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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 14862
Location: Western Canada
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 Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2025 5:14 pm Post subject: Re: New challenge |
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Time to eat some crow! You guys nailed it, we had a leak right at the head! Not a big one and you had to squirt the starter fluid at just the right spot. Turns out the ears on the left side were tweaked down. Overtightened at some point I suspect. A half hour with a flat file and sandpaper on glass put it right.
Not running perfect but he went home with a huge poop eating grin. "It's never run this good!"
The idle is dependable at 900 RPM, anything less gets too ragged for my liking. It still has a small stumble between 900 and 1200 RPM, more on that later. It now pulls smooth and strong (for a 1600 DP) right from 1200 to 4500 RPM. Before it idled at 2000 and went flat just after 3000 RPM.
I think the reason it idled with the Chinese carb was twofold. 1) it was idling way too high and 2) it was set pig rich.
As for the remaining higher idle and flat spot, I think it's a combination of the 1 1/2" cannons and lightly worn throttle shaft bushings. I can feel a tiny bit of play there and starting fluid right at the ends does change the sound of the engine a tiny bit. Actually this is the best I have ever had a dual cannon engine run!
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old! |
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Bikerndiver
Samba Member
Joined: December 05, 2023
Posts: 260
Location: Mid-Atlantic
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| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2025 5:23 pm Post subject: Re: New challenge |
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Wow! I've been following this thread and I must say you did a great job on your friends buggy. I love learning from all ya all!
Good work!
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1966 Manx clone (possibly a Joe Poty Enterprises) named SANDY. '70 to '73 1300 cc w/1600 DP heads, twin carbs and headers |
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MrGoodtunes
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2012
Posts: 1030
Location: South Florida
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2025 10:03 am Post subject: Re: New challenge |
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| oprn wrote: |
| ... lightly worn throttle shaft bushings ... |
Fairly quick and easy fix: Teflon tape
I wrap as many windings as will fit (at least 2), and tie the ends into a knot, preferably around an attach'd lever arm. It's surprising how well this stops leaks, makes throttle shaft rotate smoothly, and lasts longer than I ever imagined it would; decades! |
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 14862
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2025 6:17 pm Post subject: Re: New challenge |
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| MrGoodtunes wrote: |
| oprn wrote: |
| ... lightly worn throttle shaft bushings ... |
Fairly quick and easy fix: Teflon tape
I wrap as many windings as will fit (at least 2), and tie the ends into a knot, preferably around an attach'd lever arm. It's surprising how well this stops leaks, makes throttle shaft rotate smoothly, and lasts longer than I ever imagined it would; decades! |
Interesting!
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old! |
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 14862
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2025 6:17 pm Post subject: Re: New challenge |
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| MrGoodtunes wrote: |
| oprn wrote: |
| ... lightly worn throttle shaft bushings ... |
Fairly quick and easy fix: Teflon tape
I wrap as many windings as will fit (at least 2), and tie the ends into a knot, preferably around an attach'd lever arm. It's surprising how well this stops leaks, makes throttle shaft rotate smoothly, and lasts longer than I ever imagined it would; decades! |
Interesting!
_________________
Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old! |
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BIGMIKEY
Samba Member
Joined: September 24, 2007
Posts: 1140
Location: North East Pennsylvania
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oprn
Samba Member
Joined: November 13, 2016
Posts: 14862
Location: Western Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2025 7:04 am Post subject: Re: New challenge |
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Looks like I am not done yet. He called to say the the engine suddenly started running badly and lost power. He brought the Buggy around and it turned out to be a plug wire fried against one of the mufflers. Easy fix.
So here we are again with a problem that VW solved years ago with the clips for the plug wires on the fan shroud. Missing of course so the builder used some plastic wire hangers instead but they are too big to grip the wires properly and one slid down until contact was made with the muffler. Not sure if the proper clips are still available so tywraps were used to secure the wires on all 4.
Next issue, parking brake is feeble. Showed him how to adjust the brake shoes. Then we moved on to adjusting the hand brake. Another surprise... the cables were shortened with cable clamps which do not hold and are God awful hard to adjust! Kept slipping when putting much pressure on the lever. Ordered up some proper shortening hardware.
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Our cars get old, we get old but driving an old VW never gets old! |
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