TheSamba.com :: View topic - Losing power when engine warms, stalling when taken out of gear

Tue May 02, 2023 3:13 pm

1969 Bus, 1776cc with 40 idfs, electronic ignition, electric fuel pump. The bus runs fine at first and starts fine when cold, but acts up once warm. After cruising on the street 45-50 mph, the engine loses power and will die while sitting at stoplights unless extra gas is given. While cruising 60-65 mph, all power is lost and can barely sustain 40 mph in fourth. Runs really bad after this happens. I'm thinking coil could be bad or floats needs to be adjusted. What could this be?

Tue May 02, 2023 5:00 pm

does it have chokes?

Tue May 02, 2023 7:16 pm

Have you ever measured your fuel/air ratio using something like an LM2 from Innovate? Maybe you’re running too lean?

Wed May 03, 2023 9:14 am

Coil troubleshooting is fun because you get to borrow a coil from a friend's car for a quick test.

How's the valve adjustment? Tight clearances usually run fine when cold and cause a drop in compression when hot.

It's unlikely both floats went bad at the same time, but a 1776 should be able to hold 40-45mph on two cylinders… Reading your spark plug colors should tell you if there's an imbalance from left to right on your engine.

Robbie