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Messages - vetterdog
1
« on: September 20, 2010, 09:36:13 PM »
It has also been replaced, as was the thermostat. I'm going to fiddle with the distributor and poke around tonight.
2
« on: September 20, 2010, 12:01:25 AM »
My 79 has begun to hesitate and/or sputter in the mid RPMs in 2nd and 3rd gear when cruising. When accelerating, it is fine. Can't seem to locate what 's causing it. Points, plugs, ignition wires, cap & rotor, condensor, fuel filter, fuel pressure regulator, ignition coil, air filter, vacuum hoses, have all been replaced recently, and timing, point gap, plug gaps, valve clearances have all been checked and rechecked. It sounds like it's misfiring, and the bus is driveable. Anyone have any ideas where to look next? Thanks as always for any and all help.
-Dave
3
« on: September 19, 2010, 11:55:07 PM »
Turns out the intake air tube was not tightened and all I needed to do was tighten it and problem was solved. Got a lot of maintenance done in the process though.
4
« on: May 12, 2010, 11:37:22 PM »
So far so good, but now I notice it's struggling a bit in the lower rpms when accelerating. I can feel it hesitating, at the beginning of each gear and if I cruise at the bottom of each gear's range (like 40mph in 4th gear) it bucks a little, sometimes a lot. I suspect valves need re-adjusting after all the travails of this long process, but I'm not ruling out something else. (Burned valve, or electrical) Will post any developments. Meanwhile, we will be schlepping out to Granny Grose's Friday regardless, so anyone else heading out there, be on the lookout for us on the shoulder of Rts 78 or Old 22. Look for smoke/cursing/wrench throwing.
5
« on: May 11, 2010, 08:38:43 AM »
Thanks for the tips, I am off from work today will look into those spots and let you know. Seems to be running a bit hot too. Getting there by degrees. (pun?)
-Dave
6
« on: May 05, 2010, 08:57:42 AM »
Thanks to all who've been following this oddessy and helped along the way. Realised that my dizzy clamp had migrated southwards and wasn't letting the shaft seat all the way down into its hole, so fixed that, checked the compression (all good, right around 100) and got the bus started. It smoked a bit, heavily at first, but tweaked the idle and test drove it this morning and it runs pretty good. Smoke has stopped altogether. As of right now it's looking good. I won't declare victory just yet, I will drive around a bit tonight and tomorrow and see how it goes. I'll be holding my breath for the next day or so.
7
« on: May 04, 2010, 08:28:17 PM »
The plot thickens. After realising that the air flaps have been closed, I figured I'd better check my valve clearances, since they're probably out of whack. Well, they were all tight, so I reset them, but now the bus won't start at all. Now I'm backing up to having to figure out why it won't start, which will mean compression check, etc. etc. and I've made some plans for camping in a week and a half. Panic isn't far off, I think.
8
« on: May 02, 2010, 11:40:10 PM »
I have no idea how to adjust the AFM, other than adjusting the mixture screw. I will look into it and post any results. Today, I ran the bus for a bit, then let it sit and pulled the spark plugs to see if any were wet to indicate a leaking injector. They were all nice and dry, which is good, since I replaced all the injectors a few years ago, (so they're not the originals). I poked aroung the engine and realized that the thermostat cable wasn't adjusted properly, so the flaps connected to the cable were staying closed. I though that this might be the whole trouble, so I adjusted the cable and took the bus for a test drive. It ran really well and I noticed it was running about 50-75 degrees cooler too. I had set the timing a tiny bit advanced to smooth out the idle, )which through this whole ordeal has been set higher and higher just to keep the darned thing idling) but after a few minutes of driving I noticed that it was idling very fast, so I stopped and turned the idle screw way down, back to about where it was originally set and it ran nice and smooth and quiet. I was sure I had it solved. I got back home and decided the timing should be reset, so I went about doing so. Now the bus was sitting after use, and as soon as I wanted to start the engine to use a strobe it reverted back to it's nasty habit of not wanting to idle. It would die instantly as soon as I took my foot off of the gas pedal. So I set the timing statically but still it wouldn't idle. It's like the problem was solved temporarily, but as soon as the bus sat still for 10 minuted or so I was back to square one. I wasn't about to back out the idle screw 3 or 4 whole turns just to get this thing to stay running. I need to figure this out, as I have a few campouts I have promised the kids I would take them to. (Granny Grose's and Westies in the Woods, Stoke State Forest NJ) I'm getting so frustrated and desperate that I might resort to taking the thing to an actual mechanic, which for me would be the ultimate defeat.
