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Date:         Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:07:44 -0400
Reply-To:     Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Doug Alcock <doug.alcock@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: dead cat kills van
Comments: To: mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net>
In-Reply-To:  <49C30169.9050506@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi Mark -- dogs are much nicer............

Cheers, Doug

On Thu, Mar 19, 2009 at 10:37 PM, mark drillock <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote:

> I made a new friend this week on the Samba. He posted about a vexing > problem with his son's recently acquired 87 Wolfsburg. It had just died > as he was driving and then would not start. He had it towed home and was > trying to get it going. A former VW mechanic friend came over with tools > and parts and they tried to fix it to no avail. It would fire a few > times on the first attempt and then nothing but a mild pop now and then > while cranking. The smell of gas was very strong and the plugs were very > wet. Compression check was good and fuel pressure read fine. Injectors > sprayed in pulses as expected. > > I saw his cry for help on the Samba and let him know I lived near enough > to come over and give him a hand. I spoke to him by phone and quickly > understood that this might be a challenge. I brought my Digitool and > some spare parts and went over a few days ago about 4 miles to the next > town where he lived. The readings of everything on the Digitool were > fine but no go on running. My timing light showed no problem and a > pulled plug wire sparked strongly on the block as he cranked. > Nonetheless I pulled my dizzy from the van I drove over in since > everything else had been pretty much tried. It made no difference so I > went home, as perplexed as he was. > > Between me and the other guy who had been there, almost every major part > was swapped, plugs, dizzy, ECU, AFM, Temp II, fuel pressure regulator, > coil. He even hooked up a gas can to remove bad fuel as a possible > cause. He called again last night and said he was thinking of getting 4 > new injectors since he did not know what else it could be. I did not > think that was a likely cause so I offered him the loan of a set of > known good ones I had for a test. Late this afternoon I went over and we > plugged in my whole fuel line loop with injectors but it made no > difference. With the AFM off he cranked some more and I happened to put > my hand over the intake boot. I was surprised how little suction there > was, even when I opened the throttle. Then I put my hand over the > tailpipe as he cranked some more. Again there was little air flow. Ah Ha! > > In spite of his skepticism, he agreed to unbolt the cat and have a look > since there was nothing much else to try. Of course the bolts were too > rusted and a sawsall was needed to cut them. Once we had a little gap > between the J-pipe and cat, he gave the starter a crank. The engine > roared to life. > > We then loosened the muffler/cat enough to get a look and a pile of > busted up remains of the cat innards could be seen inside. He thanked me > and I made it home in plenty of time for dinner. > > Mark > now more suspicious of cats >

-- http://www.dougalcock.com


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