Date:         Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:54:31 -0400
Reply-To:     Jeff Stewart <fonman4277@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Stewart <fonman4277@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      My EB Breakdown Problem Found
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

OK, figured it out this weekend, and even though it's a bit embarrassing, I'm going to let it be known what the problem was. It wasn't bad gas as I had started to believe. I had the wrong distributor cap! Now, going back to last November, I was putting a 2.1 engine into this Vanagon, using the 1.9 FI and cooling. Originally I was not sure if I could use the 2.1 distributor or had to use the 1.9-I had to use the 1.9. In the meantime, I had ordered new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, etc. and my guess is I had already stuck the new cap on the 2.1 dist. then swapped it out with the 1.9, leaving the new cap on the 2.1. The problem is, the wires are the new style connectors, while the cap on the 1.9 was old style. Now, this engine ran smooth as can be for 1,100 miles. Never a miss, sputter, anything-it ran very smooth and made good power, all the while the spark is arcing across the gap in the distributor cap, until finally it started to degrade-and when it did it went downhill fast. I pulled the plug wires out of the cap this weekend, and each one had a greenish tarnish to it. I then went to my box of 2.1 parts and dug out the 2.1 dizzy-and there it was, a new cap with new style connectors <sigh>. A costly mistake on my part. If you read my post last week about this, you'll remember I found the exhaust very hot, which ultimately led to a meltdown of the cat and nearly set the wiring across the back on fire (at least that didn't happen!) Since I have emissions testing where I live, I'll have to replace the cat. This also points out the kind of mistake one can easily make when (like most of us, I'm sure) you're doing a project like this, but only get to work on it an hour here and an hour there over a period of time.      Jeff





Jeff Stewart
fonman4277@earthlink.net
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/vwcampersmidatlantic/
http://home.earthlink.net/~fonman4277/vanagon%5b1%5d?200712