Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2002 11:49:26 -0800
Reply-To: Edward Nutter <eanutter@POSTOFFICE.PACBELL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Edward Nutter <eanutter@POSTOFFICE.PACBELL.NET>
Subject: Re: "Maybe" some progress towards remedying my
no-start/bucking/stalling condition
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii
Marshall wrote:
>Hi Volks:
>
>Thanks to Terry K, Andrew Bell, Joe Romas, William "Developtrust", Richard
>Jones and the irreverent Joel Walker for their help. A great big thanks to
>local listee Jeff Palmer, who interrupted his "thesis-writing" to drive me
>to the store!
>
>If I missed somebody, I am sorry, and I hope you'll forgive me....
>
>Here's the story/saga:
>
>I bought a new rotor and cap today ("Wells" brand - all they had) at
>Canadian Tire, and installed them.
>
>There was some moisture on the old rotor's body. Yup.
>
>Van fired right up with new rotor and cap, and I drove for about 5 minutes
>before the bucking started again - bucking and stalling like before. It's
>puddly and slushy out, fwiw.
>
>* I noticed when I had attached the plug wires to the distributor, how
>little grip the distributor cap had on the plug wires - they'll lift off
>with hardly any force at all. A sparrow could easily pluck them out., (Watch
>out for that belt and pulley, Mr Sparrow!... ..oh geeze!)
>
>So, I wonder if this is normal for plug wires - or if I should buy a new
>set - I don't know how old mine are, but they're at least 3 years old.
>
They should take a few healthy rocking tugs with strong fingers to
remove. Ah recollect that the plug wire holds on by friction to the
socket in the distributer tower, and the insulating cap on the wire
sticks by friction to the outside. The inside in particular needs to
make good electrical contact. Spread the wire contacts for a temporary
fix, but a new wire set sure couldn't hurt. Get 7mm (8mm if you can
find 'em) silicon.
>
>
>* I also noticed that there was a convex dished plate that sat below the
>rotor, and above the distributor body - this plate seemed to not have
>anything to grip it - it looks like it should snap down - but it just sits
>there. Hmm.
>
That's normal. It's on both my '85's I think it's there to keep grit
from below from floating up into the "spark chamber".
>
>Because my parking stall is full of slush, it wasn't safe to jack up the van
>to put in my new fuel filter - but I guess a plugged filter could also be a
>cause of the problem.
>
>All suggestions (helpful, that is) are welcomed.
>
>Marshall Ruskin
>84 Westy "The Weekend PITA"
>
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