engine quits after a while and won't start (for a while)

iamdonquixote

this new to me 58' has a 36hp running 6v.

After some period of driving , it stalls out and will not start for a while. It seems like when the engine is above a certain temperature. If I wait for some period of time it will restart.

My first thought was fuel, so I removed the fuel tank and installed a filter sock ( it didn't have one ) and a new tap. At that time, I sprayed some carb cleaner in to the metal line and blew it out with compressed air.

Later, I checked/set the ignition timing and dwell.

Since the vehicle was new to me I adjusted the valves ( they were not set properly a :2gunfire: ).

The engine was "rebuilt" according to a receipt in the glovebox, which just means new bearings and painted,

Its running a later style carb with electric choke.

In my only experience with a VW acting flaky like this it was fuel .

Could a wonky fuel pump cause this?

Could an ignition problem cause this?

Thanks! This is a very stressful feature of this car especially since I live in a congested area and the last stall occurred at a busy intersection . Brick wall

pb_foots · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 5:40 am Post subject:

https://youtu.be/eU6aVBW71Es

Check this out. Fuel pump base swells and binds the fuel pump rod.

I've never had this happen, but it's possible I suppose. easy enough to check.

iamdonquixote · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 7:01 am Post subject:

60ragtop · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 8:27 am Post subject:

yes, I've had that happen to me.
other things that have happened to me , debris in fuel line, crap in fuel shut off even tho new, bad condenser and one that was a PITA to find, to short a screw in the main fuse box for the power wire.
So you need to find out what it is not getting to cause it not to run, fuel spark or?
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Eric&Barb · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 9:57 am Post subject:

Only two ways to find out.

1. Spend lot of time and $$ replacing parts.

2. Next time it happens, check that you have fuel in the carb (Pull off air cleaner and see if accelerator nozzle sprays fuel when throttle arm is pulled backward) and spark with a spare spark plug.
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Max Welton · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 11:01 am Post subject:

Even easier: Next time it stops, dump some cool water on the fuel pump. If the engine will now start, it's vapor lock.

Max
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Eric&Barb · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 12:36 pm Post subject:

Problem with that is there could be so many problems with the fuel system that will not respond to throwing water over it. Plus electrical will not respond either.
So first step is to figure which system is failing intermittently, and before it just starts working again..
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iamdonquixote · Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 1:30 pm Post subject:

fuel *seemed* to be spraying when I removed carb and actuated the accelerator pump. I had someone remove the fuel line to the carb and cranked the engine and no fuel emitted from the line.

I sprayed some carb cleaner in the carb and it would run briefly.

how much flow does one need at the line to the fuel pump? It simply uses the volume of the fuel to overcome gravity, but if the line is a little bent etc is that enough to prevent flow? If the hard line through the chassis is comprised in some way it would have less issues with a full tank. The reason I ask is to try and determine if the fuel line is the problem or the pump.

My next step is to measure the fuel pressure with the engine cool and then hot to see if there is a measurable difference.

Max Welton · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:10 pm Post subject:

planenut · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 4:46 pm Post subject: Engine Quits

Don't rule out coil heating up. I'm not that familiar with 6V, but just sounds like coil. When it quits, check for spark.

OLD VW NUT · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:23 pm Post subject:

Start by isolating the problem. Its either fuel or electrical related. Rarely is it both. Next time it stops get your butt out and check for gas in the carb pull the throttle arm down a little - you should see a small shot of gas from the accelerator jet - you should also smell gas when you are close to the carb inlet. If there is gas in the carb have someone crank the motor over while you hold onto the high tension lead - the big black wire that goes into the center of the dist from the coil. Hold it a slight distance from the fan housing about 1/8" or so - do this while not grounding yourself out on the car - in other words don't be touching anything associated with the car during this test. Failure to observe this simple rule can be shocking! You should get a nice fat blue spark jump the gap. If no spark thats your problem - isolated!

I've had this happen a few times with ACVWs. One time it was a bad coil - one time it was the condenser. Never have had an ACVW give me vapor lock problems. The reason for that is I've never let any fuel lines get anywhere close to touching any part of the motor until it gets to the fuel pump. I've always routed the fuel line up over the fan housing and to the fuel pump. An overly hot motor can cause the fuel pump to create vapor inside it - forcing gas away from it causing the pump to try working on vapor - same as air for all practical purposes and no gas will be pumped until it cools down. In that case find out why your motor is overheating.

Eric&Barb · Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:24 pm Post subject:

There is still a push rod inside the base. So it is possible.
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deltabrent · Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2015 9:30 am Post subject:

I just went through something very similar and it turned out to be a coil. I checked that it had spark. It did. Then after checking everything else no spark.

CPO_05 · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 10:55 am Post subject:

I just had this problem on my '59. When it would crank and not start I noticed that there was no fuel in the filter coming from the tank. I pulled the line off the carb (same as you) and had zero fuel while cranking. Steps to solve:

- Pull the line off the fuel pump that comes from the tank, if fuel comes out from pure gravity/pressure, that side is good and most likely a faulty fuel pump.

- Remove fuel pump and check pump lever and rod. I found that the actuating lever on my pump was stuck halfway and was not allowing the rod to fully compress it, or at times not at all.

- Replaced pump, cranked over to get fuel back in carb, fired right up.

Hope it solves your problem.
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iamdonquixote · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 10:50 am Post subject:

update,

the bug hasn't quit mysteriously since early July. Taken it on numerous trips.

The last time it happened I was on the way to visit a friend who has a repair shop. I literally pushed the car in to the shop so I thought, great! now I can figure out what the problem is. But I"m not so sure we did.

It didn't seem to have gas and did have a spark. We spent a lot of time trying to determine if the fuel line through the tunnel was clogged by running a another line and he said there was a loose plug wire but it started running again. As a precaution, I removed the rubber seal from the gas tank cap just in case the tank wasn't venting.

Hasn't died on me since, and I haven't put back the gas tank cap rubber seal because I lost it .

Question, could a non venting gas tank cap really cause this?

sjbartnik · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:02 am Post subject:


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