While looking at a photo of Lolas engine taken when she broke down, and looking at it now, the crankshaft pulley is sat in a different position. Feel free to laugh at me because I know nothing but could this be something to do with her now not running?
OK, so try to explain what you are looking at, why is it "set different"? The motor remains out of time for firing and ignition if the timing marks aren't in synk with the crank. Yes, if it was put back together with the timing marks incorrect (even a single cog) it would never work correctly, I'm thinking you'd be lucky to get it to run at all.
Ongoing saga - bus went in to have the oil cooler replaced and came back running like a bag o brown stuff. Struggles to start and when she does won't stay running. I took a picture before she went in and the hole in the pulley was at the ten o clock mark, just noticed it's now sat at about one o clock
Don't really understand. If the crankshaft's moved, the pulley will be in a different place. Is that what you mean? It's not possible to put the pulley on in an "incorrect" position - there's a keyway on the crank that makes sure it's where it should be.
I obviously don't have a clue then lol. For some reason I thought it always went back to the same position. Looked at my friends engine and his hole (oo er) was at the ten o clock so guess it was just coincidence. I apologise for my stupidity
Feel no shame . You need to find a VW specialist who knows what they're doing. Maybe folk can suggest one. Where abouts are you?
Back of beyond, in the middle of nowhere. I've just been stung for £300 by a local cowboy who I'm contacting Trading Standards about. I've hopefully got another number coming my way tomorrow, but just wondered if my hunch was right
Didn't it spit out all it's oil? And then come to a grinding halt? Start from the beginning and tell us again what happened on the way back from CJ. I have a hunch that the engine has been over heated due to the oil loss and seized. If that's the case, letting it cool may have got it to work again, but when it warms up it'll just keep seizing until finally it will completely seize and that's that. You need it looking at by someone who's on your side before you make a descision about what to do and possibly chuck good money after bad. If you can wait I should be passing by in about a month to 6 weeks? Probably too long for you to wait as it's summer. lol
You may regret saying that Zed lol. Are you sitting comfortably? En route back from CJ saw smoke, not bad - thought I was just seeing things, pulled over and the whole inside of the engine bay was covered in oil. Collected by Mr Recovery who said as long as I stopped her and she didn't stop me all should be ok. Checked the oil which was at minimum, topped it up and tried it. Ran absolutely fine. Gunked the engine to try and see where the oil was coming from. Nothing up top, it was dripping from underneath. While I was titting tho, I managed to catch a wire on the coil and then she wouldn't start at all. Was recommended John Wayne the Garage (aka C.A.R Werks in Lincoln) and Lola was taken there on another lorry, I asked them to move the petrol pipe while they had her as it seemed to sit too close to the warm bits for my liking. After a few days I got a phone call saying that it was the oil cooler that was clogged so it had blown the seals, £70 for a new one (I've since seen they're only £45 at JK), also the non starting was because it needed a new condenser (odd as I'd pulled a wire off the coil but hey ho - I'm not a mechanic). She would be ready in a week and a half. Go to fetch her - £300 (cash only - no mention of this before), someone takes me to the bank. Very happy to have my girl back I head for home. Everytime we got to a junction she cut out but the garage had said that the battery may be iffy till it got some charge in it as they'd kept stop starting her and setting the alarm off. Managed about half a dozen junctions and the clutch cable snapped, phoned the garage who came out to replace it. Then she wouldn't start at all, Mr Wayne decided my fan belt was a bit flappy, took off the pulley and removed some spacers. After a jump start I was away. Or maybe not. Got a bit further up the road and a piece of cooling tinwear fell out the back of the engine and was promptly run over by a lorry. Not to worry - Mr Wayne said I didn't really need it anyway. Set off again. All's going quite well as the trafiic/lights are on our side and we don't have to stop. It's about half an hours drive home and en route she starts to cough and splutter, I get into my village and have to stop to pass a parked car. Lola stops and won't start, thankfully some poor passing door to door salesman pushed me off. Drove to work in her the next day