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Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle
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TTJ70
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:08 am    Post subject: Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle Reply with quote

Hi , had my 54 beetle running all summer and its been great but now and again if I am behind a driver whose dilly dallying up a hill that slows me down sufficiently I have to change to third i find the engine starts flounder as though running out of petrol. This has happened just today so embarrassing as I literally have to go even slower as there is no power till I am at the top or its recovered
Its got a new carb on so I am wondering if this is a pump fault?

All my other problems have been sorted with your help so I am hoping someone knows this fault well
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tasb
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:46 am    Post subject: Re: Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle Reply with quote

Kinda depends upon some factors that you have not given enough data on to help you solve. How steep is the hill? What's the grade? What engine size are we talking about? I live at 2,700 meters in altitude nearly all of which is covered in 29 kilometers with as much as a 10% grade sometimes more. The 36 hp engine runs out of breath near the top and I'm in third and sometimes second the whole way.
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Erik G
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2018 9:18 am    Post subject: Re: Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle Reply with quote

we ran into this problem driving a heb (in San Jose in the rain no less) it would just sputter trying to go up a hill

clogged sock in the fuel tank
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Rome
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 2:52 pm    Post subject: Re: Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle Reply with quote

Quote:
the engine starts flounder

Maybe you have a Fish carb on the engine?

Rolling Eyes

Sorry mate; I couldn't resist.
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my59
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 3:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle Reply with quote

I had this issue and it was a small broken spring in the fuel pump that had snapped. Pump could not supply enough fuel on a grade.
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EverettB Premium Member
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2018 8:03 pm    Post subject: Re: Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle Reply with quote

This wasn't on a 36hp but I had a later fuel pump before that was so clogged with crap from the dirty tank that it would run out of fuel on hills.
The fuel pump couldn't fill up with enough fuel to pump it to the carb to keep up.

So... the fuel pump is probably not getting or pumping enough fuel, which could be crap in the tank/lines/pump or could be the pump itself.
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BulliBill
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 12:15 pm    Post subject: Re: Struggeling up hill in third running out of power 54 beetle Reply with quote

Yep, I'm betting that the fuel pump is the culprit. Install a fuel pressure gauge temporarily between the fuel pump and the carb and check readings at idle as well as at about 3000 rpm. Compare to the proper readings found at various rpms in a Oval era Bentley Service Manual.

Under load and climbing a hill you are on the throttle demanding more fuel, and if the fuel pump is not putting out optimum flow the fuel in the carb bowl will not get replaced fast enough and you'll start to run out of fuel until you back off the throttle. Could be as mentioned earlier a dirty fuel filter "sock" in the bottom of the tank restricting fuel.

Bill
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