Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 22:56:08 -0500
Reply-To: Carl Hansen <carl_hansen@IEEE.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Carl Hansen <carl_hansen@IEEE.ORG>
Subject: SyncroBeast - she runs - the reason why
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
When we got SyncroBeast back together, I either checked the compression or
looked at the plugs to see what they looked like. That meant pulling the
plug wires.
Yep, I got #1 and #2 plugs reversed, hence the poor running and backfiring.
With the two plugs reversed and no alternator to run the water pump, she
overheated a bit with a simple 1/4 mile run around the block!
We figured that running hot, with unburned gas from the #1 and #2 reversed
plugs burnt the CAT
Bill at Dune Buggy Supply assumed that since I had put the new exhaust pipe
on (collector to cat) that I had looked in the CAT. But then, that was
before all the problems, so I might not have seen anything anyway! .
Two days into diagnosis, Bill checked for a plugged CAT because someone
mentioned in passing that the exhaust might be plugged. I forget who.
Man, was it ever plugged! Solid! Burnt to a crisp.
Since I know others have their own _____Beasts down for while, here's a run
down on what all I found:
* Lot's of corrosion. All ground wires to the engine crumbled in my hand.
* Corrosion on all critical connections like coil and distributor.
* Both the fuel pump and the fuel filter leaked like sieves. Corrosion again.
* Something in the Alternator shorted hard. Not sure what, suspect
corrosion, but it's not there now. This is what killed the battery DEAD!
* Plugged solid CAT. Probably did to myself with reversed #1 & #2 plug wires.
SUGGETIONS:
* Don't stop running her. Well, not always practical, or reality.
* Open up the engine lid. Don't leave it down to trap moisture underneath.
* Park it outside, not in a garage that can collect moisture.
* If you do park inside, keep an eye on her. Run a fan on a timer to keep
the air moving around. This seemed to keep the moisture down.
* If you do park it inside, leave the doors open and the rear hatch open.
Keeps the moisture from collecting inside.
Ch
Carl Hansen
856-303-9370
carl_hansen@ieee.org
Ch
'89 SyncroBeast Vanagon - Thank god for Brother-in-laws. SyncroBeast
together. It's a long story, someday we'll recover and tell it.
'87 16V GTI
'80 850 Yamaha Special
'87 16V GTI w/ hale damage - parting out - body gone, parts remain
'89 16V GTI w/ toasted motor
'86 Scirocco (8 valve w/ auto) - SO's
toooo many parts to count, all hauled out to NJ!!
Man, no wonder we were 7,000 lbs over!!!
Prior Lake, MinneSnowta
