QuestionI have a 1971 super. I had it rebuilt. It never ran good even after two diffrent carbs, three distributors and constant tweaking. It blew up on me around 3,500 miles. The guy that I had rebuild it won't return my phone calls.
So, I had a local shop rebuild it again. They found some shady work like valves that had not been replaced so I assumed that maybe this guy that rebuilt it for me before had no buisness working on my vw in the first place.
So, I get the car back after the next rebuild and it still runs like poop. The shop says that there are a number of reasons why the bug wont run well. First I needed another carb and second they were not sure about my after market exhaust from JC Whitney. Third, they thought that my brand new svda distributor was malfunctioning.
So, after paying them 1,980 dollars for a car that ran like poop I was disgusted. I bought a re-bushed rebuilt 34-pic 3 solex and the exhaust that they recommended. I put them both on my bug and it seemed to run alot better but I was having trouble adjusting the carb. I took it back to the shop and this is what they did. They said that svda distributor was still malfunctioning so they replaced the electronic component with points. One of the seals on the carb wasn't seated so they fixed that and now it seems to be running pretty good. They said that they had a hell of a time getting it to run well. Not the norm for them.
Anyway, sorry for the long story but....It seems like it's doesn't want to warm up and runs very rough when first started. The automatic choke seems to be functioning fine. It has a brap brap brap kind of rhythm to it and won't run smooth till about ten minutes of driving. After that it idles smooth and runs great. It also smells very rich to me. I can smell it in my clothes after driving it.
Everything is brand new now and I don't think it should run that way when I first start it up. I even replaced the coil because that was the only thing I could think of that was not replaced. Sorry for rambling but I'm at my wits end. Any suggestions?
AnswerHi Sandy,
It seems like you have been through heck and back with your engine.
Here is a good way to get it purring: (Do in this order)
1) Adjust the valves. Do this only when it is cold:
Incorrectly adjusted valves can cause the engine to stall. Too tight, and they don't seal/seat down properly, so that cylinder isn't working hard enough and will eventually burn that valve. Too loose and the valve timing changes, so the engine sounds rattly and runs rough.
2) Adjust the points per the specs in your Bentley Book.
3) Time the engine
Here is an excellent article on how to time:
http://www.vw-resource.com/timing_discussion.html#stop
4) NOW you can adjust your carb to fine-tune.
Again, here is another excellent link how to do this:
http://www.vw-resource.com/34pict3.html
If you do these adjustments in order, you will be very surprised how nicely your engine will run. It may take a few hours to do, but it is well worth it.
Plus, if there are any other problems (i.e. a leak at the intake manifold..) the above steps will help identify the problem.
Don't be afraid to make the adjustments. Your engine will thank you for it!
Take Care,
Ron
