The mania deepens: 1991 Full Westy rescue

[dabaron]

[dabaron]

last weekend i took the Westy on an adventure. i drove 1.5 hours to White Haven, PA and rode my bike thru the Lehigh Gorge and then spent the night at Hickory Run State Park. it was a very nice solo outing, and everything was great... until it wasn't.

after driving over 2.5 hours i was nearly home and needed to exit off the PA Turnpike... oil light starts flashing and the buzzer is blaring. oh crap. i immediately stop. the engine is still there, i checked. the oil level was good, the oil looked and smelled like oil, not gas. i gave it a few minutes and started it back up. zero issues the remaining 8 miles home.

once home i took it on an hour long cruise to see if i could get it to happen again. as i was parking the oil warning light started to flash. i shut the engine off immediately and went for a walk in the woods. got back in and drove home the 2 miles with no issues.

cut to the chase Steve, you are babbling...

ok, fine. i did some reading and came to the conclusion the issue is the relief piston and spring. when i rebuilt the engine i did not replace those.

this morning i changed the oil and the relief piston and spring. the oil had about 1500 miles on it and it was decent. no metal flakes, no smell of gas, no metallic sheen. the engine has been running great overall.

the OG piston and spring are on the left, the new on the right. as you can see, there is about 1/8" difference between the new and old. the OG piston was clearly worn and the spring not nearly as stiff as the replacement.

after the swap and adding Valvoline VR1 oil, i went for a drive. i tooled around the city for over an hour and so far so good... i hope this resolves the issue.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[dabaron]

the factory interior light under the spice rack fell apart when i was removing it a year ago (but feels like a lifetime ago). i was thinking about what i wanted while i used the Westy this past fall.

i was looking for an LED strip fixture that would be dimmable and have a warm color. i wanted it to light up the stove and also provide light into the cupboards. i searched around and found an LED strip light and dimmer at superbrightleds.com.

the LED strip light is 1440 lumens in Warm 2700K. i opted for the frosted lens to help diffuse the light. i had an idea for the dimmer but wasn't sure it would work.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/rigid-lig...1683/3964/


https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/single-co...r/61/3653/

it's dark in the pots! time to fix that.

the fixture has wires with molded connectors on both ends. since i was not going to add a second fixture, i cut the wire off one end and then removed the end cap. i then cut the wires off the LED strip and replaced the end cap.

i removed the spice rack and mulled over my plan. i temporarily wired the fixture and moved it around until i felt it was in the right spot. i was reusing the factory fixture wiring and pass-thru hole. once i had it located, i put several strips of 3M VHB tape on the fixture and set it in place.

this is the dimmer.

i moved the dimmer around in a number of locations. then i took it apart. the dimmer board is pressed into the housing around the pot neck. there is a small circuit board to generate a PWM signal. the dimmer pot acts as an off switch. i removed the wires and added my own. they came from the alarm system i removed. i still have more wire. so much wire.

as luck would have it, the dimmer board fits easily into the channel of the metal part of the spice rack. i located the place to drill and made the hole. i had a large plastic washer that just happened to be the perfect size to use as a nut, there is no nut on the pot. i tapped threads into the washer and used that to secure the board in the channel. i spaced it so the knob would just poke over the rail so moving the dimmer would by easy.

i tucked it almost against the bulkhead, but there is enough room to easily manipulate the dimmer. i put it in this location so when cooking, the light control is right there.

these wires feed the input of the dimmer using the factory wiring channel and connects to the factory wires.

much better, i can see into the pots!

here is how it looks sitting on the couch.

this is the dimmest setting after dark. i set the exposure to match the actual lighting as best i could, it's just a touch brighter in reality, just. it's perfect for hanging out with a beverage and listening to the tunes or having a conversation. the highest setting is bright. if you drop something outside the slider, you will find it. the kitchen is well lit about the middle of the range on the dimmer.

not a bad afternoon project and it will be very nice to have interior lighting. i forgot my USB lamp on my last trip and that error set this project in motion.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[dobryan]

Me like!
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[dabaron]

in another thread i detailed an issue with the engine. i performed a leak down test and confirmed that the exhaust valve on #1 was not closing completely and the valve stem end was getting deformed. it does not appear to be rotating...

