Skip to content
Aussieveedubbers

Gutless Kombi engine driving me crazy - HELP!

0 likes
Share Share on Facebook Share on X Share on Reddit

Samblers Officially Full-On Dubber

236 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#401592
Right, been chronicling this one on JustKampers but worth a go on here before I lose the will to live...

1600TP AD series engined kombi doesnt seem to want to accelerate.... It seemd a bit lacklustre so I serviced it and its getting increasingly hesitant/flat-spotted and I can work out why... damn thing just dies if it even so much looks at a hill 🙄

- new dissy cap, rotor, plugs, points, condensor, 2 diff carbs (34-PICT-3 solex), 2 coils, set the points a gazillion times 0.4mm, static timing at 7.5deg BTDC, valve clearances, vac advance seems to be vac advancing, new oil in the air filter, squirted WD40 around the inlet manifold to check for leaks, and now COMPRESSION CHECK:

Cyl 1 - 110psi (110 when oil squirted in)
Cyl 2 - 107psi (110 when oil squirted in)
Cyl 3 - 103psi (104 when oil squirted in)
Cyl 4 - 115psi (118 when oil squirted in)

Soooooo, all above 100 pounds and roughly within 15psi of each other
:confused:

I know the dissy is a little worn as the timing mark jumps around a little under the strobe, but i'm guessing this is only about +/- 2deg and wont make much difference.

Only confusing clue is the sooty deposits on the plugs - I put a new plug in number 2 cylinder LAST NIGHT, ran the damn thing on the drive for a few minutes and once around the block and it came out black as the night... soot not oil i think. Go figure? Choke working good, air filter not blocked, 2 diff carbs... huh? Gotta be rich from somewhere?

Has anyone got any other clues as to whats wrong with the van as i'm going to go INSANE 🤪 🤪 🤪

Sam :cry

Bizarre Moderator The artist formerly known as blue74l

12,789 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#401597
when ypu say black - what colour is the ceramic bit near the electrode. That is the main thing. It is hard to really read these days but is a guide.

Does it back fire???
(its a 1600 kombi so i wont ask what economy is like 🤓 )

Does the bottom butterfly fully open with ful throttle??? or only 1/2 open???

Has it EVER ran better???
or is this a new set up???
Futue te ipsum!!!

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#401629
Have you checked the flow of the fuel pump? It's entirely possible it's not up to scratch anymore. Had this problem myself.
I have found two things that tend to affect the fuel pumps. Heat and load.
Sometimes when the engine heats up the flow drops. That's a mystery to me why.
More likely though is that your pump isn't outputting it's max flow.
under no load the motor revs fine, but the more load you have, the further you open the throttle for a given engine speed.
Anyway, fuel flow/pressure from the pump may be at fault.
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

11CAB If ya got it....Baja it

4,674 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#401635
Something else you may want to check is the inlet manifold. I've seen a beetle with the inlet manifold so choked up with carbon there was barely any hole for the air to flow through, and its was similar to this....no power at all.
Good Luck
Graham
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#401638
11CAB, How'd the inlet manifold get so clogged? A leaky inlet valve?

One other thing occurred to me. Vacuum leak in the manifold. That makes the motors wither pretty badly too.
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

11CAB If ya got it....Baja it

4,674 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#401641
The camshaft thrust bearing was worn , which meant it was running retarded cam timingnn[ Edited on 27-8-2005 by 11CAB ]
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab

VolksFolks Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,869 posts · joined Dec 2003 ·

#401643
This happened to me, the motor was great, heaps of compression etc,

GUESS, the throttle cable had slipper through the clamp about 15mm, hence not able to give enough juice, fek i felt silly once i found out, worth checking that you are getting full throttle..

another time was the throttle pedle pin was loose too, so again not getting fuel.


Andynn[ Edited on 27-8-05 by VolksFolks ]
They laugh because You are different, You laugh because They are all the same.

check out www.lowlight.com.au for low lights only..

Samblers Officially Full-On Dubber

236 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#401672
Thanks for the suggestions guys, I'll crack this puppy eventually

THROTTLE CABLE - I've changed the carb so have checked that this is giving full throttle (well, as full as its ever going to get with my pedal assy)

INLET MAN - Yes, I suppose a blocked inlet manifold could give the symptoms I'm describing, but this wouldn't make it run rich would it, just starve it of air AND fuel... plus, howdya get soot up there? Shouldn't be any combustion happening! Anyway, I sprayed some WD40 around to look for leaks (increase in revs), but it didnt happen so i moved on

FUEL PUMP - I may as well change this as its a cheap part, but it appears to be working correctly... I got fuel! I would say its OVER-fuelling rather than UNDER-fuelling, given the petrol whiffs I get in the Cab when driving 🙁

PLUGS - the plugs are 'as-new' colour... once ive wiped the soot off! This is not a new set-up but one i've done a 2800 mile trip to spain and back from UK in, and got 28mpg fully loaded up 😉 She used to run great, thats whats buggin me 🙁

Only other thing I can think of it is to check the float in the carb is floating, but i gotta be damn unlucky to get 2 wrong ones!

keep em coming, Sam

Mad Manx KombiKroozin

456 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#401694
Mate, I bought a '71 Kombi with a 1600TP last saturday. Same problem with mine- I couldn't even reach legal speeds to get home.
After 3 days of retuning everything,new plugs,points,condensor,leads, resetting the pict34 back to factory setting, timing,accel cable, etc is was rather simple....

The problem was the exhaust!

The pipe that exits the muffler has a baffle of sorts in it and this was so broken down inside that it was choking off the exhaust. I removed it and had instant power! Still not a quarter mile machine but pedestrians weren't passing me any more. Worth a go anyhow....


- '71 Kombi (Died 24/11/05😢 ) - '65 manx (smick) -'63 beetle (bent) -'73 Singlecab (new to the stable)

lugnuts Custom Title Time!

1,070 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#401885
Whats the timing go to at 3000rpms.:o

Grey 57 Old Grey Cruiser

2,937 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#402026
Replace the fuel lines. Especially on the suction side. They go soft and get sucked flat restriting the flow. Had this happen on a 64 Beetle. Did everything you did all was good in the drive way. Few minutes driving bad shit starts. Get it home check this and that all good. Starts up perfect (vacumm released out of the sucked flat inlet fuel line) Drive away same shit again.
Wasted a whole day ripping carb and dissy and fuel pump apart, replaced coil etc etc. And it was a shitty 10 buck fuel hose that took 5 mins to replace.

Grey 57 Old Grey Cruiser

2,937 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#402028
Oh I would check your float level too.

Samblers Officially Full-On Dubber

236 posts · joined Apr 2005 ·

#402442
Thanks again for suggestions guys. Most likely I think is the EXHAUST theory... perhaps I'll take it off and renew.

All the other things have been renewed/ checked recently so I'm sure its not them.

Woud a problem with the valves give the symptoms i'm describing (but not show up on a compression test)?

😉

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#402488
If your valves don't open properly it will be gutless, yeah. Always worth checking as Helbus said. You'd be amazed how quickly they can drift totally out of tolerance.
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.