Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:51:57 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Help needed: ABA conversion has spark and fuel but won't
start.
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
well, if you think it's not gasoline really in the tank,
the simple test is to pour some fresh gas down the throttle body or into the
intake manifold.......
if that makes it go VROOM................then you know that with gasoline,
it can run.
since it's got both fuel spraying , assumig the poster checked that that's
actually happenhing,.....................and for sure has igntion.........
then the next most obvious thing to suspect is that they're out of time
somehow. The fuel isn't timed per se I don't think, though, but the
camshaft sure is.
also..........flooding.
pull the plugs to see if they are wet-fouled.
Simply being flooded so the plugs can't fire falls under............... 'has
fuel and ign but won't fire.'
firing order of course.
need to check that 5 times.
the ABA has a distributor I'm pretty sure , so checking basic timing and
firing order is pretty straightforward.
I promise you ..............
"it's just a leakage or blackage of electrons or fluids."
I also remind people 'fluids' includes gases like exhaust , air, and vaccum.
but it IS just a leakage or blockage, , or more than one, of electrons or
fluids.
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "jon" <jon@KENNEKE.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: Help needed: ABA conversion has spark and fuel but won't start.
>I love these kinds of puzzles. Disclaimer: I know almost nothing about the
> ABA engine.
>
> This question is from experience, and many wasted hours:
>
> Is the fuel actually gasoline? Not water, urine, etc? Vehicles that have
> been sitting awhile have got me twice with this problem. Just because it
> kinda smells like gas doesn't mean it's gas. I'm the bad fuel poster
> child! Just ask folks that have been on a road trip or two with me.
>
> And, I've also been a bonehead and got the spark plug wires on exactly the
> wrong cylinder before.
>
> Have fun...
>
> Jon
>
>
>
> On Thu, 28 Aug 2008, BenT Syncro wrote:
>
>> Hello Folks,
>>
>> I bought an ABA engine conversion which can out of a Westy which was
>> changed
>> over to Subie power. I had this in storage
>> until recently when my 88 Doka blew it's engine. I had a local shop to
>> the
>> install. Everything pretty much bolted on aside from
>> minor drilling for the custom engine carrier. The engine failed to start.
>> It
>> turns over; has spark; and has fuel. The mechanic insists
>> he triple checked the timing and firing order. He says the conversion
>> wiring
>> harness has a couple of odd wires which looked like
>> they were cut but he cannot identify where they are supposed to go since
>> the
>> harness builder supposedly switched colors when they
>> interfaced the ABA harness to the Vanagon harness.
>>
>> I contacted the party who supposedly made the harness but was told I
>> needed
>> to identify the original owner as that is how the
>> specific harness were in their files. Unfortunately, the person who
>> ultimately removed the engine conversion and subsequently sold
>> to same to me, is not sure who the former owner was. I got a name which
>> did
>> not match up to the harness maker's harness.
>>
>> Anyway, I can't understand why the engine won't at least start since
>> there
>> is both spark, fuel and supposedly correct firing order. Are
>> we overlooking something obvious? By the way, this is installed behind an
>> automatic trans (w/o neutral safety switch) if that matters.
>>
>> Thoughts?
>>
>>
>>
>> TIA,
>>
>> BenT
>>
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