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746830

after some hemming and hawing over rebuilding the heads, i ordered a set of AMC heads from tencent. with the mail delays they arrived during the snow storms we were having here in Philly. the Westy was packed in with a few feet of snow, dropping the engine would have to wait.

while i waited, i did some work in the garage. the "engine" workbench needed some love. i replaced the thin bench top with a 3/4" plywood top, leveled the bench and tied it to the main workbench. i then applied 3 coats of polyurethane to the top. it's ready.

i'm now that guy with a bin of extra gaskets and o-rings, but none are the ones i need. Dave was so kind as to pick up a SABO seal for me and i picked up a full gasket kit from Bus Depot.

here are the new parts on the freshly rebuilt workbench ready for me to do the needful.

unlike Dave, instead of waiting until the engine is in place, i confirmed all the threads were good while the heads are on the bench.
the heads were inspected and measurements taken. tencent does mighty fine work.

the weather was pretty darn nice yesterday, so after work i dropped the engine. this evening i'll remove the exhaust, the alt, the a/c bracket, and the intake components.

if all goes well, i should have the heads and seal replaced and the engine ready to go back in Sunday. if all goes well.. *cue the dramatic music*
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[dabaron]

the engine is on the bench...

it was a challenge to get it into the mount, but after a few minutes of thinking, i came up with a solution.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[djkeev]

Is it running yet?
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[dobryan]

[dabaron]

[dabaron]

after a reality check in another thread, i pressed on and installed the heads. overall it was not terrible and i am getting way better at all of this.

i pulled the jugs and pistons for #1 and #2. everything looked good. i made sure to get the ring gaps set correctly per the Bentley. i did not pull the jugs on #3 and #4, we'll see if that was a mistake.

both heads are on, the valves adjusted and ready to start adding all the flair

all the things are bolted on. the exhaust was not terrible to get lined up. overall it went pretty quickly. i did the majority of the work on Sunday. i could have tossed the engine back in, but i decided to bang out 20 miles in the woods on my Surly LHT.

today after a really Monday day of work, i got the engine installed. after priming the fuel system, the engine started right up. it seems to be working and just needs some minor adjustments on the timing and the valve preload.

tomorrow i hope to get all the things dialed in, coolant topped off, and the system bled. overall this was pretty enjoyable and i hope it resolves the misfire issue.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[dabaron]

Problem is not solved, the O2 was not fully connected when i first started it yesterday. With it properly connected today the engine is hunting at idle, the exhaust gets flappy, and when the throttle is opened it will stall. There is a backfire here and there when the throttle is opened slowly, not every time, but that tells me it's running very rich.

Clearly there is an issue that is not the heads.

What are the symptoms of a bad O2 sensor?


Dave jinxed me
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[djkeev]

It's Pennsylvania!

Never had this aggravation across the River in Jersey.

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[DanHoug]

take some readings off your O2 sensor.

first with it unplugged... if it is working, you'll see a voltage above .5v if rich, below .5v if lean. then connect it and back probe the O2 sensor. a healthy happy O2 sensor will flit above and below 0.5v as the ECU does its thing regulating mixture assuming parameters of the engine are normal and healthy.

here's where you can really do some deep diving. with the sensor unplugged, take the cover off the AFM, move the vane as if the throttle were being opened. this sends a signal to enrich fuel and you should see the readings rise. if they're below 0.5v you likely have a bad sensor. with a healthy sensor, you can use the unplugged voltage to adjust the mixture screw and even tweak spring tension.

all sorts of things can fool the ECU to make an engine run rich or lean with a healthy sensor. misfiring plugs can tell the ECU there's too much air in the mix and it'll try to richen it up when it doesn't need it. vacuum leaks will prevent the AFM vane from moving ahead like it should and the engine will run lean, which the ECU will try to correct up to a point. the list goes on.
_________________
-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[dabaron]

of note here is the engine is idling rather smooth with the O2 sensor removed. prior to the head swap, the engine would shake.

i'll measure the O2 voltage as suggested by Dan. i have no way of knowing if the adjustment on the AFM for the CO content has been messed with, the joys of 30 year old vehicles.

what is the harm if i run the engine without the O2 sensor connected? i do not have to pass emissions as this is registered as an antique. i'd rather have a working emissions system, but... i'd also like to go camping with my son.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[djkeev]

People have run for years with them disconnected.

