Itinerant Air-Cooled

Just picked her up yesterday, I think I stole her for a grand? All original, 100% complete, new tires, has been sitting since late 2013. The battery is charging now. More to come on that. Anyways, 1983 Vanagon L 2.0 CV code, aircooled, with every last piece intact. Hell, still running EGR and a thermostat. Not bad for an East Coast, Dirty South, bus,



Scottie

Great!

You better get up on outta town before them coppers get ya.

Seriously, that's a steal! Congrats!

Congrats! Pretty color, too.

love it, congrats

Nice score! Congratulations. =D>

Not quite 100%, though. Looks like your distributor is missing a vacuum advance can, probably the result of a mis-guided P.O. believing the conventional wisdom about "performance" 009 dizzys. Do yourself a huge favour and source a proper distributor ASAP. You'll be one big step closer to Vanagon Nirvana with it.

Not quite 100%, though. Looks like your distributor is missing a vacuum advance can, probably the result of a mis-guided P.O. believing the conventional wisdom about "performance" 009 dizzys. Do yourself a huge favour and source a proper distributor ASAP. You'll be one big step closer to Vanagon Nirvana with it.

Yeah, I noticed that too. I have an extra I am putting in. I adjusted valves, built oil pressure (It took 1min 30sec of cranking with the plugs out), did a compression check 130-150psi on all 4, spark is good, and statically timed. Tomorrow I am going to drain the tank, change fuel filter and lines, and hopefully fire her up after a 2 year park. Thanks for all the comments, more to come.

Scottie

Nice van. Obligatory word of internet wisdom - don't forget to change out the fuel lines.

Okay. Here we go with issues. Bought a new battery. Turns engine over very slowwwly. The old battery did the same thing. I tested the new one 12.82 volts. I adjusted valves, but they were bone try as i could feel the plunger have no resistance to the push rod. I could press on the bottom of the rocker where the push rod cup is and all were spongy. At this point I pulled all the plugs and built oil pressure until the light went out. Reinstalled plugs and continued with valve adjustment. Much better, but still a little soft. Static timed to 7.5 BTDC. Is this different for a 009?.......Anyways, sprayed some gas down the S boot. No start. ( Yes I have checked plugs, vacuum, drained out old gas, grounds, electrical connections, double relay, coil, etc.) Are there a trick to adjusting valves after it sat for a few years? What I am doing wrong? Very annoyed.

Scottie

have you tried simply winging it with the distributor placement to see if it coughs or gives you the impression that it's close to firing?

is there spark available when you crank?

is it possible the starter itself is just too weak, that even with a fully charged battery it won't spin the motor over quick enough?

have you tried simply winging it with the distributor placement to see if it coughs or gives you the impression that it's close to firing?

is there spark available when you crank?

is it possible the starter itself is just too weak, that even with a fully charged battery it won't spin the motor over quick enough?
1979 California Transporter

No cough, or sputter.
There is spark. My test light had a short and i got a good jolt.
Could be starter. When the plugs are out it spins nice and quick?
As Colin and a few others know, whom I have corresponded with, when I get frustrated i get tunnel vision and can't think clearly. ADHD at it's finest As my compression check showed, we have lots of compression in this engine. Energyturtle, my daily bus, turns over quite a bit slower than most buses I have saw. I just don't know why this trend follows every bus I own?

Scottie

energyturtle wrote: is it possible the starter itself is just too weak, that even with a fully charged battery it won't spin the motor over quick enough?

No cough, or sputter. There is spark.
Scottie

Vanagons do have a longer path from the battery under the passenger seat to the starter motor. You do need to optimize both positive and negative paths to the starter. That means ground straps too, Young ADHD Boy.

Is this an 009 distributor with points?

We have to address the jolt you felt. That does not mean that the ignition is fine necessarily, if it leaked electricity out through you. Check the coil wire end that was in the distributor cap, 5/16" from metal, must be purple not yellow.
Colin
(we need to work on our focus and atten hey let's go shoot some pool)

It is a 009 with some sort of electronic ignition. It is not Pertronix brand, this one has yellow and black wires going to the coil. I pulled of the coil wire, it will shoot a 3/4 inch long spark that is damn near the color of lightning, not purple. It looks to be a "performance distributor, plug wires, and electronic ignition". The plug wires have metal ends that go to the plugs instead of the standard rubber, with plastic. They also have no rubber grommets that fit over the holes in the tin to seal? Colin, I am sure we should go back to the vacuum advance distributor setup, with points and condenser. All I am trying to achieve right now is a start. Is the 009, or whatever this contraption is, supposed to be statically timed differently than the 7.5 BTDC? I will post pictures later.

Scottie

energyturtle wrote:It is a 009 with some sort of electronic ignition. It is not Pertronix brand, this one has yellow and black wires going to the coil. I pulled of the coil wire, it will shoot a 3/4 inch long spark that is damn near the color of lightning, not purple. It looks to be a "performance distributor, plug wires, and electronic ignition". The plug wires have metal ends that go to the plugs instead of the standard rubber, with plastic. They also have no rubber grommets that fit over the holes in the tin to seal? Colin, I am sure we should go back to the vacuum advance distributor setup, with points and condenser. All I am trying to achieve right now is a start. Is the 009, or whatever this contraption is, supposed to be statically timed differently than the 7.5 BTDC? I will post pictures later.

Scottie

Find the genuine #1 TDC mark at "0" on the scale. (highlight with white paint, that is a dark and jammed area on a Vanagon).

Verify, if necessary, that the engine is at genuine #1 TDC and NOT #3 TDC
(with hydraulic lifters you don't get to merely check the valves for clearance at #1, you need to rotate the engine a little a bit while watching the #3 valves for movement)

Then check that the distributor rotor is pointing to the #1 terminal on the distributor cap and that that wire actually goes to #1 cylinder. Now verify that the wires all go 4-3-2 to respective #4 and #3 and #2 cylinders.

Now then, how do we statically check the timing with an electronic ignition module? Some will melt their stupid asses if you keep the ignition on long enough to statically time the engine. I personally would try to quickly check the switching point at #1 terminal of coil with a multimeter set to 12 volts.
Have the engine at TDC #1. Loosen distributor clamp. Turn on ignition. Rotate distributor clockwise by some gross amount, you should have 12 volts. Rotate back until the 12 volts disappears. Shut off ignition, button up the distributor.
That is exactly good enough timing to start the engine.
Make sure spark plugs are clean and DRY and gapped to .024-.028"
Add a fresh little shot of fresh little gas to the brake booster nipple using a funnel and little hose, stick the booster line back on, get up there and put the gas pedal halfway to the floor, and the engine well and truly should start.
Colin

Changed the fuel filter, replaced all outbound fuel lines downstream of the fuel filter after taking cover off the air flow meter and moved the flap to make the pump turn on. This allowed us to thankfully build fuel pressure.
Timed electronic ignition following Colin's guidelines, spark intensified. Changed plug wires and distributor cap, spark got even stronger. After doing this, Nikki seems much happier.
Double checked vacuum lines..
Decided to turn the key and see what happens.
Checked battery (brand new, came out to 12 volts). Checked coil (came out to 9.8 volts).
Diagnosis: parasitic draw caused by aftermarket cd player.
Nikki is slowly waking up, and almost started today.
More shall come.

-Makayla