Date:         Mon, 2 Oct 95 21:16:47 EDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         John Anderson <ja@coe.wvu.edu>
Subject:      Help ongoing '78 problems

Well I'm near my wits end on the $400 Westy, a couple more
things and I'm out of answers.  I took her on the first major trip
this weekend after replacing all of the vacuum lines in the engine
compartment including the manifold runner hoses.  Well this highlighted
the fact this thing really had some vacuum leaks cause now that it
was pulling about 12 in Hg at idle it became hissingly obvious that
#4 injector seal is really leaking bad, wiggling the injector and
shoving it in yielded a reduced hiss and 15 in Hg, I figure the others
are leaking as well, I mean this wasn't evident before it was leaking
so bad everywhere else (you know these little degradations grow).  Well
since I din't change those fuel lines on the injectors, I've ordered
the seals and I'll get around to all that.  Now my other major discovery
was that although, the points looked good, I had a dwell around 57 deg
so I pull the distributor to replace em anyway and realize, geez sombody
has really greased the breaker plate there and the grease has turned to
glue, vacuum advance when I suck on it won't even move the arm.
similarly grease below the nylon bushings on the centrifugal advance
arms.  Well I blow 2 hours disassemblimg, degreasing, regreasing with
nice dieletric grease, replace the points and reassemble.  Now I can
actually spin it by hand and vacuum advance works smoothly set the
points to .016" funny thing is dwell still at about 55 deg, so with mom
cranking I adjust dwell to about 45, but this has ended up with the
points pretty far open at least .02 I think, I didn't really check.
Dwell is constant with rpm, so distributor shaft OK.  Funny thing here
I blow like 1 hour trying to get it to start when I'm doing this to no
sucess, adjust points with cranking put on cap, won't run, adjust
still won't run, etc.  I was near out of gas, run to station, nope thats
not it after I put in 2 gallons.  Got to meet SO to go camping, already
1 hour late and I'm 1 hour away.  What's wrong,  look up, DUH might run
better if I put that ROTOR in before I try to crank it to start.  Anyway
get her going, statically time ala Muir, check dwell running, 45 deg
and constant, timing is only 4.5BTDC strobscopically, adjust idle then
set to 7.5BTDC, shove that injector in again, grab a shower and go for a
great day and a half of camping adventure.  While camping 2 things
become obvious, power is better, previous major stuttering cutting out
at mid rpm's is gone, still a slight stumble, but no major cutting out,
but power is still way bad when under heavy load in 3 and 4 I got to
downshift then rapidly run out of gusto on the mountains and got to
go to 2,  funny thing is this, I SWEAR IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME.
Some of the trip on the same grades that caused problems elsewhere at
the same approach speed, lots of mid range power in 3 say (OK 10% of the
time like) and I could be crazy, but better the higher the altitude,
some of the trip over 3000 feet, not always better though.  The other major
problem, mileage is in the pits, 12mpg or so, and it smells like she is
running rich.  Some other things I know, spark seems a bit yellow to
me when I hold wire right off of coil to block, jumps .25" OK but
yellow.  Switch coil with the '77 which runs perfectly, no difference
running and spark much the same but it just as old, but dwell is less by a
couple of degrees with the other coil??  Another thing didn't change
condensor, guy sold me a Bug one and although I figure it would work
OK it fits a round hole while one in Bus distributor is square and it
just doesn't fit nice (the rubber terminal block).  Another thing with
the dwell origionally at near 60 deg the coil got quite warm, not nearly
so much now.  Well that is where I'm at compression still good 
but higher on 2 and 4 by 15 psi, all fi system voltage and
resistance spec out at the computer plug, air sensor worn but doesn't
seem too bad.  decel valve, aux air regulator, and thermotime and cold
start valve all seem good by Bentley test.  Hydraulic lifters were badly
out of adjustment as 4 are really worn, they can be bled solid cold and hold
up but bleed down after stopping with warm oil.  I bled them all cold,
readjusted valves in 1.5 turns below contact and now when they pump up
on start only clatter a small time, then only one clicks slightly
running, down from a major clatter previously.  SOMEBODY HELP ME, I KNOW
I BURDON ALL OF YOU, PLEASE THOUGH GIVE ME A NEW IDEA.  (I'm sure most
will say go take a flying leap, not a bad idea I admit)

John
ja@coe.wvu.edu
'78 Westy Virginia
'90 Corrado G60
caretaker of parents mint '77 Westy