Re: [T3] Severe engine problems...?

[Jim Adney <jadney@vwtype3.org>]

On 9 Aug 2003 at 3:24, Chris J Valade wrote:

Chris, let me start by asking you to do a couple of things to help us out on 
our end. 

First, your posts are really long and it would help if you could distill down 
the heart of your questions so we can get thru it easier. Right now I'm afraid 
that there are very few people reading the whole post. This hurts your chances 
of getting multiple responses to your questions, and may keep you from getting 
some critical piece of insight that someone may have to offer.

Second, I may be alone in this, but it really helps me if people leave a blank 
line between paragraphs AND try to cover only one topic per paragraph.

thanks,  ;-)

>         I checked to see if any of the cylinders were missing, and found
> that 2 and 4 were missing completely so that when I pulled both SPs out
> there was no change in the engine at all.

Measure the resistance between each dist end connector and the spark plug 
connector on the other end. You should get 1000 Ohms. If you get infinite 
resistance find and fix the problem. The brown bakelite SP connectors can go 
open, when they should have 1000 Ohms in them. They simple unscrew from the SP 
wire.

>         Then I realized that what you guys have been saying didnât make
> sense with my dist (for one I only have one vacuum hose), so I checked
> and the part number is 311 905 205 A-B, which would be a 1970
> distöcorrect me if Iâm wrong. So Iâm thinking that maybe when the mech
> converted this engine from dual carb to FI he did so using 70 parts, how
> can I check this? And either way, should I go with the 70 or 72
> procedure, i.e. should I time it 0 TDC or 5 TDC?

Yes, this is a 70 dist, so you should time it to TDC.

The 68-71 timing marks look like:   |    | | |
where the left mark is TDC.

The 72-3 timing marks look like:   |    |    |  |
where the second mark from the left is TDC.

>         I was attempting to get the AAR hooked up again (to get the idle
> running correctly) and found that it doesnât short the fuse so long as it
> is not touching anything in the engine so as to ground it...should it
> touch anything? Or should the gasket prevent it from being grounded? Does
> it matter which prong the AAR wire and fuel pump wire are on, on terminal
> 87 of the pump relay? Or can I switch these at will?

If the fuse blows when you touch the AAR to ground then there is a problem with 
the AAR. It's resistance is too low and it's drawing too much current. I think 
the one I measured was something like 15-20 Ohms, which would draw less than 1 
Amp.

>         Besides that, I still need to fully investigate the cooling
> system, but today I noticed a lot of air and found it to be coming mostly
> from where the SPs are on cylinders 1 and 2, and from right in front of
> the engine where it connects to the tranny, there was also a little in
> the same area as 1 and 2 on 3 and 4, but not as much. Would little air
> from the 3 and 4 side mean that at least that flap is closed, or nearly
> so? What about the air at the front of the engine? I know I definitely
> need to get that engine tin so that that part of the engine is sealed
> off, but does this indicate anything else?

The parts you're missing are shown in the Bentley manual, ch 3, fig 11-1, #1. 
#2 in the same figure is probably also missing but can be left out without 
harm.

The air that you feel at the front of the engine may just be thrown up by the 
AT torque converter, but there is some hot air exhaust on the left side for air 
that has come thru the oil cooler. Do you have the front cover plate shown in 
ch 3, fig 6-1?

>         Should I buy and install a thermostat for the flaps, or should my
> engine be just fine since it barely ever gets below freezing here?

The thermostat is the easy part. The hard part is finding all the linkage 
pieces which are probably also missing.

>         The first time I attempted to feel for the flaps I put my fingers
> into that port from the fan housing that connect to the heat exchangers,
> and I couldnât get far enough in to know, but I did get a ton of
> grease/dirt/some black greasy substance all over my fingers, and I was
> even able to drag my finger and collect a pretty substantive
> amountöshould this concern me? Should I open it up and clean it
> thoroughly? 

Accumulation of dirt is normal, but it should be cleaned out whenever the 
engine is apart. There's no practical way to do it otherwise.

Have you found the ~1/4" dia rod that runs from side to side across the front 
of the fan housing and that holds the flaps? Once you see that rod you'll know 
exactly how far you have to reach. Sometimes this rod and the flaps and 
everything have all been removed.

>         That sucking I heard from #3 when it was getting close to firing
> position disappears when I run the car for a bit, then it reappears,
> disappears, etc. Any ideas? Should I be concerned?

No, but you can consider whether you want to check the head stud tightness 
later. Right now you have other problems.

>         How do I know if the kickdown switch is working? I read the
> ownerâs manual and I havenât noticed any resistance when the pedal is
> pushed full throttle.

Disconnect the throttle return spring and push the throttle all the way open, 
but don't compress the spring at all. The paddle on the throttle shaft should 
come within a mm or 2 of the lever on the switch. When you push the throttle 
farther, compressing the spring, the paddle should move the lever and you 
should hear the KDS click. Do this a few times and then see if you can do it 
from the accel pedal. It may be useful to have a friend at the pedal while you 
watch the engine.

>         I am going to check the valve clearance again when I wake up
> tomorrow and I will also check for any notches, etc. on #3. Unless this
> notch you saw was something you had to pull the valve out to check for.

He was talking about the head of the valve as viewed after you remove the head.

>         If a pretty good amount of oil had dripped onto one of the heat
> exchangers, about how long would it take for it all to burn off?

It can take a long time, because it may take a long time for oil to migrate to 
the parts which get hot enough to cause smoke.

>         Iâm still going to do a few things and test a few things, I was
> also curious as to what could cause a rich mixture for an electronic FI?
> From what I know it would be: bad timing; high fuel pressure; leaking
> injectors; worn piston rings...anything else?

Low system voltage. The voltage regulator should regulate above 14V once you're 
at speed. If yours is below 13.5V replace the VR with a Bosch 30-019.

-- 
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************


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