Date: Sat, 29 Mar 2003 12:39:15 -0500
Reply-To: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ben huot <huotx@VIDEOTRON.CA>
Subject: About the Solex's VS Weber,
mechanical trip report & dealer bashing!
10000 miles across the USA & Baja California (Mexico) at 50mph (for reason
that I will explain later on my site) , what a trip!!! And all that in a
2-month period! In a not so in shape 1973 VW T4 Bus (after all), doesn't
matter, the adventure was exceptional and a bit crazy, but! Am home now and
not so glad to be! From New Orleans, to Phoenix, El Paso, San Antonio, San
Diego, LA, Memphis, Cincinnati, Houston, Dallas, Grand canyon (I had fun
with those stupid Solexs carbs at 8000 feets) and many other smaller town
and village I have seen only great people (American, Canadian and Mexican),
I met people from all around the world traveling in all kind of vehicle,
doesn't matter what kind of RV, Car, van, bus or car your traveling in,
you're a traveller, a different kind of people / person (Especially in Baja
California), you are mostly open minded and in a quest for new stuff.
I am back! I will make a full report on my travel this weekend, i will add
200 pictures of my trip on my site this week, i have seen all kind of
weather (Snow, -10F, 95F, heavy rain and flooding, high wind, dust storm and
so on), i tought i known the T4 engine & Carbs enough before i started my
trip but i was wrong, now i know better, especially about the dual Solex.
(Probably more or equal than anyone here!)
I have struggled with my solex all my trip, when i say struggle, it's a
light word. They almost gave me a hard attack at some point, they made me
sweat in Baja California, the left one broke down in Baja-Mexico, when I say
broke down I mean that the choke housing that old the left bracket for le
linkage that join the 2 carbs broke! Period! Leaving me stranded at night on
the infamous Mex 1 highway, it took me 20 minutes to replace the faulty
housing; I had spare Solexs in the back!!! So I took the part from a running
to rich left cabs, with .127.5 jets?
From no start (2 hours to start the bus) one morning to running to rich an
other days, from hight idle to no idle an other day, from low power to good
power an other day......... (I won't talk about the high altitude problem I
had in the Grand Canyon!) Remember that I had 4 carbs + spare parts, 4
rebuilt kit and and many intake (soft and hard) gasket, all where used and I
had no spare parts left when I finally arrived in Montreal yesterday
morning. I barely made it home, as I had no idle, very rich to flooding
mixture from Toronto to Montreal. And the carbs are only one of the many
small (And I say small) problems I had along my 10000 miles journey. I have
swap my original solex with my spare one 5 time, I have dissected those
carbs to make a final pair that would barely bring me home. I have no feel
(with brand new CHEAP O-rings) with the idle adjustment screws, even if the
butterfly shaft were re-bush and all adjustment screws holw were sanded so
the O-ring would last. Even if you fully rebuild those carbs they are 30
years old working mechanical parts, period. Anything can go wrong inside the
carbs and you never will really found the problem(S). It can be a block or
partially block inside fuel passage, a bended casting parts.
The conclusion (Solex Carbs):
I guess they were pretty good carbs in 1972/74, they were quite advance with
there main idle control, electric cut-off valve system, electric choke and
so on.... Now they are 30 years old! All gasket rebuilt kit you can buy from
part dealer sucks!!! Believe me. The only working float valve lever were the
original Solex valve, the rebuilt kit valve were giving me flooding, even
with a 2mm shim.
THOSE CARBS ALMOST SPOILED MY TRIP, remember that!
About the Webber (There will be some bashing here)!
In San Diego I bought a partially used (practically brand new) progressive
Weber for 300$ USD (That's is 500$ CAD for me, sold brand new and complete
with intake for Canada for 485$CAD at CIP1.com) from Bob (Mister know
everything) from VW-Tech, the guys was nice at first helping me (I was
stranded) on a Sunday. He said that this carbs was installed on a T4 (he
specialize in T1) and the engine was blown, he was somewhat stock with this
carbs and told me he paid 350$USD (Well, am in San Diego, everything is
possible), also, all other dealer in the area were suggesting the single
Weber (including VW Paradise and other, none of those dealer do specialize
in T4!). So bob made me a final offer, he said: Listen Ben, if the cabs
don't fit or don't work I will take it back and refound you the 300$ with
out any problem! He convince me as I did want to progress in my trip, going
into Baja. You should also know that any dual webers were special order, 3-5
days. To cut that short I struggle for 3 days with the Weber, never getting
any idle (Brake port block! And intake sealed, don't worry) , puffing and
other stuff (very bad timing to with the weber, minimum of 24deg even at
1500rpm with the advance vacuum port of my stock distributor attach,
remember also that I am doing those repair on a campground in Carlsbad near
San Diego), ok! So I call (with my cell phone!) VW Paradise (Very nice guys)
and ask them what could be the problem, they say: Ben, you NEED a 009
distributor with that carbs, I say: How come, distribustion is distribution,
it as nothing to do with the puffing and missing I got!, well, OK, am tired
and discouraged, lets take Carolyn (Girlfriend) brother (we met in Carlsbad)
nice Vanagon (mine before) and let's get the 009 (buy the way, VW Paradise
told me that the 050 had way to much advance for a T4?).
