/New-to-Me Engine, what's missing

[Wildthings]

Brown/tan is the color VW uses for ground wires. A white wire can also end up looking tan with age.

[Goach2]

Doing some house cleaning while I wait for my GS order. Going back to an earlier post, can anyone identify the tan wire that is bundled with the oil pressure and booster fan wire?

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1977 FI Westfalia

[Wildthings]

[KentABQ]

[Goach2]

Ok, at the very least, these connections will be cleaned well. Any products I can put on them that will keep conductivity but hold off rust?
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Wildthings]

[KentABQ]

While you have the top accessible, remove the triple ground connection (where the three white wires attach) and clean all those points shiny and clean. That is a PITA to get to when needed, and rarely remembered since its buried.
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-Kent-
1976 Riviera, 1.8l FI chrome yellow VAN - "Chloe"

"I must say, how can you be in a bad mood driving this vehicle full of vibrant color.
Cars of today are so bland in comparison. It's like driving a celebration!" ---WildIdea

Bus ownership via emoticons:
---williamM

[Goach2]

Look what I did...

Waiting on my intake sleeves and decided to disassemble and clean up the top of the engine. Any tips for getting it clean, without getting dirt in 'sensitive' spots? I was thinking a wirebrush and shopvac... Hope it goes back together without any parts left over!
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Goach2]

No pinch, gotcha. Injector rings were changed with the injectors, so all good there.
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Wildthings]

[Goach2]

So after some invaluable assistance from Scott at German Supply, I'm ready to order a number of vac/re-circulation parts. I will also be replacing the intake sleeves. One question I have is; since I'll be pulling the runners off and replacing the intake gaskets to do this, is there anything else I should be looking into at this point?
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Goach2]

Rebuilding type 4's in '77? These couldn't have been that old... could they?

Only the one valve was out, probably not a very good pic. Should have seen the smoke when it fired up! Nothing like opening all the doors in -20c!
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Abscate]

I see the gap on number three intake, am I wrong?

That's good news as the exhausts are the ones that break and kill a good engine, otherwise.

I spent the famous 77 blizzard rebuilding three Type 4 engines in Buffalo...too bad I ca not get over there. I think this Nor' Easter will miss you guys though.
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.ssS!

[Goach2]

Well, I adjusted all of the other valves and put it back together. I tried starting it and it definitely runs on more cylinders than it was previously. Doesn't last long, but it did respond to the gas pedal before dieing. I guess it's time to start investing in the vacuum lines now.
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Wildthings]

If the engine hasn't been run in a long time it is fairly common for carbon that has built up in the intake port to fall down and end up holding the valve open. If this is you problem it will clear itself up in a minute or two of running. I would not readjust the valve that is being held open for now, but run the engine first and see what happens.

I went through this myself about 4 years back when I stuffed an engine that had been sitting for decades into my 77. It had had okay compression when I had turned the engine over by hand to see what I had, but when I went to start it it would not fire up and the engine cracked really fast indicating there was little or no compression. I kept cranking in short burst between letting the starter cool a bit and eventually one cylinder started to hit, and then another. Within two minutes of when the first cylinder hit the engine was sitting there purring on all four.

Your problem sounds to be with an exhaust valve though, so maybe this wouldn't apply.

[Goach2]

So I just finished removing the rocker arms and measuring the valves. One 1&2, everything seems level. On 3&4, the one closest to the front is in further than the other three, indicating that it may be open a little bit. Knowing that this engine has been sitting for sometime, what are the possibilities that it just has some carbon or something sitting in there that may shake loose and pass? What are my options now? Do I finish with a valve adjustment and see if it'll run?

#1/#2

#3/#4

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1977 FI Westfalia

[Goach2]

Ok, I've got articles in hand and will attempt a valve adjustment (hopefully) tonight. I'll report back with what I find.
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Wasted youth]

Here is a really great wealth of information:

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/FAQ.html

http://type2.com/library/electrip.htm#5

[Goach2]

Ok, I will have to attempt a valve adjustment then. I didn't have much luck with a compression test earlier, i will have to try again. The engine doesn't run currently, so I can't pull a wire to test for dead cylinders, although my spark-tester is showing good on all cylinders.

I just now checked my points and regapped my plugs. Now it backfires a few times before dieing. Are the points supposed to close before the TDC #1 mark on the dist? Mine looks to close early and open right after passing this mark. Is this correct?
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1977 FI Westfalia

[Wildthings]