

Wed May 27, 2009 9:57 am

Okay some backstory first. I had the engine rebuilt and upgraded to a 1776 at DAPS in Riverside, Ca. The stock distributor was replaced with a 009. The car ran like a champ and I sometimes drove it to work, but mostly on weekends. Deployed to Iraq last July and left the routine maintenance to the wife (oil changes and the occasional drive). Well, when i returned in March 09, i come to find out that the last time she has driven it was October 08. So the car was pretty much dead where it sat. Picked up a battery charger and left it on for half a day. Well at least the engine starts now! On my way to the nearest gas station, i noticed that the car would cruise through gears and hold speed, but as soon as you let off the gas it would want to die. I combated this by feathering the throttle till i got back home.
I pulled out the Idiot book and looked on for guidance. The book refers that i time the car to 5 ATDC for a 1971. Wouldn't start.
so i tried 10 BTDC, then 7.5 BTDC, and it starts but same issue (wants to die as soon as the foot comes off the gas). I live in Mission Valley San Diego and would appreciate a fellow VW friend to shoot over and help me out. thanks.

Wed May 27, 2009 10:23 am

The idiot book is telling you how to time a car with the stock distributor. You now have an 009 which must be timed at around 30º BTDC at max advance. That means you attach a timing light and increase RPMS to the point where the advance stops increasing. Hold those RPMs and adjust the distributor until you have 30º.

Max

Wed May 27, 2009 10:35 am

could be old gas and or a plugged jet

Wed May 27, 2009 11:39 am

Timing an 009 is 28 to 32 degrees at 3000 rpm. It sounds like you need to pull the carb and clean it though. The idle circuit has some crap in it. If you do those two things it will run like a champ!

Wed May 27, 2009 6:05 pm

i've had success reving it up and putting my hand over the carb for a split second trying to suck some of the jets/passages clean. that's kinda pointless if you have old rotten gas though.

Wed May 27, 2009 6:41 pm

Did you put Sta-bil in the tank/engine before you left?

I would say just give it a full tune up (timing, valves, carb rebuild, etc) and go from there.

Everytime I deploy, I drive it to the gas station, pour a little more than the recommended amount of Sta-bil into the tank, drive it home and disconnect the battery. When I get home, the battery may be dead anyway (if I've got a crappy one) but it normally fires up without much hassle..

good luck man!

-MC2

Wed May 27, 2009 7:05 pm

no stabil, cause like i said, she was "supposed" to drive it. :roll: ](*,)
but when i got back i noticed the fuel was empty. so i poured my emergency gallon in and noticed i had a leak from the stock fuel filter location. replaced that tube, and so goes my issues.