Just won't stay running.

[sandawg]

Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. I am only replacing the parts that I want to have new on the car not to try and solve the run problem. I will check the switch and the coil connection though. Thanks
_________________
LIFE'S JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE SHOULDN'T BE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING
IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN BROADSIDE,
THOROUGHLY USED UP, TOTALLY WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY SHOUTING,
HOLY SH*T.....WHAT A RIDE !

[sandawg]

Minor up date. Had the "beast" running yesterday and tried to set the timing with a light after doing a static time with the new dist. I'm puzzeled.... I marked the 10 degree before tdc and behold the mark comes up off to the After tdc and dies when I try to align it to the mark.????? Again walked away for a bit until the coil comes in and the new wires. Am trying to adjust the idle with the two screws that they tell me to use and it makes some difference but I can't wrap my brain around the fact that there is no way to set the idle with the linkage...DuH! I still think that it is a fuel setting issue but the new fuel pump did seem to make a difference. Have a good day and I will check in tomorrow!

_________________
LIFE'S JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE SHOULDN'T BE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING
IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN BROADSIDE,
THOROUGHLY USED UP, TOTALLY WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY SHOUTING,
HOLY SH*T.....WHAT A RIDE !

[Dale M.]

Static setting BTDC means the mark should always be to right of TDC... You sure you are doing it correct.....

Throttle linkage (idle adjust) is never adjusted by throttle cable, and at idle there should be a bit of slack in cable, idle adjustments are always by idle speed screws on carb body (big screw in shroud)....

The adjusting screw in top of throttle arm that butts up against the movable arm on choke butterfly shaft always need to seated at lowest setting....

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[andk5591]

Take a look at Rob and Daves site VW Resource on how to adjust the carb. The stop that rests against the fast idle cam (with the steps on it) is factory set and should not be messed with. If you do, they have a procedure on how to properly set it. And yeah - you just set idle speed with the big screw. Small screw is for the idle mix.

Forget what distributor you have or did you say at some point. If mechanical, idle should be around 5-10 degrees to the right of TDC. Max advance will be around 28-32 degrees. There are crank pulley degree templates on here or on teh Hot Spark site that you can print, cut out and make your marks on the pulley.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[sandawg]

Have done all my research and found all of the info offered and adhered to it.
Will continue to "seek and destroy".
Concerned that the mark still comes up to the left of the case split. We will see!

I did tighten up the cable and when running constant pushing of the pedal is needed to keep it running at some dist placement. Going to check the possible intake leak with the starting fluid today for grins. Will also loosen up the cable again.
Vacuum??? Shot rings or bad valve timing or.......doing compression also to rule that out.
Thanks guys!
_________________
LIFE'S JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE SHOULDN'T BE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING
IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN BROADSIDE,
THOROUGHLY USED UP, TOTALLY WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY SHOUTING,
HOLY SH*T.....WHAT A RIDE !

[FreeBug]

Not sure which mark you're talking about, if it's the TDC mark, then it SHOULD be to the left of the case split when your spark goes off 7.5° before TDC.

If it's the timing mark (7.5°BTDC), and it's to the left of the case split, the you have TOO MUCH advance.

The more precise you are with your language, the more we can help !

[nsracing]

It seems to me you don't know what you are doing w/ this motor. YOu can get it to run by fanning the pedal? So what does that tell ya? So...just how in hell do you check for timing if it won't stay running?

Fix the not-running issue and deal w/ the timing later once you can get it to idle, or high idle -does not matter.

So it is a new carb? What kind of distributor? VAcuum advance or mechanical? If it vaccuum, you are supposed to disable the hose and plug.

If you are jumping around from electrical to fuel and YOu are not going to fix anything. If you suspect fuel - clean the carburetor and set it up per factory specs to run - the damn book tells you how many turns on which screws.

If you suspect electrical - make sure your distributor and condenser are all working..set your points ( if you have one). Check your coil - just run an Ohm meter thru the primary and secondary. Is coil within specs?

And if it does fire, a minute or running will surely warm up the exhausts. Which ones are HOT --and NOT? Cold pipe = dead cylinder. Check your wires and plugs for the said cylinder.

My take on it, you are not able to idle down to proper timing coz you are running probably on one cylinder. The high idle w/ sound like they are all running but once you attempt to time to proper timing will die coz one cylinder is not going to work for the other 3 dead ones.

And whick cable are you using to time the engine? I hope it is #1 cylinder.

REading thru this is painful. This motor is as simple as your lawnmower. Good lord!

[sandawg]

[sandawg]

[Dale M.]

