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Mon Sep 13, 2010 6:08 am

So I'm driving around and I park and go surf. Afterward I jump back in the bus and it starts. I drive about 20 yards and it stalls out. It cranks but won't start. Finally it starts. The next day I drive to target and it stall out on me. Once again it cranks but won't start. It kinda seems like the cable going to the choke is disconnected. This happened to me before. I go to look at the choke and it seems to be connected. I take the 3 screws off and some little piece of metal falls off. A little cylinder/spacer looking thing is just sort of sitting in the cover and that has a little chunk of metal sitting in it.
I sort of slap everything together and was able to get it home barely

I read in the idiot manual the the guy recommends just clamping one way or another and not having a choke at all. Then I see the choke block off things you can get.

So basically what is the best way to deal with this.

This is a 1968 bus.

Thanks

Mon Sep 13, 2010 6:37 am

It is an odd thing. The choke helps it start. So if yours is starting then the choke is working. Now where the choke comes off or the choke stays on full then it has to be looked at. How well does it run when the engine is hot. Does it start every time when hot.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 6:38 am

John Muir hated chokes as he could never adjust them correctly. Just the way he was.

What carb do you have (as I think the little electic heater in there is different for the various series)?

Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:17 am

Sometimes it starts when warmed up and sometimes it doesn't. It seems to have better luck when I start it cold. When it stalls if I let it sit for a little while it seems to start up ok. When I get home I'll check to see what kind of carb I got.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 8:52 am

Make sure the heater is wired up correctly also...

Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:08 am

Well in the meantime I was still wondering what the consensus is on weather to have a choke or not have a choke.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 10:36 am

Yes you do want a choke.

Mon Sep 13, 2010 11:12 am

X2, you want the choke.

Nobody has mentiond the state of tune your engine is in, how's the dwell and timing? When were the valves set last? Tune up? How ancient is this carb? any chance the float is sinking?