Guac's ('78 Bus) Power Cutting Out (NOT SOLVED!)

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:45 am

It happens when you let the clutch out? The engine/tranny moves a lot right then. Check every connection and wire for full length that has anything to do with fuel or spark. You could have cracked insulation somewhere that either let the wire corrode to dust or a short from the movement.

Bill

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:16 pm

I discovered something tonight while fighting blizzard traffic coming home...

If I let the idle drop to 1k between shifts it doesn't do it...

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:12 pm

SOLVED!!!!!!!!!!
12-28-06

It was the distributor. When I popped the cap there was a big scorch mark near the bottom. Somehow the ground strap was pulling the spark from the rotor.

(Sorry, I couldn't get the camera to focus where I wanted and it was snowing and windy so I got a "Good Enough" shot.)

Here's the inside of the distributor:

I'm not really sure what was causing it. The strap itself is fine, but you can see the burnt cap dust in there.

I'm buying a new cap/rotor when the stores open up again here, so I should be done with that. It's running now just fine (aside from a rough idle) with the distributor, points, and condenser off of that '79 engine that's been setting in my garage. I have no idea how old the points and condenser are so I'll put fresh stuff in when the snow stops.

It's nice how much better the Guac runs now and it starts even faster than it did before!

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:05 pm

A nice bonus side effect of the distributor replacement:

When starting the bus, the alternator light wouldn't go out until I revved the engine once. I figured a blown small diode in the alternator and didn't think much about it. I have other plans for the charging system anyway.

Now the light goes out almost immediately. I'm guessing that the short being caused by the distributor was draining so much power the alternator couldn't energize until it was spun much faster.

Post by **Sluggo** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 9:23 pm

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

=D>

I love it when the solution is easy.

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:59 am

Sluggo wrote:CONGRATULATIONS!!! =D>

I love it when the solution is easy.

Too bad the road here wasn't easy. I've been battling this since the first trip to CA back in May! Replacing fuel filters, etc etc. I darn near pulled the fuel tank!!!

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:48 am

Why then did changing the fuel filter have any effect at all?

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:17 pm

DurocShark wrote:
Too bad the road here wasn't easy.

Ain't that the truth.
Hey roadcow, here's one that might give us your scenario:
Bad ground strap that can't run the coil, the only reason the engine starts reliably is because you have your foot on the clutch pedal and that allows the ground path to complete between the tube and cable strands?
Either way, we're here to learn.
Colin

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:02 pm

chitwnvw wrote:Why then did changing the fuel filter have any effect at all?

I have no friggin clue. But it did. Obviously something else was happening while I was changing the fuel filter.

My biggest question is why my fuel pump died. I figured if there was fuel blockage somewhere, then the pump overheated, but if that's not the case... Strange coincidence?

chitwnvw · Post by **chitwnvw** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:22 pm

DurocShark wrote: but if that's not the case... Strange coincidence?

I've had a decent amount of "strange coincidence" in my life, or maybe it's owning a 30+ year old car. In my case at least, I suspect it's a lot of getting things up to snuff.

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 8:25 am

Started again this week. Totally different distributor, cap, rotor, points, condensor.

Interesting thing I just noticed that I probably just missed before: The tach goes nuts even when idling when this stuff is happening. It spikes every couple seconds.

I've got the AAR out and the ports plugged, but that's to chase a cold idle issue. Tthis started before I pulled the AAR. So they're unrelated.

I can't help but wonder if the wires are the culprits? They're the only thing I haven't replaced. I did pull them all and snip the ends of the wires and re-screw them into the sockets. I found one was oxidized, and that's what started this. I've also checked after dark for signs of arcing but haven't found anything.

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 10:09 am

Dual 40 IDF Webers are in my future for this very reason. Spark, fuel and compression or suck, squeeze, bang, blow and your toodling down the road.

Bill

DurocShark · Post by **DurocShark** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 11:10 am

vdubyah73 wrote:Dual 40 IDF Webers are in my future for this very reason. Spark, fuel and compression or suck, squeeze, bang, blow and your toodling down the road.

Bill

Naw, I love fuel injection and this is an ignition issue, I think, anyway.

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:07 pm

Old corroded wiring could also cause fuel injection issues. I have a choice of good used FI system or new 40 IDF's. I'm going with the Webers.
The FI system is really from the stock of Bugs, Buses and Things. The guy has boxes of stuff collected over the years from buses on their way to be crushed. He'd strip beaters, cut up the Bugs and stuff two Bugs into a Bus for the scrapper. I don't know the VW FI. I do know the Weber IDF. That has a lot to do with it.

Bill

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Guac's ('78 Bus) Power Cutting Out (NOT SOLVED!)