and she felt like she was defo missing. I'm off away for a week tho so think I'll sort it when I get back. On my return I needed to move her for the Sky man. Wouldn't start so we push her back. Go to try later - starts first time. I'd got a table to collect from my exes so thought I'd do that before he changed his mind. Drove about 15 mins with the occasional miss and a backfire or two, pulled up in traffic, she cut out and wouldn't start. Did after a couple of mins tho. Arrived at the exes, loaded up and of all places not to start!!! Out of hours so messaged the garage. The reply I got was "Well it didn't run at all, when it came in!" After 10 mins or so still nothing so went to jump her off and the battery terminals hadn't been tightened! Drove home, tightened the battery and figured I'd run her to charge it up. Only now she doesn't seem to want to run for more than a minute or two. O, while I was in there I found a roll up they had very kindly left me and a couple of my tinware screws hadn't been put back in. A mate with very basic knowledge came for a looky see. First thing he noticed was that the petrol pipe was missing a couple of jubilee clips and was leaking, then he noticed that the fuel filter had been put back on the wrong way round. I'd provided a new one but they'd put the old one back on so figured some crap had gone through. Got to work with some carb cleaner and tried to take her round the block. Still sounded like sh*t, still ran (apart from at junctions/parked cars) like sh*t. Got a lip on and ignored her for a couple of days, then I started her up again to try the "take one lead off at a time" advice but she wasn't having it, just wouldn't stay running at all. Then when I was looking at my CJ photos I came across the engine one. It struck me that the condenser was on the photo but I couldn't remember seeing it on "the real thing". Went for a looky see and its now on the far side of the distributor - wouldn't the new one go back where the old one came off? That's when I noticed that the crankshaft pulley sits differently to how it is in the picture too. Think that's everything. I need to go for a lay down in a darkened room now
John wasn't much help then. Is sounds like he may have fixed one thing and caused a whole lot more. Being polite, it reeks of a "rushed job". I think you are correct about the old wrong way round fuel filter causing your running problems by emptying it's carefully sifted contents into you carb. I wouldn't like to say this was done on purpose - easy future money from un-mechanical lady - but every dip-stick mechanic and most barely mechanical bus owners know which way they go round. You did! (no offence). I've also never heard of an oil cooler getting blocked up inside unless you haven't changed the oil for 1,000,000 miles. You never know though and If it's stopped spitting out it's oil I guess they must have fixed something. So, what did you do with the carb cleaner? Did you take the carb to pieces? Or remove and clean the idle jet? TBH after the filter incident, I'd say you need to take the carb off and to pieces to have a chance. You can do it Rach. I must have mis-remembered how much oil you lost - no harm done if it was still showing min level.
Put the straw in and sprayed. I'm happy to have a go at stripping and cleaning (doubt I can make things any/much worse than they are) but is there a how to... guide that I can follow? Oo, in reply to the oil business the engine was rebuilt less than a year ago
I'd be surprised if there wasn't a guide on here? You'll need a hose clip or molegrips to clamp the petrol pipe, a 13mm ring spanner and a medium size flat bladed screwdriver. If the gasket tears when you take the top off, a new one of those too. Clamp hose Pull the 2 wires off carb Loosen clamp and disconnect air cleaner undo the two nuts that hold it to the bit underneath When you then lift it off keep it upright or petrol will pour out. Pour out the petrol somewhere you want it to go. Undo the 5 or 6 screws on the top Lift off the top Unscrew everything you can and blast you cleaner in every hole. You don't need to take everything apart at once - do it a bit at a time, or strip it if your more confident - even if it looks complicated at a glance, it's pretty hard to re-assemble incorrectly as the bits all just screw up tight(ish) and only fit in one place. For the moment, on the left side of the bottom part (as you look in the engine bay), there are two screws down inside holes - one large, one small - these are for setting the carb, so leave them for now and hopefully it'll fire up and run as it used to with no tweaking needed. If not, when we get that far we'll (you) take them out as well and tune the carb - also easy if the carb's working as it should.
