34 PICT 3 dialing in

[Sylvester]

Holy mackeral, yesterday I had to increase my idle a bit, so I decided to go the whole enchilada, pints dwell timing and all. While static timing the points, of all things my tester light was dead! Cheap Chinese piece of crap! Today I went and got another one, I will need one for other things so this time I got a nice one, and yet another Chinese piece of crap. Sigh. After I set the points gap, I set the choke. It was wobbly and I turned it 1/8 counterclockwise, that helped. Now I am not the best timing, and have heavily relied on static timing Samantha, but I got out my Father In Law's 1973 never used timing light that was bequeathed to me, still in the 1973 box (Not a Chinese Piece of Crap!). Then I got out my Actron digital meter and while revving Sam up to 3200 RPM, I set the BTDC to 28, it idles around 7 or a little less. Holy moly this Bus when properly tuned, really wants to hit the road and ride! It purrs like a cat!

[ruckman101]

Sweet.


neal

[Amskeptic]

this Bus when properly tuned, really wants to hit the road and ride! It purrs like a cat!

This is getting closer to that VW nirvana we all used to take for granted back ... back when you were just a little boy.
Colin

[Sylvester]

this Bus when properly tuned, really wants to hit the road and ride! It purrs like a cat!

This is getting closer to that VW nirvana we all used to take for granted back ... back when you were just a little boy.
Colin

Indeed it does bring me to a state of happiness. Inside my Bently are the sheets of paper you wrote how and what to time my engine to. Add to that I have a garage where I can do all this without gettin rained on or sun baked in the Georgia sun, actually encourages me to do more.

[vdubyah73]

everything you've absorbed over the years is starting to click. you're gonna start having eureka moments all the time.

[Sylvester]

everything you've absorbed over the years is starting to click. you're gonna start having eureka moments all the time.

Indeed, I really felt at ease doing this, due to training and reading others experiences on this site. Really reading from a book does not always help, try reading John Muir and why you should adjust your own valves. Notice he does not explain what you are looking for, but Colin explained why when he was driving the Ruptured Duck back to Atlanta.

[Sylvester]

Here is a shot looking down the barrel of the timing gun and the Actron multi-meter in RPM mode to the left. Engine is running, idling at 990RPM. TDC has just gone by. This is before I revved it up to 3200RPM.

[Sylvester]

Well danged if I am still having choke issues, I believe. Hard to start in cold, catches in a long drawn out starting session. Even adjusting idle will have Samantha die at intersections. Do I start from scratch on dialing this in? Other than timing and points.

[vdubyah73]

carb iceing? look at the bottom of the carb and top of the intake for frost. can happen above 32º , had it happen around 40º, raw cape cod weather.

[Sylvester]

carb iceing? look at the bottom of the carb and top of the intake for frost. can happen above 32º , had it happen around 40º, raw cape cod weather.

No not that cold. Cold here is upper 30's lower 40's. Is it possible, if I have the idle right at 900, that the choke is too tight? Like not opening enough to start, and not opening up enough when warming up? I mean it dies 20 minutes down the road, when I apply the clutch and take it out of gear to stop.

If not too tight, is it too loose?

[vdubyah73]

thats when iceing happens. i know, it doesn't make sense.

you have a venturi, speeds up already fast airflow. gas is added to air. the gas vaporizes, and the evap. causes cooling, like refridgeration. the cold, dense air, wringing wet with moisture, forms a fuzzy frost which can get thick,on the out side of the carb. carb stays cold, right where gas is supposed to vaporize, gas just stays in raw drops. engine kinda floods and stalls. next time it happens, jump rite out and look at the base of your carb, top of intake.

[Amskeptic]

it dies 20 minutes down the road,

That is not the choke! The choke is only to start the engine from dead cold. It is out of the system in 4-5 minutes.
20 minutes later, the most important system is the heat riser under the intake manifold, and the air preheater going to the oil bath air cleaner snorkel.
Colin

[Sylvester]

20 minutes later, the most important system is the heat riser under the intake manifold, and the air preheater going to the oil bath air cleaner snorkel.
Colin

Since I am devoid of the oil bath cleaner, I have to find a way to live without it. Yesterday was pretty cold in the ATL< and Sam was starting real rough. Turned over a lot, no catch. Went to engine and opened choke up, turned over until warm then hit the gas. It would start then but had to idle a bit to warm up. It still dies at stops when it is cold out.

[vdubyah73]

have you seen frost or heavy condensation on the base of your carb/intake manifold where they bolt up? my bug did that when it was stock. i'd shut it off, get a coffee or something. meanwhile the heat from the heads would migrate up the manifold and warm the carb. it would run fine, i'd shut it off whenever i got out of it. never tried to fix it, upgraded to a dual carbed 2275. you could find an aircleaner with the preheat hook up and try that. you wouldn't need to find all the bits to make it work as vw intended. if your exhaust has the the stove on it hook it up and fasten the air cleaner flap to run preheated air all winter. i've done that with detroit iron, even fashioned a manifold stove out of rain gutter using downspout hole for preheat tube.


some stock guys will cringe at low cash work arounds.

[Amskeptic]

some stock guys will cringe at low cash work arounds.

... like the Diet Coke Can cooling system enhancement for Gary in Maupin.
... like the Diet Coke Can upper steering bearing thrust washer on the Road Warrior.
... like the Fuel Hose Clamp pressure relief valve cap swege job on a FI pump in La Mesa CA.

Bill, sometimes I wonder.

Sylvester, your bus *can* light up lickety split on any morning, and it can run totally well when cold.
We just need to dis-cover the obstacles. Can you say with any certainty that the heat riser is/isn't working?
Colin