Date:         Sun, 28 Aug 1994 22:11:26 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Patrick Tower <poser@leland.stanford.edu>
Subject:      Help me (again)

Hi folks,

I realize that this is not as serious as the recent tragedy befalling
NuBus (best wishes on getting NuBus through intensive care, BTW, Matthew),
but...

Ms. Pickle has fallen quite ill recently.  I thought it was a case of
food poisoning (bad gas), but I'm starting to wonder now if it's more
serious.  The trouble started as I was getting to the end of a tank
of gas (I think the tank holds 13.5, and I put in 13.4).  She was
hesitating, jerking, and basically acting even more under powered than
usual.  I put a can of Gunk-type carburetor cleaner/water remover in
the tank, but a half-tank of gas later, the problem is just as bad.
I can't even get into fourth gear because I can't get it wound up high
enough in third.  Sometimes I can get it all the way up to 40 mph,
but sometimes it's a problem to get above 30.  People behind me don't
like this, especially at stop signs.  I don't think I'm doing transporter
reputations any good.  It feels like I'm going up the grapevine all the
time.

This brings me to my question:  Any ideas about what else I can try?
I've changed the fuel filters, just in case they were dirtier than they
looked.  I changed two vacuum hoses that looked a little suspect.
I reattached a smog hose that had been loose for a while.  None of this
seemed to make things either better or worse.

Other things I have noticed.  These may or may not have anything to do 
with the problem:


1) After I shut down, there's a white vapor rising from the left carb but
   not from the right.
2) For a while now, I have been hearing a high-frequency, springy sort-of
   rattling when I let up on the throttle part-way.
3) I've been told that I should either replace or rebuild the throttle
   shafts.
4) I hooked up a strobe timing light to see if the vacuum advance was
   working, and it only lit up every few seconds.  This may have been
   a bad connection, but could it indicate that #1 is only firing 
   every few seconds !?

I guess there must be something screwy in either the fuel line or in the
ignition system.  I realize that my "contributions" to this list have 
mostly been pleas for help, but I would appreciate it if someone might
be able to clue me in as to what problems I might be able to solve
myself before sending my sweet Pickle to Dieter for a checkup.  It might
even inspire me to contribute a verse in next Friday's song-fest.
(There _will_ be one, won't there?) :)

Thanks in advance for any help.

-Patrick
poser@leland.stanford.edu
'73 Safare' Custom Deluxe (one sick Pickle)