'57 Oval Fuel Reserve Switch and Stalling help needed

[nichelob]

Hey All...

What would be the sympton if you had the fuel reserve switch in the 2 position (parallel to the ground), did not know it and drove your Bug around?

Reason I am asking is because I just picked up a '57 Oval from a gentlemen in Iowa. It is a solid car and according to the seller, he drove it on long trips.

I get the car, and it runs great for the first two days, then all of a sudden wants to stall when I brake. It eventually stalled and wouldn't restart so i had to get it towed. When I got to my house, it started (2 hours later).

Now, I rebuilt the fuel filter thinking it was a fuel supply issue. It ran for a few miles than boom wanted to stall again. Towed again... UGH!!!

OKAY, so today I checked the timing (OK), adjusted the valves and chainged the oil. Drove it around my complex and although I could tell the tune up helped, it wanted to stall again.

Tonight, I get on The Samba and begin reading about the fuel reserve switch, run down stairs and find it in the #2 position. It's raining outside, so I don't want to get my baby wet, so I will have another go tomorrow.

BUT, does this sound like that fuel reserve was the problem? What would be the syptoms of having it in the #3 position (paralllel to ground)?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

[OVLWNDO]

Did you clean the screen on the fuel valve?

perp. to ground is the open position, where it should be.

[Deckie27]

Make sure you have plenty of fuel in the tank
Also check the fuel cut off valve in the Carb.

[nichelob]

I corrected the above. I found it in the "off" position - parallel to the ground.

Where is the screen on the fuel valve?

I have a full tank of gas. Where is the fuel cut-off valve? Do you mean the idle screw or the mixture screw?

I am relatively new to Beetles so please forgive the questions.

[Ninamashr]

Welcome to the world of vintage vw's! Ask as many questions as you want, we're here to help. I think you need to know how that valve works. Your oval does not have a separate reserve tank, per say. It has a valve with 2 pickup tubes. Here is a pic of the valve...

Notice the 2 pickup tubes, the taller one is feeds the #1 (normal/vertical) position, the shorter one feeds the #2 position (reserve/horizontal). When you are driving with the valve in the #1 position , the gas is supplied through the taller tube, once you run out of fuel you just rotate the lever to the #2 position and the shorter tube opens to allow the fuel, that is between it and the taller tubes opening, to flow into the lower tube. This fuel is your reserve fuel, about 1.3 gallons, enough to get you to a gas station. Once you fill up you must return the lever to the #1 position or you run the risk of running out fuel because you are still on the reserve fuel p/u tube. (the shorter one). I think what happened to you was that you were running on the #2 position and you just ran out of gas , since you were already on the lower p/u tube you had no reserve fuel (the fuel between the tall and the short tube) to use. You were towed home, you added more fuel, without changing the lever, and ran out of gas again.
I think it would be better if you just replace the valve, it's possible that one of the tubes might be broken, or internally it might be leaking, or be clogged. You also asked about the screen, it is fitted over the two tubes and you have to remove the valve from the tank to change it.
One more thing the #3 position is just the closed area of the valve where no fuel is directed into the fuel line, basically to shut off the fuel to the carb.
_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[nichelob]

Thanks for all the help.

I just ran it again and it stalled about 5 minutes after I put it in gear and drove it. Two hours later it starts right up and I can bring it back around in my garage!!??!?!?!?

The red light on the bottom left of the speedo wants to turn on. Any ideas on what my issue could be?

[Ninamashr]

[nichelob]

I do have a pin-head sized hole in the intake manifold. I tried to solder that yesterday with Electrical solder (seemed the only solder I had that would hold). There is a super small (smaller than a pin-head hole - a spec actually) on the other side of the manifold, but I soldered that also.

Might that be the issue?

[Ninamashr]

I seriously doubt a pin sized hole would make the engine get too hot. I would make sure if it's actually getting hot 1st by pulling the dipstick to check. You might also have bad intake crush gasket going bad, spray some starting fluid around the intake while the engine is running, if the engine's idle changes then you have a leak somewhere. Make sure there is nothing blocking the air intake behind the shroud. Sometimes critters make thier homes inside the tin of the engine.
_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[nichelob]

The engine is not getting hot. I just tried to start her again. She starts, lags and then stalls. The dipstick was cold because it didn't even last that long. It gets progressively worse (the length of time the engine is running, unless it sits for a day or so it will run for at least 10 or 15 minutes).

Also, I noticed that fuel begins to leak around the carb somewhere. I'm not sure exactly the pin-point location, but is looks like it is leaking from the carb down the intake manifold neck that leads to the carbs. It is dripping on my distributor and also on the other side of the carb. I held the gas pedal to the floor to get it started this time around.

Any idea what that is from? Is the mixture not right?

[Ninamashr]

Sounds like the float valve in your carb might be stuck open or it could also be that the main carb gasket is bad and the fuel leaks into the intake manifold and shuts the engine down. Either way I would rebuild or replace that carb for starters. Before rebuilding I'd also check to make sure the main body of the carb is not warped making the rebuild useless. Also check the body of the carb for out of roundness on the main throttle shaft, if it is worn then you have to buy a new carb or get it rebushed.
_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[nichelob]

Have a rebuild kit on the way from Wolfsburg West. SHould be here today & plan on rebuilding this weekend. Maybe this will help.

I noticed there is a threaded nut in the rear right of the carb. (if you were looking at the engine). It is a few inches below where the oil bath rests. It looks like there is some sort of clear plastic hose that has been cut and there was some sort of wire that has been cut inside of that. Any idea what that could be and if it matters?

It is a 28 PCI carb.

[Ninamashr]

Is that threaded nut attached to the hole in the lower center of this pic?

It might be for the vacuum line coming from the stock dizzy. Is your dizzy vacuum or centrifugal advance? I still can't figure out why there is a wire inside a clear plastic hose though?
_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[nichelob]

That empty hole right there in the pic is what I am talking about. There is a clear plastic hose that is sticking out of it. Maybe the wire was stuffed in to close it off? I am unsure, but that hole is where that nut is located on my carb.

Another elementary question maybe...what is and where is the dizzy?

[Ninamashr]

does you dizzy look like this, with that round piece on the side...

or like this with no round piece on the side...

_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[nichelob]

Haha...distributor...sorry...

It looks like the Bosch; however, it is not the original Bosch. I think the round thing on the is a condenser? Either way, my distributor does not have that on the side.

[Ninamashr]

No problem! Just plug that threaded nut or replace it with a screw, you should be ok. You have a centrifugal advance distributor btw.
_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[nichelob]

That's probably what that wire if for. Is it possible that this could be the culprit and this is where the gas leak is coming from?

[Ninamashr]

It's possible, but, it won't cause the gas leak. There is vacuum on that line so it would be impossible for any fluid to exit that hole. It will however cause a major vacuum leak so plug it up and see how it runs. Also make sure your distributor is advancing correctly.
_________________
1957 Karmann Kabriolet "Franky"
1957 Allstate trailer

[nichelob]

Thanks for all of your help. I am going to rebuild the carb this weekend and troubleshoot from there. Maybe there is gunk in my carb.

I will update you on Monday.

This is killing me. There is nothing worse than having a perfectly good '57 Oval sitting in your garage that wants to run but you can't figure it out; unless of course, it's a Splitty...

Cheers!