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Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:52 pm

1five9 wrote: I don't know why this works as a quick fix but my 68 would vapor lock in the summer. An old timer suggested putting a wooden clothesline pin on the fuel line between the pump and the carb. I was able to drive for the rest of the night no problem. In fact, being the brainless teenager I was, I left that clothes pin on the fuel line for the whole summer without another vapor lock incident.
When I took it off in the fall, it was soaked with gas and no evidence of the cloth braided line leaking....weird.

Anybody ever hear of this type of fix or why it works?

Don't have a reson for it but an old farmer sugested this as well but have not tryed it as of yet.

Sat Dec 01, 2012 1:34 pm

Just wondering,

Would a electric fuel pump mounted under the gas tank, to keep it away from the engine heat, help with vapor lock?

Mon Dec 03, 2012 2:15 pm

Sorry for not updating I have been busy. I tryed the trick in the YouTube Vid and what the older gentelman had told me as stated eairler and removed the fuel pump stand and honed the inside of it out a little as well a sanded a little on the outside till it just dropped down in there by its self and also polished the rod as well and packed the fuel pump with grease. I have been running the hell out of it since Sept in hot and cold weather and have not encountered the issue I had before so hopefully this has solved the problem. I also moved the fuel filter down by the trans and replaced all the fuel lines as well. Thanks again to everyone for the help.
If this had not of worked my next move would have been to go with a electric fuel pump but for now things are good. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-QDI74acLY

Mon Dec 03, 2012 3:30 pm

Reyesfa wrote: Just wondering,

Would a electric fuel pump mounted under the gas tank, to keep it away from the engine heat, help with vapor lock?

Reyesfa wrote: Just wondering,

Would a electric fuel pump mounted under the gas tank, to keep it away from the engine heat, help with vapor lock?

I went to a garage in Colorado that specialized in air-cooled cars. The first thing he did was sell me an electric fuel pump that doesn't need a regulator. Then suggested I try running without the thermostat. The electric pump is supposed to stop the vapor lock but taking out the thermostat is supposed to keep the engine cool.

crvc

Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:11 pm

crvc wrote: Reyesfa wrote: Just wondering,

Would a electric fuel pump mounted under the gas tank, to keep it away from the engine heat, help with vapor lock?

I went to a garage in Colorado that specialized in air-cooled cars. The first thing he did was sell me an electric fuel pump that doesn't need a regulator. Then suggested I try running without the thermostat. The electric pump is supposed to stop the vapor lock but taking out the thermostat is supposed to keep the engine cool.

crvc

If your thermostat and flaps are actually working, all you'll accomplish by wiring them open is to increase engine wear because the oil can't get to operating temp fast enough.

Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:08 pm

Went to my local bug shop today to pick up some things. The guy told me to keep my fuel filter in my engine so I can check for "vapor lock". I have never heard of this before but I'm new the the beetle world. After doing some reading I stumbled onto this thread. I figured I would revive it in order to answer the question about the wooden clothes pin idea. The fuel line gets too hot from what I have read and that give you vapor lock. On the topic of the clothes pin, it acts as a sort of heat sink. This idea is easier grasp when mentioning aluminum foil. It dissipates the heat away from the fluid and helps to prevent vapor lock. While this would only be a temporary fix to the problem, I just hope I helped answer the clothes pin question. This is why you see wood handles on cooking pots, and why you cook with tin foil. Without getting all science I hope it helps.

Side note: I have a degree in biology so I'm not just randomly guessing.

Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:22 pm

Bad idea.

First of all, the wooden handles on utensils are there fir insulation, not to conduct heat. Otherwise it would burn your hand!

Second, any added weight on the fuel line leading to the carb increases the chance of the metal inlet fitting popping out of the carb, causing gas to be pumped onto your running engine, to be lit by the generator sparks, and then your whole car, and maybe you, burn up.

Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:26 pm

I don't plan on trying it myself, just simply answer the question. Also I didn't understand why someone would leave a plastic fuel filter inches away from a distributor. Seems like a bad idea, and the guy at my local shop said if the filter is by the transmision it would get his by rocks on the road and will crack. Funny to hear the other side of the fuel filter placement debate.

Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:27 pm

Use a metal one there. Write the date and mileage on it with a sharpie.

Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:33 pm

KTPhil wrote: Use a metal one there. Write the date and mileage on it with a sharpie. I have mine by the transmision now. Is that where your suggesting to keep it or in the engine bay with a metal one?

Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:36 pm

Personally I've tried putting an inline filter under the gas tank and transaxle and no matter where I put it in front of the fuel pump it created problems accelerating / studdering for me. So I run a plastic one in the engine with long lines so if it blows out or whatever it won't dump gas onto the distributor or near anything sparking and my brass inlet and outlets are loctited sleeve retainer glued in with safety wire hose clamped so there is no way in a million years they will pop off on their own.

Oh and I've dealt with vapor lock when I put the original non venting gas cap back on with a new gasket. After driving for a while then trying to start the car when it was warm it would die instantly and repeat about 10 times till it won't start. Pop open the gas cap and would start right up. Took longer then it should have to figure that problem out. I was swapping fuel pumps thinking that was fixing it but all that was doing was venting the lines :P

Thu Feb 06, 2014 6:14 pm

jonathonkeck wrote: KTPhil wrote: Use a metal one there. Write the date and mileage on it with a sharpie. I have mine by the transmision now. Is that where your suggesting to keep it or in the engine bay with a metal one?

Option 1: metal next to tranny
Option 2: metal in engine bay held to the firewall or shroud with a rub-insulated clamp such that there is no added force on the carb fuel inlet

I no longer have a Bug but I would use #2 myself if I did.

Thu Feb 06, 2014 7:44 pm

drscope wrote:
Many of those filters fill from the inside of the filter element. So fuel and crap flows from the inside of the filter to the outside. So the crap gets stuck inside where you can't see it.
.

The filter as you describe it is hooked up backwards....