little 'hidden' cone filter

[avant-garde]

Hello,

My bus is not doing very well at the moment...doesn't want to get out of 2nd gear when going up hills, can't seem to get any sort speed out of it...like it's being held back. 2ltr CU Aircooled.
It's being looked at by the guy that fitted the new engine, he's fitting 2 x J tubes as well.
I reckon fuel starvation even though I've fitted in as many months two electric fuel pumps. Sent the JK one back and bought a 3-4psi pump instead. Also I don't have a fuel pressure regulator - that was also from JK and it leaked petrol.
So after reading lots on here regarding my vans problems...I reckon it could be down to something as simple as blocked-up fuel filters found in the carbs.

Just wondering if any one knows where I can buy two of these little 'hidden' cone filters which are tucked inside the brass fuel inlet pipe on carb.



If no joy with buying them how easy to make one out of fine mesh?
Or could I just put a conventional filter in front of each carb?

Cheers.

[Evsi]

Is that a Pierburg carb mate? I think VW Heritage parts do a rebuild kit for those, but unsure if the inlet filters are included tbh.

I have run these without them before now due them being damaged, just make sure you have a good inline filter installed and clean or change it regularly? Also, what's the float level like?

[kevtherev]

you have a pierburg 2e3 on an Aircooled engine?

[BOXY]

What carbs have you got fitted? A 2ltr Aircooled should have twin Solex 34 PDSIT's, has yours got dellortos or something else?

[billy739]

what j tubes is he fitting to a cu engine?

with regards to the mesh i always found a good airline cleans them up nicely!

[Oldiebut goodie]

They are easy enough to make if you have to. I've made them for other things - you just have to be careful that the solder doesn't ' run away' into the brass gauze away from the joint.

[CovKid]

Think I'd just put a conventional filter in its place. If you look on ebay you can get metal washable ones that are often found on motorcycle fuel lines. As long as it stops any crap from pump entering jets, its doing its job.

This sort of thing: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROYAL-ENFIELD-Bul ... 3f08912b0a" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - nice and compact. Was going to do exactly that on mine.

Good rule: If you want bits for a car, go to a bike shop, If you want bits for a bike, go to a car accessory outlet - often true.

[avant-garde]

what j tubes is he fitting to a cu engine?

I bought mine from lee at laperformance - square port flange as shown in the picture.


As far as I know the carbs are Pierburgs.

The mechanic has now found the problem...in his own words (sort of) - part of the aluminium cam flywheel has the consistency of cheese and a number of teeth have simply melted away. There must have been a problem when making it - air bubbles in the aluminium, that sort of thing. These lack of teeth have messed up the timing. It's okay when idling...but when pulling a load it doesn't want to know. That's the reason why we thought it was fuel starvation etc.

He's replacing that flywheel...fingers crossed that sorts the problem out.

Once again thanks for the advice.

[BOXY]

Aluminium cam flywheel - teeth - timing??????????????

Sorry I have no idea what your garage is talking about? The flywheel teeth are steel and only come into contact with the starter pinion when turning the key. It doesn't have anything to do with the timing.

If something has lost "teeth" and effected the timing this normally means valves meeting pistons in a tangle of bent metal? The engine would sound like a bag of spanners if it ran at all.

Pierburgs on a CU engine? Two of them?

Hopefully the garage's diagnosis has just lost something in translation.

[avant-garde]

Hi yeah he was talking to me over the phone when he told me what was wrong...something with teeth, aluminium, missing teeth and a consistency like cheese! What ever it was was messing up the timing when driven, but not when idling though.

He's the guy that put the new engine in in the first place...we thought it was fuel starvation - a day and a half later he's found the above problem after stripping the engine.
He's going to fix it so let's hope everything is alright. I'll let you know exactly what was wrong when I collect it.

I've had the new engine coming up to a year now and it has only ever been right going up to Scotland - 2 weeks out the year!!

[avant-garde]

Update on the missing teeth etc. The cam flywheel was made from aluminium...had a look at it and it was missing around 5 teeth. The area where the missing teeth once were looked like an Aero bar - lots of little air bubbles - so it was forged baddly. That was replaced but still can't go up hills other than in 2nd gear.

