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GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log
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Tcash
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 1:07 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Thanks for posting!
Good luck
Tcash
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GoBigEmma
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 25, 2017 2:29 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

sodbuster wrote:
Maybe having a bottle or two of some sort of octane booster might be handy from time to time while you are there.


That's a pretty good idea, I'll see if I can find some down here. Especially because it doesn't seem like gas quality is gonna get a lot better the farther south we go...

Spike0180 wrote:
can't see pictures.


Huh.. reload the page maybe? I can see them just fine and it seems like other people didn't have problems either...
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1975 Bus "Big Emma", 1.8 FI, Hydraulic lifters
Interrupting our Pan-American Roadtrip for post-flood repairs: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657738
Follow the trip on our blog: http://www.gobigemma.com
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GoBigEmma
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 3:48 pm    Post subject: Preps for Guatemala's high altitudes Reply with quote

Hey Sambaverse,

I promised I would bother you with technical questions, so here we go.
We are about to head into Guatemala within the coming week, and with the new country come fewer beaches and more mountains. In the past, we've had performance issues at higher altitudes and I would like to work to prevent them this time if I can.
Someone once told me "a well-tuned bus engine doesn't have any issues at high altitudes." Okay, if that's true, then surely there is something that isn't well tuned in Big Emma's engine. But what? Our dwell is spot-on. I advanced the timing a few degrees the last time we were up high (as per suggestion from Robbie). What can I tune/change/do to be better-equipped for high altitudes and help BIg Emma master the (supposedly) shitty mountain dirt roads of Guatemala?

Thanks for your advice as always, it is very much appreciated.

Greetings from Placencia, Belize!
Sven
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1975 Bus "Big Emma", 1.8 FI, Hydraulic lifters
Interrupting our Pan-American Roadtrip for post-flood repairs: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657738
Follow the trip on our blog: http://www.gobigemma.com
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Tcash
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 5:17 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

If you are running rich already, you may have problems at higher altitudes as the air gets thinner the mixture gets richer.

Might be time to try and nail down why it is running rich.
Dwell is on, but is your advance working correctly.
28* max advance at 3500 rpm hoses off. You can add a little more advance at Altitude.

Link


When was the last time you lubed the advance mechanism?
Lubing the Distributor

This test will tell you if one cylinder is down on power. If one is not putting in the work, the others have to work harder to make up for it. Hence more fuel to achieve the same RPM/MPH
Cylinder power balance (contribution) test

This test, brings out those little gremlins that don't poke their sparky little heads out, until your butt is in the seat, your rolling down road and the engines under load.
Ignition High Tension Leaks

Can't remember, but if you have a spare TSII install it. 70% of drive ability problems seam to be the ts2.

Good luck
Tcash
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GoBigEmma
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 6:01 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Thanks for the suggestions, Tcash, I'll go through them in the next days!

Tcash wrote:
Can't remember, but if you have a spare TSII install it. 70% of drive ability problems seam to be the ts2.


I do, and I did. Right now the TSII wire is simply grounded, and apart from a little hesitation of keeping the idle going for the first 20 seconds or so, it seems to run better than with any of my two (new) TSIIs.

While that is nice, it seems like if I have to essentially remove a part of the engine to make it run right, there's something cooking....
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1975 Bus "Big Emma", 1.8 FI, Hydraulic lifters
Interrupting our Pan-American Roadtrip for post-flood repairs: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657738
Follow the trip on our blog: http://www.gobigemma.com
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Abscate Premium Member
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 6:05 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

What you have to remember , Sven, is that your careful work to restore your engine to original condition is hostage to the supply chain of crappy parts.

We all fight this in VW world.
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Tcash
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:16 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

You may also try bypassing the CSV (cold start valve) be gentle with it when you are removing the hoses. The crimp fitting can become loose very easily.
If the CSV is leaking, it can drive the mixture rich.

These cause rich conditions.
TSII, FI grounds under the plenum, High fuel pressure FPR, Fouled plug, Bad wire, Plugged air filter, Points scatter dwell changes dramatically with rpm, Leaky FI or CSV, AFM adjustment, ECU

Fuel Injection Fuel Pressure Testing

Fuel Injection Leak Down Test

Last resort. You could introduce false air, unmetered air into the system past the AFM by creating a small vacuum leak, you would need to filter the air with some air filter material. But this would drive the air fuel mixture lean.
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:38 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

did you ever set the idle mixture at the AFM? Also try plugging the carbon canister and putting the line fro it in a container to see what it is doing- This is just a test-
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GoBigEmma
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PostPosted: Thu Sep 28, 2017 8:18 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Thanks for the recommendations guys, I'll do some checks in the coming days and will let you know!

williamM wrote:
did you ever set the idle mixture at the AFM? Also try plugging the carbon canister and putting the line fro it in a container to see what it is doing- This is just a test-


Ahm, I did actually at some point in the past, during a desperate moment of "why the fuck is this thing not working" mess with the idle mixture screw. So maybe there's my culprit? Is there a way to adjust it properly without shoving a sensor up Big Emma's exhaust?
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1975 Bus "Big Emma", 1.8 FI, Hydraulic lifters
Interrupting our Pan-American Roadtrip for post-flood repairs: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657738
Follow the trip on our blog: http://www.gobigemma.com
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williamM
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 6:25 am    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

GoBigEmma wrote:
Thanks for the recommendations guys, I'll do some checks in the coming days and will let you know!

williamM wrote:
did you ever set the idle mixture at the AFM? Also try plugging the carbon canister and putting the line fro it in a container to see what it is doing- This is just a test-


Ahm, I did actually at some point in the past, during a desperate moment of "why the fuck is this thing not working" mess with the idle mixture screw. So maybe there's my culprit? Is there a way to adjust it properly without shoving a sensor up Big Emma's exhaust?


