A New Heart For Miss Zora

[misszora]

Almost turned over. we think she's flooded. grabbing some food then heading back to try again.

[vdubyah73]

it's easy to miss the sweet spot when static timing. if it's cranking and hitting hard spots or cranks hard and then skitters along without quite catching, try your timing. just loosen the distributor clamp and rotate it back and forth a little while cranking at the same time. if it is timing, the engines reaction to the change in timing will tell you which way it wants you to turn the distributor. if you find the distributor can't be turned far enough in the direction it seems to want let us know.

[misszora]

We did that. We got the engine to "sound" like it wanted to start twice...once when we first started trying then again after we took a break and came back. still no go.

We swapped the spark plug wires just to see if I may have put the distributor in 180 degrees off. nope.
We checked electrical connections - all connected. Checked to see if there was a spark - yep. We listened for the fuel pump - it's running. Double checked the points - good to go. We checked to see if the spark plugs got fouled by assembly lube and unburned fuel - clean.

Tuesday we're gong to run through a type 4 fuel injection trouble shooting manual and run through all the vacuum hose one more time.

I'm bringing my battery in tomorrow for a slow trickle charge to be ready. It was starting to run down toward the end of the day.

My head hurts.

[Mike Boell]

Just walked in the door. You've been at it pretty hard. Go home, rest and clear your head. You'll get her figured out.
Mike

[Amskeptic]

My head hurts.

After a restorative rest, please perform the following:

A) prime fuel rail

1) remove (+) red wire from distributor to coil (+) (15) if you have Pertronix
2) turn on ignition
3) remove black cap on AFM and move wiper until fuel pump runs. If there are no bubble burps into the fuel tank, just run it for fifteen seconds.
4) turn off ignition, reinstall red wire and put black plastic cap back on AFM - try to start.
Yes? Don't worry about below ...

B) static timing:

1) Rotate engine manually to TDC #1. If you have solid lifters, both your #1 intake and exhaust valves should each go clicky clickity.
(hydraulic lifter engines - double check that #3's valves both go in opposite directions when you move the engine slightly)
2) Check that the rotor is positioned under the #1 spark plug wire when cap is in place)
Rotate engine CCW-backwards 8*.
(so that timing mark is directly under the 8 on the scale)
3) Loosen distributor clamp 10mm nut sop distributor can move.
4) Clip your test light alligator clip to positive battery terminal and stick the pointy end on the negative to make sure the test lamp works!!
5) Attach alligator clip to (-) coil spade (green wire points/black wire Pertronix)
6) Turn on ignition.
(work quickly if you have Pertronix)
7) Stick the pointy end of your test light into a good piece of bare metal.
(I use the engine lid latch catch)
8 ) Rotate distributor clockwise until light goes off, if it is already on.
Rotate distributor CCW until light goes on.
10) Shut off ignition immediately if you have a Pertronix.
(is rotor still under where #1 wire would be if cap was on?)
11) Tighten clamp, reinstall cap, try to start.

I shall send good VW vibes to the misszora heart.
Colin

[IFBwax]

When I got my nice shiny Jake Raby engine, I tried to start it and just wouldn't go. Was close but no dice. Finally I went over all the pictures I took when we took out the engine.. and wouldn't you know it, I missed a wire on the left side of the engine bay that goes to the coil. I couldn't tell you what it's called or the terminal where it goes.. but doh!!! Found it hiding under the foam seal, attached it and we've been going ever since.

[misszora]

We'll be doing a check and re-check on Tuesday. We were all thinking it's just one of those DOH! type of things.
I'm disappointed of course but not disheartened. I will get to Nehalem one way or another!!!

[LiveonJG]

Just breath, have a beer or two, and clear your mind. You'll find it, you'll fix it. You will be at Nehalem. In MissZ.

[misszora]

My mind is blank actually.
No, I'm really very calm, or maybe just exhausted? Came very close to firing her up today and that felt great.

[Amskeptic]

When I got my nice shiny Jake Raby engine, I tried to start it and just wouldn't go. Was close but no dice. Finally I went over all the pictures I took when we took out the engine.. and wouldn't you know it, I missed a wire on the left side of the engine bay that goes to the coil. I couldn't tell you what it's called or the terminal where it goes.. but doh!!! Found it hiding under the foam seal, attached it and we've been going ever since.

Yes you can, and as an Itinerant Air-Cooled graduate, you must.
The only wire from the coil on the left side of the engine bay that could wreck the party
is the black wire that energizes the double relay.
Thank-you. Where's my cookie?

[misszora]

When I got my nice shiny Jake Raby engine, I tried to start it and just wouldn't go. Was close but no dice. Finally I went over all the pictures I took when we took out the engine.. and wouldn't you know it, I missed a wire on the left side of the engine bay that goes to the coil. I couldn't tell you what it's called or the terminal where it goes.. but doh!!! Found it hiding under the foam seal, attached it and we've been going ever since.

First time when I was going to build up the oil pressure, the battery wasn't hooked up. DOH! Then when it was time to try to start the engine, that black wire wasn't hooked up either.

[ruckman101]

Fretting.


neal

[misszora]

New battery going in, printed info on vacuum hose (with pictures!), printed F.I. trouble shooting manual and printed advice. Going back in a couple of hours to clean out the battery area and paint it, attach the last part of the exhaust to the heater box, start going over the vacuum hose, check for possible remaining fuel clamps and then wait for Heather. She's bringing a couple of tools and parts.

[Bleyseng]

Do you have fuel pressure? Can you hear the fuel pump run?
Do you have spark? Check by pulling a spark plug wire and use a extra plug and ground it to the engine to see if it has spark. I hold it with a pliers with rubber coating on the handles as the shock is quite shocking if it grounds out to you.

[misszora]

We've done all of that. We're going to follow the list that Colin posted on Monday and I have a F.I. trouble shooting manual plus color photos of all the vacuum hose connections so I can run though all of that. I picked up a new battery as well, the old one was 6 1/2 years old and was not holding a load.