Re: [T3] AT THE END OF MY ROPE!!

["Steven Ayres" <comwest@att.net>]

JoelB=> Any advice?

First, be assured that a lot of new Type 3 owners find themselves in a
similar spot. You've got a car that few people know and fewer mechanics
understand. But you've come to exactly the right place. This list is the by
far best source of information about how to deal with the problems and enjoy
driving a great car. You're not at the end of your rope -- you're at the
beginning of hope.

The keys to making progress with your car here will be attention to detail
in relating what's happening, and willingness to take on the job of caring
for your car yourself.

Given the symptoms you've described, I have to say that a mechanic who
orders a new distributor but "isn't sure what's wrong" at best is guessing
poorly at your expense and at worst will land this car in a wrecking yard.
Unless you have a strong reason for confidence in this person, I would
counsel you to halt work immediately and get the car away from him as
quickly as possible. More Type 3s have been impaired and destroyed on
account of ignorant mechanicking than any other reason, imho. It's not that
Type 3s are particularly complex or weird, but rather that common
assumptions often don't apply and most people are unwilling to do the
research necessary to understand the differences.

=> I'd like to fix it myself, but my experience is limited.

Again, willingness is the key, and some patience at the beginning of the
learning curve will be rewarded.

There are many combinations of conditions that could lead to the sort of
problems you've described. We'll want to go into that in detail using direct
observations of things like valve adjustment, timing, fuel pressure, etc. So
the first question for you is: Are you a tool-user? Are you capable of, for
instance, pulling the valve covers and checking some clearances?

Second, do you have a manual of any kind for this car? This is the most
important tool you can acquire.

Tell us also where you live -- you may have another listee nearby ready to
help.

Steven Ayres, Prescott AZ
'66 KG1600


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org