engine hesitation 1985 1.9 liter

[floggingmolly]

Hey guys, it looks like my 85 has somehow contracted vanagon syndrome from one of you 86-91s. On accelerating, I notice a split second hesitation that has no consistent pattern, and it doesn't happen long enough to even do anything about it, only a couple times has it lasted more than a quarter second. Seems electrical to me since it's random and doesn't last long. My mechanic replaced the distributor and rotor (he had replaced the distributor fiber washers due to a non-starting issue a couple weeks back), check the fuel pressure (good), checked the CO and fuel mixture, adjusted the timing. I have had trouble starting it before I gave it to him to check the hesitation issue but managed to get it going sometimes by pressing the gas pedal, or once I was able to jump start it.

Could it be the ignition switch? AFM? Fuel pump relay? Temp sensor? Spark plugs are new, wires are good, fuel pump is just a few years old, alternator is a year old, I just replaced the main wire from the alternator to the starter with the GoWesty kit. Oxygen sensor is about 2 years old, the catalytic converter is 4 years old. I'm just not sure where to look.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
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'85 Wolfsburg Weekender

[rubbachicken]

check the connectors in the fuel injector plugs, i've seen similar issues on another 1.9, after many hours chasing around, it was a bad joint in one of the injector plugs
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lucy our westy

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markswagen {mobile mechanic} san diego area all early VW's cared for.

619 201 0310 or 617 935 4182

[floggingmolly]

So I pulled the injector plugs (one may have been slightly loose on the forward passenger side) and cleaned them and added some dilectric grease. I also checked the spark plugs and the rear passenger may have been a bit loose, not sure. But while on that side I saw the large hose that goes up to the S-Boot was completely disconnected from its port on the engine(?).

Just noticed a frayed wire in that photo, I better have a look see at that too!

I reconnected that hose (it may have shaken loose on some washboard road I've been having to drive on) and now it seems all good. I may have dislodged it when I replaced the spark plugs a month or so ago. They is now a hose clamp on it. Not sure if it was the injector plug that seemed loose, that would explain the erratic nature, but that disconnected hose was not good and I appreciate your advice that at least led me to that hose, and ultimately to what seems like the fix! Cheers Mark.
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'85 Wolfsburg Weekender