Working on my son's Golf Mk2 again today and getting ready for mot after being worked on for 3 years with my son and grandson. Its been an on and off project and we thought we were nearly there. The old troublesome Pierburg carb was replaced a while ago with a nice new weber 32/34 dmtl which is a common replacement. The engine was starting and running well, but today, oh dear, won't start. The carb seems to be over fuelling big time and flooding the plugs and cylinders and won't fire up. It splutters up fuel out the top of the carb, spectacular but not what we want. We checked the ignition and all fat sparks. We checked cylinder compressions and all 4 were around 225 psi which seems very high and definitely above spec, maybe due to wet sealing in the cylinders? We don't know the workings of the weber, but could it be our favourite float bowl flooding issue. I understand the Weber needs low pressure input around 3 to 4 psi and the engine is using the stock mechanical pump. I am thinking the Weber is the problem, anyone think the same or any other possible causes. Help would be appreciated.
Disconnect the fuel line, start it up keep it running until the float empties, if it starts running better it could just be a sticking float
It certainly sounds like the float valve isn’t working, or has gone out of adjustment, or the float is full of fuel. Float height should be 7mm - https://www.clubgti.com/forums/index.php?threads/dmtl-float-height-settings-needed-asap.191441/ I wouldn’t worry too much about the droop. It’s an age thing. Apparently.
Still struggling with the non starting Golf. Fuel pump is delivering fuel to the weber carb. Sparks are strong at all 4 plugs. Firing order is set correct at 1 3 4 2 on the distributor. Battery fully charged and plenty of cranking power. But engine refuses to start. Air cleaner is removed. Squirt starting fluid into carb, still won't fire up. All we get is a puff of smoke out the top of the carb initially but then nothing doing. Spark plugs damp with fuel, but not wet. Disconnected fuel pipe to carb. Cranked it over to use fuel left in carb. Nothing doing. Me and my grandson took the weber off the manifold and saw a fair bit of fuel in the inlet manifold. We can't understand why it won't fire at all. We haven't touched the timing. Any ideas please.
Check that it is not just pouring petrol down the throat of the carb from a leaky fuel metering valve. On my progressive, cranking with foot to the floor for 30 seconds to a minute is needed if I have actuated the accelerator pump too many times. And sometimes .. just walk away and come back an hour later.
thanks, yes seeing fuel in the inlet manifold when we took the carb off should be a clue. we did try the suggested method of taking the fuel inlet pipe off the carb, pipe in container, fuel pumping nicely, then cranked the engine with carb pretty much empty of fuel, but the devil still wouldn't fire up. Plugs still a bit wet with fuel. We tried spraying a little easy start down the carb throats but that didn't get it firing, only a puff of smoke and fuel spray out the top of the carb. we have the carb off and taken apart, the float valve seems to operate, but cannot prove if it leaks or not. there are 2 floats connected together and a single float valve. Grandson is learning and enjoying taking it apart. we tried to find a diagram of the weber 32/34 dmtl but no success. inside its quite complicated with what appears to be 4 central jets and another one we can't undo which has a ball in it, no idea what that does. the carb is all apart now and clean and free from dirt. we still have in mind there may be an ignition fault, but the spark is strong, we know the Hall ignition modules can be troublesome. there was a little confusion over the firing order and which cylinder was number 1. but we have connected the leads on the distributor in clockwise rotation, 1 3 4 2 and tried with no.1 at pulley end and no.1 at the right hand end, but makes no difference.
Pulley end is number one, check which way the distributor rotates before putting the leads on,if the inlet has fuel in it and plugs are wet. Pull out the plugs, leave them out for a few hours to allow fuel build up to evaporate, easy start probably still won’t get it running if it’s very heavily flooded
From the different barrel sizes its likely to be a relative of the DFAV progressive. If it is then there will be a cam arrrangement that staggers the opening of the larger barrel. So the four jets would then correspond to the progressive jets. But the real problem is most likely this : a worn metering needle that kills my engine when it vibrates a groove in the needle.
And as had been said in other postings. Engines dont run if there is too much fuel. Leave it to dry out then try starting it. If plugs are wet then its thoroughly flooded. Adding more hydrocarbons with easy start just increases the flooding effect. You need it to lean out. You need the timing set roughly right, if nothing much happens slacken the clamp, waggle the distributor back and forwards while cranking... If lucky it will do a massive backfire then start ..
thanks for all your help, we got the engine running nicely today. now we need a final push to get the rear brake pipes done and an MOT, and hopefully back on the road again.
old carb (a cheap weber used one I got off ebay) worn out and leaky. lost patience with it. so we splashed some cash on a new weber carb, and reset the timing. engine looks superb with painted engine bay and parts, new rad, new hoses, new thermostat, new coolant, new swirl pot, new carb, new brake master and reservoir, new brake pipes, new bosch battery, new oil and filter, new dizzy cap, rotor arm and red 8mm ignition leads, new ngk plugs. now starts and runs sweet. we are smiling today.
Yes, when we get the 'new' bonnet painted in Tornado Red to match the rest of the car, its a good original one but Black, I will ask my son to do some pics. Meanwhile we are pressing on with the T25 prepping body and high top ready for more Rustoleum . Dropping the fuel tank to replace tank sender, sort out wiring to fuel gauge, replace tank breathers and balance pipe and best of all repair/paint the floor above the tank which looks crusty using the endoscope, great gadget. New front brake pipes and hoses. We are going to get my grandchildren to help with the paint job which should be fun. And we will be going to vw events and some classic car shows around the local area.