OK, I got brand new plug, new wire, new distributor (yea, the distribution
order was redone!) new carbs, spare blue coil, new intake manifold gasket
with sealant (Thanks to the Type2 list!!!) brand new muffler, new electric
regulated (100$) fuel pump, All valve at .006........... 4 hours later, the
almost same dam* problem, difficult starting, puffing, no idle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shitty Bus, it's been 5 days am stranded in Carlsbad!!!!
We are all shitting down around a starting fire and one nice helping VW
campground friend owner said to me: maybe you got water in the fuel!!! IDEA!
Well, everything is new, I got fire, air but do I have fuel, clean fuel,
there is simply nothing left. Let's try that tommorow, it's now time to
drink some beer with my new campground friends.
Nice day today, there is no carbs on the bus, I chose to put my best working
Solexs carbs, the original Solex, I open them to remove any moisture, we put
them back, put the longer re-routed gas pedal wire, put 5 gallons of fresh
91 fuel, one bottle of moisture removal liquid........still the same
problem........ it's late, I decided to change the upper left part of the
left Solex, I start the Bus....oups, struggling at first, one of my fellow
campgroung friend tries to help adjust the carbs (he as a 66 Bus), we tried
fro 1 ours, I change another small parts... oups, it's coming, it's coming
yyeaaaaaaaaaa...... it's working (Well, working is somewhat relative). We go
try the bus with Derek ( a very good friend from Minnesota) and after 20
minutes of driving it's finaly working OK. The following day I tried the
cleaned Weber (poorly fitting weber!) without any god success. So I called
Bob to ask him if he could take back the carb like he told me..... NO was
the final answer. I was polite at first but he made me mad at last...
telling me that I didn't installed the carb properly, that my problem was
another problem than the webber carb and so on!!! when you say something in
life, keep your word. If I had the time to have kicked your ass I would have
done so. Bob from VW-Tech in San diego!
Conclusion, I am stock with that Weber without knowing if it's working or
not (I will see later), a brand new 009 distributor that I didn't use
(Working worse than my stock one).
All aftermarket parts bought before my trip failed to work properly during
the trip (I will deal with those dealer later, have no worry)!
Here is a few example:
-All engine gasket and O-ring (bought at CIP1) that were installed before my
trip without Locktite 518 sealant failed giving me heavy oil leak,
especially the pushrod O-ring, removed them, put some new cheap one with
Locktite 518, they don't leak after 7500 miles.
-New Manuel water pump for the sink bought a Go-westy, failed to pump
without a leak and was difficult to turn this one out of the way to clear
the small table, that only after 10 days of using this one, 79$.
-New regulator for my 55amp alternator, failed after 15 days. I won't bash
the same dealer twice.
-Rebuilt alternator, failed.
-New Muffler and exhaust (4 in 1), Broke in Arizona.
-I had to use 2 brand new oil pressure sander, the first one leaked oil
after 6000 miles and the second one is leaking now, bought at Bus Depot.
I also bought a new rear tranny stick shift square bushing in Oceanside, it
is failing now (Thanks for the help Mark, your maple syrup is coming this week).
I had other small problems, but not related to new aftermarket parts.
Overall I made it back safe and sound but I had heavy worry all the time. I
had no major problem with the bus body (Brake, wheel bearing, axle and so
on) and no real problem from the engine by itself, the little bugger kept on
going no matter what were the condition of the road and outside temperature,
valve add to be adjusted each 2000 miles because all exhaust valve were
getting tighter at the end, the valve tip are getting worn right now. The
engine didn't consume more than 1/2 a quarts per 3000 miles???? I am
starting to have a somewhat crankcase over pressure, having more oil in the
stock air filter box and inside the right carbs.
I am NOT bashing every aftermarket part dealer, they are doing their best I
guest, but don't expect OEM VW quality when you buy aftermarket parts, period.
Conclusion: I was my best road trip ever, meeting extraordinary people
(American, Canadian, Mexican and other around the world, Germany, France
Belgium, Australia...)
I had help (phone, e-mail, in person) from many of you guys and other; I
sincerely thanks all of you for that. I will express my gratitude to many of
you guys in a personal e-mail.
Thanks to all of you (85) from the Type2, Vanagon & Bajanet mailing list who
offer help and assistance along the way, I drove very close to many of you
guys, sadly I couldn't stop because I had a further destination those day, I
have met a few of you guys and I will remember that for the rest of my life.
I won't name any name here, you know who you are!
More to come.
Hola, Ben
http://www3.sympatico.ca/huotx/engine1.htm
A few picture for now, 200 coming this week:
http://www.eurokitplane.com/baja1.htm
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