The ECU is preprogrammed to run with it out of the system, such as a cold start.

I would download the Digifant manual that Kam cleaned up and see what it says,

http://oldbluesblog.com/files/DigifantProTrainingManual_SingleSided.pdf

If a vehicle is running well without the O2 sensor hooked up and worse when it is, As I understand it, the vehicle is running to lean.
I'm no expert but taking note of the AFM screw location and playing with it will do no harm if you can set it back to where it is now.

To determine existing location, gently screw it in counting the number of turns until it stops. 2 1/2, 3 1/4, whatever. This is your base setting you can now duplicate.
Now go play. Give time for any adjustment to take effect before trying a different one.


Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[dabaron]

[dabaron]

after several hours of measuring resistances and voltages, i'm right back to where i was before i KNEW the problem was the heads. it's not the heads.

so here is the run down of measurements:

ECU Voltages:
13 & 14 - 12.7V
14 & 19 - 12.6V
13 & 25 - 12.4V

ECU Resistances:
6 & 9 - 2618 ohms (Intake Air - around 65 degrees)
6 & 10 - 720 ohms (Temp 2 - around 130 degrees after engine was running and had started to cool)
6 & 11 - 0 ohms (TPS)
6 & 17 - 560 ohms (AFM sensor)
17 & 21 - sweeping ohms
2 & 13 - open, 0 ohms when green lead is grounded

O2 sensor voltages:
disconnected - 0.040V
disconnected and AFM wiper moved - increases up to 0.943V
connected - jumps around and increases to 0.943 when AFM wiper arm moved

the engine idles smoothly with the AFM disconnected. it misfires and sounds like a fart machine at the tail pipe with it connected.

based on the voltages and the sensor resistance readings, everything looks to be correct. i have a "spare" ECU that came with the Westy - both ECU's and the ECU from the tin top (which Dave is saying is working great) have the same effect - no change.

i really thought it was the heads, i wanted it to be the heads.

the breather tower was replaced with a new one. the manifold boots have been replaced with tight fitting silicone hose. the injector seals have been checked and replaced. the power brake booster line has been capped with no change (no booster leaks, the brakes are good). there are new cork gaskets on the valve covers. the o-ring on the dizzy has been replaced.

it HAS to be something with the engine, the problem has followed the engine when it was swapped from the tin top to the Westy.

the idle with the AFM disconnected still has a slight misfire. the coil is new. the plug wires are newer, the diz rotor and cap are newer, the NGK plugs are newer - none of these have made any kind of change when installed.

what am i missing?
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC

[4Gears4Tires]

Do you have a 2nd AFM?
_________________
'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[DanHoug]

[dabaron]

i am not mixing up the AFM and O2 numbers.

the timing is set to 40 degrees

i have checked the AFM in the past and used the one that Dave has now in the tin top, there was no discernible difference in the performance or the numbers. when the Westy engine was still in and running, i swapped ECU, AFM, ICV, ISM, and the coil. nothing made any difference to either engine.

the engine idles well with the AFM and O2 sensor disconnected. with the AFM connected and the O2 disconnected i can't see much of a difference other than there is more backfiring in the exhaust and intake manifold. with the AFM disconnected and the O2 disconnected, the engine idles well, but there is still a random miss.

the injectors were new from Dave. i can run a few of the tests in the Pro Training. i do have another set i can install, they came from the Westy engine. i was going to send them out, but with the current state of the USPS i keep putting it off.

i'm starting to think i should have pulled the jugs for #3 and #4 while i had the engine apart to inspect it really well. i looked over them when i replaced the black and green o-rings on the jugs, everything looked ok.
_________________
1991 Vanagon GL Camper
i had no idea i wanted to be a mechanic
"burnin oil and cookin coils" -- Destructo

BiWerks Design, LLC