Date:         Mon, 5 Jul 2004 17:56:49 -0500
Reply-To:     Aerowolf <aerowolf@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Aerowolf <aerowolf@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Fwd: Hmmm...
In-Reply-To:  <6b935964040705155523135718@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

(sent privately, meant to send it to the list, here's the forward of
my message to Stan)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Aerowolf <aerowolf@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2004 17:55:56 -0500
Subject: Re: Hmmm...
To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@sbcglobal.net>

The AFM rotary spring is held in place by a stiff wire attached by a
thread-locked screw... I don't think the AFM can vary its settings
that much.  (I know that the ECU will vary the amount of fuel injected
based on the airflow through the AFM.)

As for lean burn... good idea to check, but I've not the faintest idea
how to check it.  What are the marks on the plugs that I'd be looking
for?

As always, thank you. :)

-Kyle



On Tue, 6 Jul 2004 05:53:33 -0500, Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> You may have done exactly the thing that your van needed but by the same
> token the AFM automatically changes its settings through the CPU processor
> as the engine warms up and when it reaches full temperatures.
> I'd suggest that you read at least one of your spark plugs after a few
> hundred miles to be sure that you're not getting lean burn that will cause
> detonation, lean burn and crack your cylinder heads or cause valve seats to
> drop from being overheated.
>
> Stan Wilder
> www.engineceramics.com
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aerowolf" <aerowolf@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, July 05, 2004 5:44 PM
> Subject: Hmmm...
>
> > As I was futzing around with my van today (doing an oil change -- a
> > friend suggested using a heavier oil with my power-loss problem, and I
> > put 20W50 in, which is perfect for my move to Arizona), I realized
> > that one of the things that my friend and I had done was to open the
> > AFM and change the rotation on the spring-carrier.  Since we did that,
> > the thing was slightly stuttering and hesitating.
> >
> > I decided to crack it back open and reset it to what it was -- and it
> > started running better, but the exhaust scent was off (it smelled like
> > it wasn't burning all the fuel properly).  On a hunch, I cracked it
> > back open, and moved it another prong toward loosening it up.
> >
> > Now, the exhaust smells a bit more 'normal' (less rich, more carbony).
> >
> > I know that "the designers seal the AFM for a reason", and that you
> > really shouldn't mess with it without knowing what you're doing... but
> > this trial seems to suggest that the spring on the AFM was preventing
> > my engine from getting as much air as it needed to combust the fuel?
> >
> > Is there anything wrong with this line of reasoning?
> >
> > I'm driving from Chicago to Madison tonight, going to see if the
> > throttle cleaning and AFM spring resets help at all with the "loses
> > power after 30 minutes on open highway" problem I've been having.
> > Wish me luck. :)
> >
> > Thanks again for all your help!
> >
> > -Kyle
>
>