The adjustment is pretty sensitive and I always had the machine- with out the tester, I would just start leaning it out a 1/4 of a turn at a time. I would be more inclined to pull the entire fuel rail and runit up in pressure to see if any of it leaks- have your new seals kit and gaskets ready for re-install. my bet is on a few drippy injectors - or if all the plugs are rich, then the 5th injector.- PS- a weak coil can fool you though.
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 11:14 am    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Talk about mixture without testing is wanky stuff. Before any AFM adjustments are ever made, hold the throttle at your desired test RPM with vise-grips on the throttle cable (no human shake interference) and then SLIGHTLY nudge the AFM wiper one way or the other to see what your engine "likes."

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



If it likes nudging the mixture "leaner" then yes, your mixture is too rich at the given speed. This works at idle, but the nudges must be SO SLIGHT. In fact, a better way to nail down mixture at idle is to use the idle air screw on the AFM, to achieve the fastest idle. (At elevation, you may back the screw out with reckless abandon for a smooth idle as oxygen becomes scarcer. Just PLEASE remember to put it back when you descend back to sea level.)

I think we talked about "things I do in life but don't post about online" before? Well here's one… Above 2500m elevation, (about 8000' for the Yankees here,) I will intentionally induce a small vacuum leak to give the engine more oxygen to burn. This involves removing the vacuum cap from a blocked vacuum retard port, or installing a modified vacuum line/T somewhere in the system with a small designated hole. Again, like bumping the timing a few degrees, you can really mess things up if you forget to return to normal during descent.

Pulling the injectors, (not removing them completely, just out of the manifold,) playing the tips in glass jars, and cranking the engine over should give you an idea if any of the injectors are dribbling or hyper-active.

A spark plug read would also behoove us right now.

Bienvanidos de Mexico mañana!
Robbie
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williamM
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 29, 2017 4:44 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Very Happy Now thats a great idea - but waiting on my "special" silicone to re seal the lid-- all my spares didn't get the memo- any idea on reducing the effect of "wrong" sealer on the AFM?
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GoBigEmma
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 8:51 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Hey guys,

if you follow our Instagram you might have seen it already, for everybody else, this is news.

We have some bad news. Five days ago we decided to camp by the banks of the Sibun River, a nice wildcamping spot in central Belize. It rained quite a bit during the night and apparently even more in the mountains where the river is coming from. During the middle of the night, we were surprised by a flash flood. We woke up with an inch of water in the car, which quickly rose almost to the bench within the few minutes when we were gathering our passports and most important possessions. We left Big Emma behind in the rising river and hitchhiked in town.

We returned to the river in the morning when the rain had stopped. The river was receding, but still very high. Some time during the night Big Emma must have been completely submerged. The water had pushed her a few yards and laid her on the side.

When the water receded further, we got her upright with the help of a local farmer and his tractor and a friendly mechanic towed us back to Belmopan (the capital of Belize, the smallest in the world with 9000 inhabitants).

Since then, we've been working in the mechanic's yard to clean the car of mud, water, and godknowswhatelse. A lot of our stuff is beyond saving, but that's not what matters.
Big Emma is tough as nail, and two days after being deep in a river she started up like a champ.

First thing we did when we got to the mechanic was to drain oil, gas, and remove the spark plugs.
The next day, we took out starter, fuel pump, ECU, double relay, and AFM and dried and cleaned them all thoroughly. Magically, none of these devices seems to be damaged, although the battery was connected during the swimming session. Only the double relay is missing the tip of one relay contact. Even the battery is fine and charges.

Still, most of the interior is beyond saving. We'll be shipping Big Emma back to the States from Belize City and give her a thorough rebuild. Then we might hit the road again, but I guess it might be a year before that happens. We'll see, for now we're focusing on shipping the car back home.

It pains us to have to end the trip for now, but we think it's the best we can do for the car in the current situation.

Here come the pics:

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We'll let you guys know what's happening. Cheers from Belmopan, Belize!
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1975 Bus "Big Emma", 1.8 FI, Hydraulic lifters
Interrupting our Pan-American Roadtrip for post-flood repairs: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=657738
Follow the trip on our blog: http://www.gobigemma.com
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Tcash
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:00 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

That sucks. Glad you guys are all right!
Sad
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:10 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Whoa! Glad you guys are ok. Bummer to end the trip, but it is a helluva story!
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:12 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

To plagiarize Skills...

Link


When Andrew emailed me about this incident, my heart ached for you both. I can't imagine the feeling while it was happening. And then to deal with the after affects. I only wish there were something I could do to help.

Best of luck to you! I'm here if there's anything I can do.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:38 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

I always look forward to seeing new posts and pictures about your adventures... until now. My heart sank when I saw BigEmma on her side. I'm glad you two are okay, that's the most important thing, but it still sucks.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:55 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Kim showed me the Instagram posts and it was heart wrenching to see. Most of all I'm glad you guys are safe. As much as we love Big Emma or any of our buses, they can be replaced. You guys cannot.

It's a tragic end to the trip, but I do hope she's back on the roads as soon as possible. She has more miles in her and Buenos Aires awaits her arrival.
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 10:34 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

Wow, glad you are ok. What a mess but it will cleanup with lots of work!
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 07, 2017 11:07 pm    Post subject: Re: GoBigEmma Pan-American Roadtrip log Reply with quote

BALLS!!! Sorry guys. Glad you both are OK. The things you've both experienced on your journey is priceless. This setback is shitty for sure but for F sake I'm glad you two are safe. Be well. Let me know if I can help.
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