Car Left Me Sitting, diagnosing problem

[Sharp64]

literally sounds like exactly what happened on my 64. I essentially had a big sheet of silicon floating around in my tank that would suction around the outlet at the bottom of the tank when it got low. Was very frustrating as you really couldn't see it very well unless you were looking for it. When you stopped the car or jacked the front up, the suction would stop and release. Car would start up and drive a few blocks, then the sheet of goo would get sucked back down starving the car of fuel. I had been dicking around trying to get the car running right for weeks by this time so in my frustration went to the local VW shop and bought a new tank. The OG one is still sitting in my garage.
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1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine

[TDCTDI]

After you treat it with acid, treat it with some Ospho, this will give the metal a coating that resists rust better than just the bare metal.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[HippyTom]

Ospho, great idea!!!

The sealer crap wasn't completely loose, just the edges lifting up. I took a long flat metal piece and worked it until I scraped it loose enough to grab it through the sending unit hole and keep pulling until it all came out as one big rubbery piece.

After rinsing it out with carb cleaner and blowing it out it wasn't bad. Might as well do it right while it's out though. No hurry as I can use my other Bug for fun while I'm working on it.

[Sharp64]

If you think there is possibly some loose crap in there, grab a couple of lengths of medium weight chain along with some CLR maybe and slosh it around in the tank for a few minutes. Rinse, repeat. You'll be amazed at the crud that will come out.
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1960 Indigo Blue Ragtop (Blue Barry)
1967 Ghia
1985 Westy Money Pit
“...some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.” - Michael Caine

[HippyTom]

treated the tank with an ospho-type product this evening. Inside of the tank looks new with a galvanized looking finish. Blew out the hard line I left carb cleaner in and it looked clean. Pushed weed eater line from both ends and hit a snag under the car. Gonna remove the soft line underneath and run it through both ways. I think it was just hitting the junction of hard and soft lines.

I had to mow grass so didn't get to do much more. But hope to get it wrapped up in the next few days.

[HippyTom]

Finished!!! Sanded outside of tank, painted bottom gloss black and top satin black. Detailed area under the tank. Ospho'd spare tire well and area around brake reservoir and painted. Blew out and weed eater lined the hard lines and replaced all soft lines. Made a grommet for the hard line hole through the rear tin. Moved filter under the car. Safety wired the carb inlet hose. Set timing, fired it up, and thevtest drive was perfect!!!

Now just need to move the fuel filter on my 63 and safety wire it.

[HippyTom]

Well, thought I had the problem fixed, then on a recent long trip during the ride home it did it again. Several times, made for a looooong day. But made it home.

So yesterday I removed the new fuel pump insulator block and a big chunk was broken off the end. Took pics down the hole and nothing in there. Oh well.

I got the old one out of my parts bins and the new rod was tight in it. So I sanded the inside and outside a bit and cleaned it up. Lubed it and the pump and installed everything now moving easily. Test drives went great.

The real test will be a long trip in hot weather.
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51 Standard Split Window Bug
57 Oval Bug, 80s Custom Car
62 Sunroof Bug, Psychedelic Hippy Car
63 Sunroof Bug, Former Herbie, Dad bought in 66
79 Super Beetle Convertible, OG paint and interior
69 Weekender Bus
77 Bay Window Bus, OG paint
69 Bug Convertible - SOLD
71 Super Beetle Vert - SOLD
64 Karmann-Ghia, barn find - SOLD

[TDCTDI]

The next time it does it, remove the top of the carburetor & see if the fuel bowl is full or empty. If empty, your problem is on the supply side. If full, you probably have a piece of trash clogging the jets.

I had a fuel pump that had lots of crap in it (from sitting 30+ years) & would send bits into the carb which would clog the jets. Sometimes the main would get clogged & the car would just shut off, other times the car wouldn't idle & occasionally, the car would only accelerate when pumping the throttle.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[Cusser]

[HippyTom]

The bowl is empty when it happens. I carry a squeeze bottle with gas in it to fill the bowl. Last time I would pour ice water from the cooler over the fuel pump, wait 15 minutes or so, fill bowl. It would start and run for a while and so it over again.

I think the new Bakelite insulator has a larger external diameter. And the new short rod had a slight different diameter from the old one.

When I got my old insulator out of the parts bin, the outside had been sanded down before. But the new short rod was tight in it. Add some heat and I bet the rod would get hung up and stop pumping. So I sanded the inside and a tad more on the outside. The rod then freely moved effortlessly in it.

The process of elimination can be a long and frustrating thing. We’ll see...maybe on a long trip next summer when it gets hot again.
_________________
51 Standard Split Window Bug
57 Oval Bug, 80s Custom Car
62 Sunroof Bug, Psychedelic Hippy Car
63 Sunroof Bug, Former Herbie, Dad bought in 66
79 Super Beetle Convertible, OG paint and interior
69 Weekender Bus
77 Bay Window Bus, OG paint
69 Bug Convertible - SOLD
71 Super Beetle Vert - SOLD
64 Karmann-Ghia, barn find - SOLD

[Cusser]

You're on the right track - exploring why the fuel pump is not getting fuel to the carb. You'll figure this out.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[HippyTom]

[Cusser]

1. Loosen/remove fuel tank cap, see if that helps and VW runs, could be a venting issue (I've had this happen in 1984 on my 1970). You would hear an air whoosh as you loosen the cap.

2. You'll need a helper for this: when it dies next, pull over and immediately check for flow coming out the fuel pump outlet when the engine is cranked. You'll likely need a few tools, a length of fuel line, and a jar to collect the gas. Be careful of gasoline flammability.

3. If that does not produce gas flow, pull off the inlet to the fuel pump and gas should flow out the hose from the tank. If not, pursue that, like a lack of venting/vacuum)

If gas does flow in 3 but not 2, immediately un-do the two nuts and pull the fuel pulp off, see if the fuel pump pushrod can be moved up and down readily, or sticks.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297