Use a test lamp..... Put test lamp on #1 terminal of coil, ground other side of test lamp.... Put 7.5° BTDC timing mark of pulley on case split, pop distributor cap off and verify rotor is pointing to #1 cylinder (dist cap position) ... Turn key on, loosen dist clamp and rotate dist till lamp just comes on (points start to open)... Tighten dist clamp, BAM!!! You are static timed at 7.5° BTDC...NEVER move distributor again.. Forget what timing light (strobe) tells you at idle (be cause its dynamic) .....Never worry about if timing is correct while trying to get it tuned/running...

This can be your new best friend at less than $10 at most autoparts......

Dale
_________________
“Fear The Government That Wants To Take Your Guns" - Thomas Jefferson.

"Kellison Sand Piper Roadster" For Street & Show.
"Joe Pody Sandrover" Buggy with 2180 for Autocross (Sold)
============================================================
All suggestions and advice are purely my own opinion. You are free to ignore them if you wish ...

[andk5591]

Don't bail yet....There are various stock pulley notch configurations. some pulleys have a dimple, which is TDC, some don't Looking at a pulley right now that has one notch and a dimple. The notch is to the left of the dimple. So this would be used for a DVDA distributor that has the retard feature. Then to compound confusion, people file their own notches in.

A pic of your pulley with the notches would be helpful.

Look at this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=787INwvir24

I didnt watch the full video, but once you know where TDC is, you NEED to make marks at 28 and 32 degrees. Your 009 it to be set at max advance (3000-3500 RPMS) in this range. Idle is where ever it ends up, but typically between 5 and 12 degrees....

There are also procedures on how to find TDC on here. You need to get a handle on this because otherwise you are totally guessing. With timing way advanced or retarded, the car will run like shit. Take this one step at a time and get this sorted out.

You are learning...None of us were born with the ability to fix these cars. I don't want to tell you about all the mistakes I made early on (killing an engine is process).

The big thing is to try to work on one thing at a time and get that sorted out before you move on. Do NOT overthink this stuff. But don't bounce around either. Methodical troubleshooting is the key.
_________________
D-Dubya Manx clone - 63 Short pan,1914.
Rosie 65 bug - My mostly stock daily driver.
Woodie 69 VW woodie (Hot VWs 7/12).
"John's car" 64 VW woodie - The first ever
Maxine 61 Cal-look bug - Cindy's daily driver.
Max - 73 standard Beetle hearse project - For sale
66 bug project - Real patina & Suby conversion
There's more, but not keeping them...

[FreeBug]

Don't worry, we all started at the beginning...

What nsracing is saying, i think, is that throwing random parts and/or work at the thing is not the way to proceed. He's right.

"use your head before you use your hands" was one of the best things to remember, working on cars. Know what you're doing, and why, otherwise, you can make things a lot WORSE.

The more things you fiddle with, the more variables you introduce, when eliminating those is what you WANT to be doing...


oh, and that post was FULL of useful info!

When you get it running, you will be even happier KNOWING why it runs, and HOW!

[74 Thing]

It is either ignition or the carb.

Yes, a photo of your engine could be very helpful.

Is your choke wired up and operating-what about the shut off valve? simple things.

If timing is reading incorrectly when you did get it running what is the condition inside (e.g. has it been cleaned and lubed properly and what timing light are you using and is it grounded properly).

[sandawg]

Just for info! plus one of the cars I built.

_________________
LIFE'S JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE SHOULDN'T BE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING
IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN BROADSIDE,
THOROUGHLY USED UP, TOTALLY WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY SHOUTING,
HOLY SH*T.....WHAT A RIDE !

[FreeBug]

That kink in the oil return line could be a source of trouble...

Sorry, just trying to be helpful...

[74 Thing]

I figure the first two photos are of the engine you are working on.

Can you add a photo of the carb as well-are there preheaters on that manifold?

It looks like an aftermarket distributor from the photo (just the cast aluminum it appears that way), and it looks like you are running points-are they gap correctly and do you have anything else hooked up to the coil that you would not need to start (ie reverse lights or tach if so remove those wires)?

Are you static timing with the light in the photo and then once you get running you put on a timing light/gun and see that the timing falls to ATDC?

[sandawg]

[74 Thing]

What is that blue thing that looks like it is attached to the distributor clamp behind the fuel pump block off?

Is your dist clamp loose or bent allowing the distributor to turn when the engine is running?

It is probably that aftermarket 009 distributor causing the problem. I would static it around 10BTDC and try to fire it up around there and it should hold-if it continues to drop to ATDC then it is either the clamp or the distributor internals IMO.

[sandawg]

[YDBD]

Strange things in the pix to me:

Tape or something on the distributor mount on the case bolt

Distributor body looks about 90 out, went through my pics my engines had 009 and the cap clamps were left/right, not forward/back, not sure it would make any difference..but strange to me...

Distributor clamp looks bent?
_________________
'56 pan Dune Buggy since '69
don't live in the past...but when I did:
'67 bug
'64 baja
'60 dune buggy
'73 Personenkraftwagen Type 182 "Thing"