1985 Westfalia

[jws38stu]

While driving on the highways South of Anchorage, AK our Westy suddenly started skipping, I had to give it more gas to maintain my speed. It would momentarily slightly speed up but then go back to the lower power. When I got home I found that my gas mileage had literally cut in half, and that all the hoses in the engine compartment appear connected. While idling I revved the engine and a lot of black soot came out, problem still there. I checked the air filte for any critters that might have made a home but nothing. Last summer had a new carb put in professionally. I have an appointment for her but that is almost 3 weeks out.

[jlrftype7]

So, single Progressive Carburetor installed in place of the stock Fuel Injection?
_________________
'68 Westy- my first VW and vehicle/Bus- long gone.- sold it to a traveling Swiss couple....
'67 Type 3 Fastback, my 2nd car- gone
'69 Semi-Auto Stick Shift Beetle-gone
2017 MINI Coopers, our current DDs
‘84 Tin Top - Hilga....Auto

[djkeev]

What engine is in you Van?
_________________
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

[Phishman068]

I would argue that there is no "professional" installation of an aftermarket carb to replace a complete fuel injection system.
This dramatically reduced your reliability for the future and ties you closely to the shop that installed it. Moving forward, plenty of shops throughout the country will have no interested In working on it, and no capabilities without knowing exactly what components were used.

Reliability is a function of a few things:
1.Demand for parts/repair
2. Availability of parts
3. Ability/availability of repair/ speed of repair.

A common component like the coil packs on my Ford engine may fail more frequently then a similar system on the stock engine, but it's symptoms are easy to diagnose, it won't leave me stranded, the part is on every parts store shelf, inexpensive, and requires no tools to replace- therefore even though this component may have a higher failure rate, it increases reliability.

Carbs (as a general statement) are easier to get an engine running then diagnosing and solving problems with a fuel injection system, but far harder to get running WELL. Fuel injection is designed to handle changes in altitude, temperature, humidity, etc= carbs are not. Every change in these running parameters will require a change/adjustment to the carb. If you can learn to do these, which is generally a simple process with a screw driver (other then more major tuning of changing jets and what not), a carb WILL be reliable for you, as the ease of repair and cost of repair portion of the equation becomes beneficial, but without this skill set- you'll be paying for FREQUENT tuning from a shop.

Additionally, what distributor, timing, carb jets, and intake routing all matter ALOT and the incorrect choice on these parts by the installer could result in more major running conditions, shortened engine life, or very hard to diagnose problems in the future.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING MOVING FORWARD with this setup is to have a full list composed of:
What distributor model is installed,
What cap and rotor does it use?
What coil does it use?
What is the timing set at?
What model of carb is installed?
What size jets are installed?

^Being able to hand this list to a mechanic on a road trip after a breakdown, or to source a part on the road is going to be the difference between something being completely unfixable (Well, would take months/no one will want to mess with it) or potentially relatively simple.

I firmly believe moving back to fuel injection, either a properly functioning stock system (despite difficult parts availability) or a fancy aftermarket system (As long as you're traveling with a similar list of components!) will swing your reliability equation in your favor. As a very general statement, carbs are a bad move and an easy way out that gets regretted down the road.
_________________
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=559766&highlight=winter+rust
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482402&highlight=sunroof+syncro
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569774
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6864936#6864936

"Along with the ability to go fast, one looses the desire to hurry."

[Howesight]

There are a small number of potential causes for a carburetor system on a WBX to suddenly display the symptoms you describe:

1. Most likely of all is the choke thermo-heater wire coming disconnected.
I assume, as is the case for most carburetors, that yours has a choke system that uses a bimetallic coil and a heating element to operate the choke. If the heater wire is disconnected, then the choke stays on, reduces power dramatically, and causes the engine to run very rich with black smoke out the tailpipe.

2. The float bowl vent could be plugged or clogged;

3. The float has developed a leak and now does not have the bouyancy to operate the float bowl inlet valve;

4. The float height needs adjustment;

4. There is dirt in the air supply to an air correction jet or emulsion tube.
_________________
'86 Syncro Westy SVX

[vanis13]

FWIW - OP, one post, joined yesterday, last time on yesterday.
_________________
83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make