Need advice from the forum sages

[MarrV]

Best way to check for air leaks on the carb adapter?

Wouldn't the fuel evaporate over time?

Will get some decent wire to carry the 15a tomorrow to try that.

[mrhutch]

Best way to check for air leaks on the carb adapter?

usually with engine running spray carb-cleaner or WD40 round the area and listen for change in engine noise...

I hate carbs, work of the devil.

I think you should stick to timing and ignition, it's a petrol engine, it's not difficult. you need fuel, air and spark (on the correct cylinder at roughly the correct time).

you've got spark, and fuel. I'm with itchyfeet on this - it's ignition related. defo got the plugs in the right position?

If you can, put the engine @ TDC and check the timing marks on the dizzy.
I've a feeling something has been moved on the dizzy or leads to make this problem.

[kevtherev]

Worth trying carb adaptor for air leaks for sure as you reported your plugs were pretty much dry when removed, lots of failed starting would usually leave them wet with fuel

also you reported sparks were white so im thinking weak sparks a possibility, perhaps bad connection to coil, ignition switch failure etc add a temporary 15A fused connection from thd batt to the plus of the coil in addition to the wiring thats there.
as said by kev could be coil, cooked perhaps.

This is the sort of issue that requires a very methodical approach from the poster, eliminating for sure everything connected with the ignition of petroleum vapour compressed in a cylinder that could possibly effect it's failure.
starting with fuel delivery
moving to spark
ending in timing

nothing sinister here just trying not to use the scatter gun approach

we are 5 pages in and advice has been to be methodical, together we are helping him methodically work through, whats scatter gun about that?

nothing has been scatter gun..If you read it, I wrote trying not to use it.

[MarrV]

Best way to check for air leaks on the carb adapter?

usually with engine running spray carb-cleaner or WD40 round the area and listen for change in engine noise...

I hate carbs, work of the devil.

I think you should stick to timing and ignition, it's a petrol engine, it's not difficult. you need fuel, air and spark (on the correct cylinder at roughly the correct time).

you've got spark, and fuel. I'm with itchyfeet on this - it's ignition related. defo got the plugs in the right position?

If you can, put the engine @ TDC and check the timing marks on the dizzy.
I've a feeling something has been moved on the dizzy or leads to make this problem.

Is it possible for the timing to get "knocked"? Am rattling my head for anything I have missed & I think at one point when the engine was running & then dying it was vibrating hugely (in hindsight possibly due to incorrect firing order?). Sorry remembering bits in dribs & drabs.

The plugs are in the position that is the same as the pictures a few pages back

Will go remove the cover for the belt & see about getting her tdc

[what2do]

Sounds daft, but, possibly read through the posts and make a checklist, put them in order and tick them off as you go.

I'm an avid reader of the technical posts on here even though I've not really needed many problems so far (touch wood). However, this thread, despite the amassed wisdom of the people assisting, seems to be taking longer than usual to diagnose the fault. No offence to you but have you ticked off all that has been suggested?

Nobody likes to see anyone struggle with their vans, especially as there's no one local to you that could cast an eye over what you've already done.

Fingers crossed for you. Don't give up, the answer is out there somewhere.........

[MarrV]

In order of what has been suggested/done/achieved in this thread thus far (as suggested)

If in bold then done

ID Van type (T25)
ID Engine type (Volkswagen_Vento_12C8_ADZ_eng)
ID Carb type (Weber 32/34 DMTL)

Leads not on right > Photo uploaded & leads placed into same positions as in photo

Coil not working?

Clean Spark plugs

Put fuel into carb & try

Lift dizzy cap & check arm spin direction - spins clockwise so the leads are in the correct order

Check Carb adapter for air leaks - not sure how without engine turning to listen for noise change

Add temporary 15A fused wire from battery to Coil + - getting wire to do this tomorrow

Put @ TDC & check timing marks - taken top half of timing belt cover off - cant see timing markers. Done some google-ing & reading, going to have a better look in daylight tomorrow.

E D I T to put in order of things done

[silverbullet]

Just a thought: I swapped an engine a while back, both were 2.1 flat 4 uaing the same set of ancilliaries (old engine had a knock but ran ok)
Replacement engine would not start for love nor money. Wasted a lot of time rebuilding carb and searching for electrical faults, poor earths, gallons of fresh petrol etc.
The cause was an air leak at the inlet manifold. Two new gaskets and it fired up first time.

[MarrV]

Shall add it to the list. Think it comes under the carb adapter air leak sort of thing?

[what2do]

How do you find a leak on the intake side without the engine running? Surely that's going to be a bit of a drag. Apologies for being a bit doom & gloom.

[itchyfeet]

8 weeks ago when we first started is ran for ~1 then died.

Now it does not run at all..

Trying to recall correctly, I think it "caught" when the ignition key stopped being turned, ran for a second or so then died out.Happened a few times before it would not catch again. That is 8 weeks ago though!

So this may be important, are you saying this has happened before but it recovered itself?

air leak on manufold, well im thinking if you try chucking a bit more fuel down the carb ( not too much) then even with an air leak you should get at least a little fire, signs of catching, you report nothing which implies ignition, you have had the carb off though so dont rule this out, after chucking some more fuel in and cranking, remove the plugs and check if they are bone dry or smell of petrol

i have read that a spark plug firing in air may not be firing under compression in the cylinder if the spark is weak,

[itchyfeet]

How do you find a leak on the intake side without the engine running? Surely that's going to be a bit of a drag. Apologies for being a bit doom & gloom.

Two people, one cranks the other sprays wd40 around the carb joins, if tgere is a leak it gets drawn in at that point and you get noticeable firing, at the place you were spraying when the firing happens is the leak point.

[what2do]

How do you find a leak on the intake side without the engine running? Surely that's going to be a bit of a drag. Apologies for being a bit doom & gloom.

Two people, one cranks the other sprays wd40 around the carb joins, if tgere is a leak it gets drawn in at that point and you get noticeable firing, at the place you were spraying when the firing happens is the leak point.

Thanks for that Paul. In this case, until he can get the engine firing, someone could be spraying indefinitely without any 'catching' occurring. Turning out to be a bit of a tricky one this.

[itchyfeet]

Put @ TDC & check timing marks - taken top half of timing belt cover off - cant see timing markers. Done some google-ing & reading, going to have a better look in daylight tomorrow.

from a golf manual of the period, showing timing marks, need to ensure no1 cylinder is at the top of the stroke also
take a copy it will self destruct soon for obvious reasons

http://s1145.photobucket.com/user/paul_ ... e.jpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Plasticman]

While heelp is admirable,maybe in this case with the op,s lack of fundamental knowledge is it not a case of getting a mobile mech to come out, there's a few inn York as this looks like more probs are being created than solved
mm

[mrhutch]

^^^^ just what I was thinking Mike...

Someone who knows the basics of the I4 VW lumps will be able to
[1] set TDC (not relying on flywheel marks etc...)
[2] Check timing (dizzy/belts/cam etc.)
[3] Check ignition system

START IT!!

Wish I was closer, would be nice to get it running again.