Date:         Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:33:09 -0400
Reply-To:     TJ Hemrick <x53gunner@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         TJ Hemrick <x53gunner@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Sputter, Sputter, Cough, Cough, Die. (no, not my ex wife...)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  First of all, MUCH thanks to all who responded to my previous post last
week (Joel Walker, Zoltan, Ken Wilford [Even though your in Jersey..Yes, I
can say that since I grew up there.], and last but not least Dennis Haynes.
Turns out the 91 that had some serious hesitation problems needed some
clamps on the hose that goes from the PCV stack to the AFM boot.  Funny
thing was, it drove fine for several weeks including a trip from Florida to
Maine and not one damn problem.  Go figure...
  Second, if that subject line bothered you, too bad.  It's my post and as
long as it's clean, it's cleared hot.
  Third, I got another driving problem.  This time, it's an 87 GL.  Just had
the full work over (new radiator, h20 pump, cap, rotor, plugs, wires) and
now it drives like crap.  It's super hard to start (like 15-40 seconds of
rotation and trys to catch) but barely does and when it does it's just
hanging on at around 500 rpm.  If you give it any gas, be it just a bit or
WOT, it coughs and dies.  When you get it start (more like IF) you can hear
what sounds like muffled misfires, like it's firing at the bottom of the
stroke.  It's that unmistakable sound if you've ever heard it.  Like a
muffled popping.  The whole time it's missing certain cylinders and
coughing.  It only smooths out if you work it up to 4k or more on the tach
and even then you might hear it rough.  It stranded me a few times today and
that's getting real old.
  I went through all the vacuum lines (again) and the AFM boot
connections--No luck.  I swapped the AFM from the 87 Syncro but the EXACT
same problem so it's 99% not that (I got another from an 87 that I'll try
out of desperation.  If you get going down the highway, you'd never notice
anything was wrong.  I have a spare (used) O2 sensor but the DSPO (you
figure it out or I'll p-mail you) welded the bung AND the sensor head into
the exhaust on a hack job so I have to cut it out.  I disconnected it just
to put in the "limp home" mode but NO difference what so ever.  Don't all
jump on the bus (no pun intended) but I'm thinking fuel filter and/or pump.
Only thing is, I've had pumps fail before and they usually go at a very
certain point with a cut out and surge and then finally give up the ghost a
short time later.  Maybe a temp sensor???
Anyhow, someone throw me a bone.  I'm done.  You can pmail or go to the list
for a reply.

Thanks,
TJ