Club 80-90 Forums

toomanytoys wrote:You said after driving it for 20 mins.. now you are saying without driving.... outside in the open air? is the surrounding bodywork getting hot? Lets see pics of the engine bay please...

You know its difficult to diagnose and cure a poss problem via a forum.. we can only suggest things for you to check...

How mechanical are you? can you go through it and check the items suggested??

Jason K said you had tinware missing, you have said you havent sourced them, but in the next line you say there is no tinware missing..... thats confusing.. what parts are missing? or not?? again a nice clear pic or 3 of the engine from top and under neathwould be handy...

Tineware pieces that are missing are parts 12,13,15, and 16 from the wiki pic. All im saying is that this didnt happen before I had a new head fitted. If I drive the thing the oil light flickers at idle after about 15 mins but if I just run it at a standstill it takes about 25-30 mins for the oil light to start to flicker at idle. But if I rev the engine it goes out.

As for heat, you can smell the engine and see the shimmer around the back of the van and also fell the heat. Bloody hot. Also there is white smoke coming out of the air-filter breather hole in the corner. I am def cooking the oil.

My mechanical knowledge is average and susspect that I can check most things apart from the timing. I had the timing done by a local garage about 2 months ago but it is unliky that they would know the correct setting. I did actually ask them to retard it a little as I was told that this should reduce the heat. But you suggest it should be the other way around.

I am currently trying to source the missing tinware and I need the exact setting for the timing and then will take it back to the garage.

Cheers for all your help

Those bits of tinware that are missing are some of the most important pieces you need. Without them your engine will overheat and you will soon be back in the garage for new heads again.

which is what ive been saying all along. the bottom tins are very important otherwise all the air comes down and doesnt get out leading to overheating as it gets sucked back in

an Aircooled should be able to run all day without overheating

a good cu with all the tinware in place , when revved will blow so much air your ankles will be cooled as you stand behind! with yours missing its not happening

what oil is it running? when was it last changed? what make filter is it?

The tinware is very important.. it needs replacing.. I doubt you would drive your watercooled vehicle with half the water in it.. Hot air doesnt cool a hot engine very well..

Retarding the timing is the worst thing you can do. IMHO the timing is tooretarded at the standard 5 deg ATDC (IIRC).. retarding it further combustion takes place later causing the "burn" to continue to happen while the exhaust valve is opening.. this heats up the valve seat and head...

Was the garage familier with aircooleds? did you give them the Haynes to assist.. they may have not known how to time it correctly if unfamilier and no manual.. the vac lines are supposed to be connected to the dizzy and the idle stabiliser disconnected (witht he plugs connected together)..

jason k wrote:what oil is it running? when was it last changed? what make filter is it?

15/45 I think but it might be 10/50

Oil change I think as well

Cheers

toomanytoys wrote:The tinware is very important.. it needs replacing.. I doubt you would drive your watercooled vehicle with half the water in it.. Hot air doesnt cool a hot engine very well..

Retarding the timing is the worst thing you can do. IMHO the timing is tooretarded at the standard 5 deg ATDC (IIRC).. retarding it further combustion takes place later causing the "burn" to continue to happen while the exhaust valve is opening.. this heats up the valve seat and head...

Was the garage familier with aircooleds? did you give them the Haynes to assist.. they may have not known how to time it correctly if unfamilier and no manual.. the vac lines are supposed to be connected to the dizzy and the idle stabiliser disconnected (witht he plugs connected together)..

There is a lot of info here but no the garage are not familair with Aircooled engines. I have just started a separte post asking about timing info and the figures you suggest are the same as I have found out. SO I think it is another trip to the garage.

Cheers

Of course I told you the correct factory timing
I've been around these vehicles for over 10 years (and own 2 T25's), I have worked on quite a few 80-90 members vehicles, I was raised on Aircooled Vdubs from when I was 3 and am a petrol head... I'm 42 now...

Have you got a haynes manual?? If not BUY ONE... all the info is in there, you can at least give the manual to the garage and they can find the info/procedures for whatever task they are doing... these vehicles are not quite like a "modern" vehicle so some things are different

albertramsbottom wrote: There is a lot of info here but no the garage are not familair with Aircooled engines.

first thing on my list would be finding a more appropriate garage.