I can't fault the mechanic though - he's just as baffled. He straightend up a 'butterfly' thing in the carb and he said that made a world of difference. To me it's just the same. Must be a fuel starvation issue.

Two Solex carbs fitted to the CU engine. As far as I can tell there are no tiny filters like the Pierburg carbs.

Got the bus back a couple of days ago and there was a massive oil leak from the strainer - fixed that and now there is another leak. The van still has trouble going up hills - so it must be a fuel starvation issue.

It's really starting to get me down - constant problems. My idea was to get the engine replaced/reconditioned (which I've done) and then to start work on getting the bus looking nice etc - coming up to the end of the 12 month engine warranty and still trying to fix engine problems.

On top of that I bought some Caravelle seat runners from a guy through eBay and a month later I'm still waiting for them. I don't know why I bother!

[BOXY]

cam flywheel was made from aluminium

Does anyone know what this "flywheel" is? I've never deep stripped a CU engine but is there really a toothed wheel made of aluminium driving the camshaft? And if there is, surely having five teeth missing would put the valve timing so far out that the pistons and valves would have hit each other?

The van still has trouble going up hills - so it must be a fuel starvation issue.

Fuel starvation should show up on the flat under acceleration not just up hills. Considering the problems you've been having with this "new" engine I'd be tempted to find another garage for a second opinion.

[avant-garde]

It was definitely aluminium. The word 'cam' was mentioned. Had loads of teeth set at an angle and it was bought from the USA. Other than that I know nothing!

I took the van over to two garages that were recommended and they looked at me and said "that sounds bad - big/small end gone" etc, you know the usual things garages say when they don't want to know. No one wants to go anywhere near an Aircooled 30 year old VW, nowhere local that is.

So I have no choice but to take it back to the mechanic the fitted the engine - 120 mile round trip.
The mechanic over in Newquay is a top bloke. When he took it out for a drive after 'fixing it' he said it was the best he has ever had it. When I drove it home the air was blue - and not just from the leaking oil strainer which I later discovered after I got home and saw the river of oil meandering down the hill that I live on. He honestly was shocked to hear what had happened.

He had the engine out, stripped it etc he fitted two J tubes that I had bought and he only charged me for 3.5L of oil - he had working on it over the past 2 weeks - and not a penny in labour charges. I know what you are gonna say - doesn't mean anything if you get home and the oil level is zero due to the oil leak and it has to go back over for the other oil leaks to be fixed and the problem with whatever is causing the bus still has to be fixed etc. But the thought was there.

I took the van out for a small run today and when I put my foot hard to the floor on the flat nothing happens, then after about 5 seconds the engine responds.

I took the fuel pump off today as well and checked the in-line fuel filter - when I took the fuel pipe off the fuel tank no petrol came out! Even though there was 1/4 of a tank. Could that be a breather problem creating a vacuum? Could this be the problem that's causing the lack of power?

[BOXY]

If a vacuum is being created in the petrol tank, taking the filler cap of should be accompanied by a hiss as the air is sucked in.

A more likely cause is the pipework in the tank leading to the outlet is partially blocked. As a quick bodge, connect the fuel pipe to the other outlet on the left hand side of the tank and blank the one you're using now. Chances are this outlet will be clear because no fuel will have ever been sucked through it. If this cures the lag when you floor the throttle then a new tank might be required, or at least an airline blow out to try to clear the blockage.

that sounds bad - big/small end gone" etc, you know the usual things garages say when they don't want to know.

Does the engine actually sound rough now?

[avant-garde]

I shall try and look at buying a new petrol tank. I don't want to start messing about taking petrol pipes off if I can't be sure that I can fit it back on on the other side. How would you even start as there is no wat to tighten up from the inside (can't get my head around that yet).

The engine sounds really quiet...but that could be down to the new J tubes...all good apart from the power/oil problem.

Thanks for that petrol tank advice, I will pass that on to the mechanic and let him do it.