RESULT! CU running lean, what could it be?

[sarran1955]

Hello,

Hang in there,,,,


You will get your holiday....

My bet is still the timing.

With electronic/mechanic/crap gubbins, (ie bits hung on the wall and 2 pipes out of your distributor can)
5 degrees after tdc. Assuming all the plastic crap and perished rubber hoses works.

SVDA (one pipe out of your distributor and connected to the twin carbs balance pipe) 8 degrees before tdc.

009 30 degrees of advance at full rip.

Watch the video note: TDC is not at 0 degrees engine symmetry, it's all in the timing

cordialement,

[CovKid]

Impressive video and a great explanation on setting up the twin carb 2.0 sarran1955

Good to see the LIDL charger earning its keep!

If you can write that up in more detail, it deserves a place in the WIKI complete with videos.

[81AirCooled]

Sarran, if you're ever in my neck of the woods bring your gadgets with you! The garage has had another look at the timing and improved it ever so slighty but it´s still low on power, low on CO and running too lean. But bar taking the engine apart the garage has no answers.

Compression test warm is a good 8 bar across all cylinders, fuel pressure is ok, no air leaks, carbs set up ok. Tried carbs off another good running van are performing the same.

I was told the van has 320-420 thousand km on it so someone has had the engine done at some point and my garage suspects a bad job has been done. Anything is possible I suppose, I read on a german forum that someone had an engine rebuild in a Munich garage which didn`t last 7K km so maybe my van was there

Once I find out the bill so far I´ll have to see if there´s any money left for further investigation, but I`ve been told it`s ok to drive if I take it nice and easy...we will see.

[BOXY]

This might be barking up the wrong tree but you mention not using the van much for a few months. When was fresh petrol last put in the tank? If the petrol has degraded is it possible it's messing up the CO readings etc, and causing the low power?

[81AirCooled]

I did put some fresh petrol in to get to the garage and he`s put some high octane stuff in there too on the off chance but nothing. When I get it back I'm tempted to get someone else check the timing but on the other hand this is a garage that exclusively repairs and tunes VW vans from splitties to T5's. If they can't find the problem without getting brutal I don't my local car mechanic can.

[kevtherev]

I think it's time for a second opinion
They have clearly run out of ideas and this is not unfixable.
Im doubting the timing attempts

[toolsntat]

Did I hear about someone once having their distributor on wrong in the past
Leads on all the right places and timing set but not in the right orientation.....
(Could be talking baIls here but worth a punt )
Just to disprove it they could try the good dizzy off that good set up they have on yours.

Andy

[81AirCooled]

I picked the van up last night and had a chat with the garage. The engine runs fine, purrs like a cat, no stutter, backfiring, airleaks and cutting out like I had before. The garage tells me that up to 2000-2200 rpm the thing runs perfectly on the testing rig, performs to spec. Above those revs he told me the engine just loses all umpgh, gets really tired and doesn`t want to go.

I noticed on the drive back that although the van is 100x better than before it`s actually lost power at anything over 60kmh. On the motorway I can cruise at 80-90 kph without much bother I struggle to hit 100kmh without risking the engine. I didn´t have that issue beforehand.

I`lll have a look at what dizzy is fitted, I assume it´s the correct one fitted correctly but who knows.

[sarran1955]

Hello,

Youv'e got a PM,

Having read your latest post:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :MEWAX:VRI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This guy is good. He will sell you this dizzy plus a good compatible coil for about £95.

Before you do that though, try changing the condensor on the dizzy, (assuming it is a mechanical SVDA type)

If it is a 009, bin it and get the above.

Cordialement,

[CovKid]

Bin it - best two words to describe the 009

[kevtherev]

agreed
Why do JK still advertise it as a replacement?...it's like going back to the dinosaur age.

[81AirCooled]

Thanks John,

I'll check what I've got in mine if I manage without messing up the timing as it is I'm also wondering now if it could be the throttle cable, but any problem there wouldn´t give a bad reading on the test bed I guess.

[81AirCooled]

Another update - I took the van aout for a spin yesterday after a week away on holiday and I've got the following issues. Once it starts from cold and I try to pull off I have to put the pedal almost to the floor to get enough revs to move, otherwise it just stalls. Once it´s a bit warmer it´s ok, and it doesn´t cut out at all at junctions etc. When I got back from a 20 minute drive and the engine was nice and warm I put it in reverse and had the same issue, having to really put my foot down to stop it cutting out. The engine was spluttering and popped as I pulled up and turned it off.

I`m beginning to thing the mechanical fuel pump might be on the way out but the garage insists the carbs are getting enough fuel. Could this also be an issue with the ignition timing?

Thanks

[kevtherev]

your basing every thing you say on this garages opinion.
Going on what the garage findings suggest...there's nothing wrong with it, when clearly there is
Can you try another place and see what they say, if it's the same opinion then no harm done.

All we can suggest from a remote position is from what you tell us, and it is difficult to be more accurate.

lack of power is timing and fuel .....whatever book you choose to read.

fit an electric pump then that's eliminated, it was the only common thing from the "experiment" with the other carbs
That.... and timing
.

[sarran1955]

Hello,

Right,

Throttle cable..... This can be quite fiddly to get right, with rather sensitive adjustment.

First thing to check is: does the throttle butterfly open fully when you floor the throttle pedal.

To do this it will be best to warm up the engine. Switch off. Take off aircleaners .make sure chokes are fully off, (ie open so you can see into the carbs.) Use a LED light or torch, no naked flames please Get your trusty assistant to floor the throttle. You should see 2 things. 1 there will be a squirt of petrol from a little brass pipe into the main hollow bit of the carb ( the venturi) 2 the brass butterfly valve should fully open, ie perpendicular so all you can see is the edge of the brass disc. If not you will have to adjust your throttle cable. I will really need a photo to see how this has been mackled up. Basically there should be no slack, but the throttle stops should touch when the pedal is released. This was the trouble I has on Matt and Theas same set up. The throttle cable inner and outer MUST be in good condition. If the outer is not anchored, or badly routed, or even (in their case) made of rubber petrol pipe , then you will not develop full power.

You really will have to ditch the 009 dizzy, even if you can only get a secondhand one off a T25 or Bay. Either that or go for the one I posted earlier, This will mean you have to reset the timing, but that's no big deal.

Thats all for now, go look at the throttle cable.

Cordialement,