My Bay won't start! Please read!

Unlikely, how far did you drive it after he fiddled with that nut. It will have unbalanced the carbs !

 

Drove it under a mile but have been trying to start the thing repeatedly for 4 days!

 

And it still turns over? So it doesn't sound like it is cooked (overheated and seized up).

 

From memory of previous threads of yours you have used this bus for a while without running problems yes?
I seem to remember your sliding door falling off!
Your problems seem to have started recently when someone replaced cap and rotor and buggered about with a few other things? Don't panic, stick with Clive on Skype and we'll get you there. Too soon to start diagnosing burnt valves and the like!

 

But remember we have been repeatedly trying to start the engine for days now. That could have done it?

 

Turns over, sounds okay, just not starting.

 

The mechanic that has been looking at it, his friend called me and said the mechanic told him this info.

 

Darren, all the best advice you will get will come from here. Everyone on here owns a bus and together will know the ins and outs of a problem. That screw as stated above just unbalanced the carbs, no big deal over a short drive.
Stick with it methodically and with the help you have here and together it will be sorted one way or the other. I fear the people you are asking for advice elsewhere are scaremongering and don't really know what they are dealing with.
I think Clive has provided you with the good advice and you should try to fix the stuff he has pointed out before scaring yourself. I think I'm right in saying this appears like a small issue or a number of small issues.
I bought my beetle for a lot of money, two days later it packed up and was a non runner for two weeks, it turned out to be a £5 serviceable part that had aged and given up.

 

Twin carbs can very very tricky to set up if you don't have the knowledge or correct tools, you will be able to tell if your engine is knackered by how it sounds when its ticking over.

 

I'm close to tears here, my mechanics are happy to smirk away telling me its wrecked "scrap it and be done with it" they said to me! Nobody outside this thread seems to give a f**k (excuse my language). I am close to broke here, handing £50 that way £20 the other way. Still no luck. A Skype call with Clive did 1000 times more than 4 days of mechanics did. Thank you to all for sticking with me here and helping me, shame these "friends" of mine are so happy to stir and scaremonger, and do bugger all else. Sorry for the rant but I am driven round the bend!

 

Good advice
Remember these engines dont need Computers to tell them what to do - they just need, air, fuel and a spark, even if carbs are messed up etc etc it will still try to cough and fire.
If its flooded , just tape the spark plugs out and leave them to dry.
The points on my van gave up (but you wouldn't know) . Ignition on and using a screwdriver to prise them open showed a good spark , yet it would'nt start? I thought maybe fuel pump - but no - fuel peeing out everywhere. The Plastic bit of the points that slides on the cam that opens and closes the points had broken and fallen off! Unless you looked hard at it you would not notice it. Simple things but such is life! Stop take a breath - stick with 1 person not mate of a mate of a mate , or if you are in the AA - phone them say you broke down and see what they find? Saves you messing, There are mechanics and there are people who think they are mechanics!
Good luck keep cool you will sort it dont worry.
Btw a lot of garages dont want to deal in old bangers like ours because they need some brains common sense and skill, not replacing a plastic sensor or ECU unit - plug and play - any monkey can replace a box !

 

It could well be that continued messing with your carbs is the cause of the problem but you can get to that later. Carbs being messed with just means that the mixture of air and fuel to run an engine is not correct and will cause poor or non running. You can't start to look at that until the rest of the issues such as leaking vacuum pipes are dealt with.
Follow Clive's advice and sort the pipes out first, he has offered to help you tune the engine once the pipes are sorted and you have a timing light from halfords.
This is definitely the route you need to go along, frustrating as it is not to have it starting straight away. When you finally get it started you will be very happy, until you follow the advice above you could be creating a host of other problems which will ruin the progress you are making.

 

Rant away mate weve all been there

 

Seriously do not listen to that mechanic or his mate, stick with Clive and Skype, get some basic tools, it will get sorted

 

@Clive Neilands
I am charging my tablet but still doesn't have enough power to have a Skype call long enough to really get to work. Shouldn't be too long though, I'll keep you updated!

 

They will probably be on hand to take the bus off you for very cheap once they convince you it's scrap. It's not.