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Date:         Sat, 18 Nov 2006 20:06:38 -0500
Reply-To:     neil <goofymuso@YAHOO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         neil <goofymuso@YAHOO.CA>
Subject:      Re: <no subject>
Comments: To: Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <C184E4AE.1539%npoole@telus.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

After rebuilding the 36 hp engine on an old Beetle of mine, (and it not starting) I recall finding out that I had installed the distributor gear completely out of time. Of course I found this out after I had kept on trying to start it...... to the point of filling the crankcase full of fuel/oil!

Congrats on getting the timing sorted out.

--- Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET> wrote:

> After crying in my beer I went back and like you > said, started from scratch, > and eventually got the engine running. Whooopie!! I > don't know why there was > little compression in number 1, and why it was > sucking through the exhaust > on intake, but everything seemed to clear itself out > by trying over and > again to get it started. The one thing that was out > of whack was that the PO > had marked TDC on the fan pulley 180 degrees out, > and I used that for > setting up initial timing. It was only after > carefully watching the rockers > and valves as my son rotated the engine through it's > cycles that I realised > the error. When I found the little (unpainted) nick > for TDC, I found I had > set it up at 9 degrees after TDC. Using an ohmmeter > on the points, I set it > up for 7 degrees BTDC. A little cranking later and > it roared to life (by > then it was also flooded) a few farts and lots of > smoke and it settled down > to a sweet-running engine, much smoother than before > the rebuild; you really > couldn't tell the engine was running by looking at > it. Been driving the van > all day and it starts with the barest touch of the > starter. It's great > having the rig on the road again. > > > On 11/18/06 7:58 AM, "ROBERT DONALDS" > <donalds1@VERIZON.NET> wrote: > > > Nat > > sounds like you need to back up a little and take > a deep breath > > lets not blame the heads for the no fire condition > > lets go back to basics the engine needs 3 things > to run gas, compression and > > spark > > if you can find a compression tester start there > > a little testing of components goes along way > > > > Bob Donalds > > Boston Engine > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Nathaniel Poole" <npoole@TELUS.NET> > > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > > Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 1:11 AM > > Subject: <no subject> > > > > > >> I feel so damned discouraged, and I get what Jake > Raby says about Vanagon > >> AC > >> engines. I've done all the work on my vehicles > without much problem all of > >> my life, and it's never been so much hassle as > redoing this 2.0 AC. And > >> when > >> I get it all together, no go. Won't fire at all. > Sounds weird turning > >> over. > >> It was late and so I did a quick 'n; dirty > compression test by stuffing a > >> finger in #1 cylinder and almost nothing. Put my > hand over the exhaust > >> output of right heater box and it sucks as much > as blows. Check lifter > >> preload and the lifters aren't holding valves > open. I am saving $$ for new > >> heads, and decided to slap in these "good" used > ones, and this particular > >> head has recently been rebuilt. Yet the symptoms > seem like the valves > >> aren't > >> sealing, although there's no dropped seats. I've > spent I don't know how > >> many > >> hours on this sucker and it looks like it has to > come out again. Any other > >> possible suggestions? I know the valve timing > can't be off. > >> > >> Can the heads be pulled without pulling the > engine? > >> >

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