Is my engine dead?

Discussion in 'Mech Tech' started by Skyelectrix, Aug 17, 2019.

  1. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    okey dokey I’ve just bought another bus but on the way home it broke down. I was about 40 miles into the journey and it was driving good. I stopped for fuel and prob 10 minutes later started it and it backfired through the exhaust I think. It ran but wouldn’t idle and there was a loud tapping noise. I had it recovered home to save any further damage.

    I noticed that the tailpipe to silencer joint is loose but could have been the result of the back fire? The fan belt was loose too and I’m kicking myself I didn’t check before I drove off but was assured it had recently been serviced. Saying that I didn’t notice the charge light coming on. It’s a 1600 single port that apparently was nos with only a couple thousand miles on. It also has a horrid 009 that will be coming off. I’m going to pop the valve covers in a bit and see if there is anything obvious.

    What do you reckon peeps?
     
  2. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    Even if the fan belt is really loose, it tends to whip around and still drive the fan.. just wears out fast.

    You probably had the hot start flooding if you stopped at a garage and the choke reset.
    Then when it finally started it used the air leaking in the exhaust to get the mixture finally lean enough to burn.. in the exhaust.

    If you had floored the accelerator and just kept on cranking, it would probably eventually have started and run.

    The loud popping will likely be the exhaust leak..
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2019
    Skyelectrix likes this.
  3. Overheated? Worth checking if any of the studs have pulled out.
     
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  4. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    Yeah thanks Mike I thought that it could be hot start flooding but even 3 hours later when I had to turn it over for the RAC man it sounded even worse. I’ve ordered parts to reseal the exhaust that should arrive today so can rule that out hopefully. I haven’t tried to start it since so will see how it sounds this morning.
     
  5. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    Ok I’ve got it to run but it will not idle. I’ve stripped the carb down twice and cleaned it with compressed air. There was some muck in there but not a great deal. The CB points were wide open so I’ve set them as they should be. It runs but as soon as you lift off the gas it stops so obviously I’ve run the fuel pretty low (it was on empty when I drove off, you can’t believe that the seller couldn’t even put a gallon in!!). I thought it was a blocked jet or dirt in the carb. But it’s a solex hp30 type. Any ideas?
     
  6. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    Oh forgot to say I’ve adjusted the static timing too and it hasn’t made any difference really
     
  7. Try the proper carb for the engine ;)?
     
  8. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    Re seal the exhaust , but exhaust pipes dont stop it running.

    Check around the manifold for any big air leaks.

    Unfortunately the carburettor you were sold om the bus would have gone with lower performance smaller engines so although it ran it was probably running lean.

    If the solenoid feed 12 volt wire falls off then the engine wont idle. If you poked around the engine bay in desperation with big fumble hands, look for the loose wire that goes from coil positive to the choke heater and the shutoff solenoid.

    One quick check is that the carburettor should click when the ignition is switched on and off or you pull the wire off the solenoid tag (cylinder screwed into carb )with the ignition on.

    http://www.vw-resource.com/30PICT2.html

    Next port of call is a compression test, if it still wont run without clatter when you have fixed the exhaust.

    If it fails compression test after basically a drive home of a vehicle sold as running and the seller was a garage or a serial VW flipper then I would Have Serious Words involving one of the following " monkey, clown "
     
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  9. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    I’m not sure which is the proper carb. It’s a single port 1600 industrial engine that I’m guessing has had its carb changed to suit use in a vehicle. The Single port manifold won’t allow a 34 will it? I suppose a pair of ict’s could prove useful!
     
  10. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter


    Thanks Mike,
    All the carb wiring is in place, but will check operation of the cut off and the idle solenoid. I’m also going to take the carb off again and see if there is anymore crud in the carb. I’m thinking that because I ran the fuel pretty low there could be more Marmitee in the tank/pipes/pump. Bit annoyed with the seller for not making sure there was enough fuel for me to get a reasonable distance! Also will get rid of the awful Chinese 009
     
  11. You have come to the right place for help and advice. The good news is you have a Bay and I doubt if anyone on here has bought a perfect van whatever the price. When I bought my van 5 years ago, all seemed well until I got it home and started driving it a lot. The previous owner did little in the way of maintenance, the engine had the wrong carb and wrong distributor, no fuel filter, exhaust leaking, old plugs, worn out ignition leads, plus many other things that turned up along the way.

    I sourced a refurbed Solex carb, electronic Pertronix dizzy and new coil, new plugs and wires, Replaced fuel lines with fuel filter under the tank outlet, new fuel breather rubber sections. New engine battery.

    Mine now starts on the key every time and runs pretty decent.

    Your new purchase just needs lots of tlc. Forget about the seller, the van is yours now.
     
    Skyelectrix likes this.
  12. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    Absolutely I just want to get it sorted now so I can enjoy what we have left of the summer before the salt comes out!
     
  13. Adjusting the valve clearances is well worth doing and there are lots of good clips on YouTube for the 1600 aircooled engines. Do an oil change as well.
     
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  14. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    Yeah will do just want to get it idling first as it was when I bought it so should just be related to the crap in the tank. I’ve got a rebuild kit for the carb so outside now to strip it again, with the help of the link above that @mikedjames posted. Then full service!
     
  15. I think our vans are great, but usually problems turn up on here when folks don't maintain them or use them often enough so run them on old fuel, or they won't start because the wiring connections at the starter solenoid are corroded and need cleaning up.
     
  16. Valve clearances shouldn't be put off until after getting it to idle. Valve clearances are a key part of getting an engine to idle in the first place.
     
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  17. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    Yeah I get that but it was running fine until it ran low on fuel. So don't really want to just yet.
     
  18. I had this when I first got my van, lots to do and deciding what to do first. In my case, the steering was very wayward and saw the steering coupling donut was badly split and near failure, fitted a quality genuine vw replacement and been fine ever since. I could have gone back to the seller and given him grief but no point, he may not have known about the fault. I bought the van as seen.

    Your dirt in fuel issue is common and the very least you should consider is new fuel line and nice big filter under the tank, what does the old filter look like? You have cleaned the carb of cruddy bits which would have come through the fuel lines from the tank.
     
  19. mikedjames

    mikedjames Supporter

    You also have the "fun" of every time you take the hoses off the carburettor, you can get more little crumbs of rubber going into the pipes. As well as all the rust stirred up by the low fuel level.

    Sometimes on my progressive it took three tries before the 0.45mm idle jet stopped blocking, and I learnt to clean the carburettor out with the fuel hose still attached to the top cover of the carburettor, with it left lying on the tinware..

    The good thing with the industrial single port engine, a PICT30 and a 009 is that this setup is more likely to be completely correct, as originally manufactured by VW, so the chance of your problems being a knackered engine is less than if it was a random assembly of bits put together to make something that ran..

    No doubt the engine is capable of running a long time at 3000rpm spinning a 50Hz generator, running a hydraulic pump or a fire hose pump, but horrible in a bus where it will have no torque.

    Check also that the industrial cooling tins are correct underneath, if you dont have heat exchangers but have J tubes.
     
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  20. Skyelectrix

    Skyelectrix Supporter

    You wont believe the horrid Chinese 009 threw different points gaps on each lobe! I've opened them up a bit and it runs better...new dizzy time me thinks!
     

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