9
« on: April 20, 2010, 11:38:53 PM »
Good to hear that there might be room up there eventually. I will bring up the idea of moving the whole shebang up north for 2011. Maybe by then I'll get my bus running right, put the trailer hitch on and haul my old Triumph up for some touring up there!
Cheers!
10
« on: April 15, 2010, 08:33:29 AM »
Well it looks like since Stokes State Forest here in NJ has rained on our parade again by limiting the # of buses and folks we can have at our Memorial Day campout that a new venue has appeared; West Milford NJ. (Hi John!) The Stokes trip is still on, with a limit and a few spaces left, but I was wondering if this will split our usual group on that weekend. Personally, I'd like us all to be in one big happy place. I think the kids and I willbe going to Stokes this year,(they are creatures of habbit) but rest assured I will bring this topic up at the campfire. Who out there is going to which? I'd like to know what everyone else thinks. Also if you view my thread in "Bay Window Concerns- 79 Westie Hard start/Idle after warmup" I am thinking of offering a reward to anyone who can help me with my little headache.
Cheers! -Dave
11
« on: April 15, 2010, 08:01:46 AM »
I live in central West/Jersey, and the bus is fuel injected. it's actually got an 1800 motor from a Porsche 914 (I know, everyone has heard that one before, but I checked out the numbers) with the FI setup from the 2.0, (which needs a bottom end rebuild, whenever I get to THAT). I think we'll be at Granny Grose's and Westies in the Woods (Stokes State Forest), both in May. As I mentioned, I think I might offer a reweard to whoever can get this figured out. I also replaced the ignition coil and fixed the Cyl head temp sensor. It never reads above 350 at plug #3. It has been suggested that maybe it's a leaking injector, which would flood one cylinder while the bus sits. But it also exhibits this stalling behavior if I'm in stop-and-go traffic. Once I get to open road it's fine. All fuel lines are routed as original. I'm running out of things to check/replace! Another thing, went through state inspection and it failed for unburned fuel, they said it was pretty bad, but my spark plugs are a nice tan/gray color, just like they should be. Could there be an issue with the fuel delivery since the FI setup is from a 2.0 and the current motor isa 1.8???Thanks again to all for your intersest and advice.
12
« on: March 24, 2010, 01:56:34 PM »
OK, timing is fine, got the temp guage working too. No change in the issue at hand though. I stopped at the supermarket for a few things (express checkout no less!) and when I got back in the bus and started it, it wouldn't idle. It would die like it had a vacuum hose off. Stopped at a red light coming out of the supermarket parking lot and it stalled again. Started it and I drove for two monutes down the road, stopped at a light and it idled OK, maybe a little slow. By the next red light it idled fine. So it's not teperature related, as it was a lot cooler when restarted than when I shut it off. So far I've replaced points, ignition wires, fuel pressure regulator, cold start valve, fuel filter, fuel lines, spark plugs, cap and rotor, and clamped all vacuum lines.
13
« on: March 23, 2010, 10:46:40 AM »
I though about that too, but it's not getting that hot. Unfortunately, my temp sensor (cyl head) guage isn't working. I am going to spend some time today on it, trying to assess weather my timing marks are in the right place, fixing temp guage, etc. I'll post any progress. Thanks, Dave
14
« on: March 20, 2010, 05:52:55 PM »
i have now replaced the ignition wires and the cold start valve, timed the thing, but it is getting worse. Now that the weather is warm, it is a pain to start, (turns over but takes a while to come to life) and when the engine gets warm, it doesn't want to idle. Seems like heat is a factor, but not the only one. Next I will check the coil. I am thinking of offering a reward to anyone who can figure this out. Maybe at Westies in West Milford?
15
« on: November 15, 2009, 06:42:41 PM »
Actually the two larger fittings both point upwards, and could easily run in either direction, and there is a smaller tube out of the front which points downward.
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