Oil/gas odor and loss of power

I have a replica from Vintage Speedsters. 2nd owner: bought it in May at 9100 miles and put 850 on it in 4 months. Over the last 200 miles the car seems to have a higher than usual exhaust fume/gasoline odor. This last weekend the car started losing power after 35 mins at 60mph, and over a 10 min period it got so bad the car wouldn't pull at all. Temp gauge was mack in the middle, and I had never had a problem before in much hotter temp/humidity days.
The car would start but had idle problems. Had it towed. Now it will start, and I got it into the driveway, etc. Q: is this just an overheat problem? Did the increase in fume smell prior to this incident indicate some kind of block/header/engine problem? If this has happened to you or you have advice please email me directly: astronaut@bigfoot.com thx

Over rich? If so it could be a stuck float or leaking float, junk forcing a needle valve to stay open, etc. Also, check your fuel pressure output from the fuel pump; it should be 3.25 to 3.75 PSI.

George is on track. I'd also check all the gas lines. If it is a single carb, look where the line from the front goes to the fuel line tube that goes through the fan shroud. I tend to think we are talking sticky floats though. By the way, are you keeping a fire extenguisher handy? On in the shop and one in the car?

Take your fuel line off at the engine bay fuel filter and blow in the line... listen for bubbles from the gas tank... many VS's (and others) have a filter at the tank.... maybe it's fouled with trash. Do what is needed there. Then replace your in-line filter above the fuel pump. Check for flow there. Take off the line(s) at the carb(s) and blow them out. Spray in some carb cleaner after blowing out the lines, replacing filters, and checking the fuel pump. If all that fails to do the job, then check the carbs per the above posts. Also, if your crankcase relief line runs to a carb.... check to make sure you don't have some blow-by (for whatever reason) fouling the carb and associated plugs with oil residue.

Just a shadetree two cents worth.

Joe,

Need a little more info. What carb(s), exhaust, ignition coil and distributor are you running, also what is your valve lash set to? Where is your fuel pump located and what style?

Thanks,

TC

Thanks guys. I took the car into a local VW guy. $200 to set engine specs and change oil, do compression test, and replace a seal. #3 cylinder had no compression. Car ran like a champ for 4 days and 30 miles. As I was pulling in last night it started losing power again. Now it won't make it around the block, and I am afraid it is losing compression again. Ideas? It is VS with 10000 miles on the odo, VW 1600 (1977 they told me), dual weber carbs, bosch electronics. Unfortunately I don't have the space here in DC to work on my car, and $150 a pop to tow it is getting to be very expensive. Is the engine shot?

By the way, I don't drive it very hard either. I tend to stay in the 1500 to 3500 rpm range, and spend 85% of my time under 35mph just going to the store, the gym, etc. 15% of time at 50mph or so for a few miles on a 4lane to get from point A to B. So I don't think my driving style should be breaking the engine, esp with only 10000 miles on it. thx.

Joe ,
What did they diagnose as the source of loosing compression in #3 and what was their "fix?" What seal was replaced?

BTW you are not too far from Peek Performance in Seabrook MD. Sean is the owner and a VW top racer with their store front having a complete shop. Peek is just two miles off the "outer loop" of Rt.495

The old guy didn't really say. Just said "compression came back after I replaced the seal so you got lucky there". He changed the plugs and I think the dist, and adj the timing/valves. The engine drove great all summer, then started "missing" sometimes. I thought it was just being an old car, gears not meshing somewhere, etc. Now I think that a leak of somekind, that is causing the loss of compression, is growing. So that the car cruises along for a while, then starts missing more and more and once it crosses a certain point it deteriorates quickly, over just a few miles of driving. Could this be bad seal/gasket? What would make it run fine right after tuneup but detoriate so quickly? thx.

Joe,

There aren't any seals in a VW engine that can be replaced and restore compression. Sometimes there are gaskets beneath the barrels, but usually the engine builders use a liguid sealer (against oil leaks) and occasionally lap the barrels into the heads in order to seat them better, but no conpression seals.

Compression isn't lost gradually in a good running engine and regained after a tune-up. If your engine is missing it would most often be in the ignition, a flat spot or stumble would be the carb(s) and a loss of power while driving would most often be caused by overheating. Of course all three plus fuel delivery could combiine and produce similar or additional symptons.

It doesn't sound as though your mechanic's being all the way up front with you. If compression suddenly came back, he may have adjusted the rockers, that would immediately affect compression for the better, and might slowly get worse if the nuts or rocker studs work loose. He may have retorqued the cylinder head, that would have restored compression until the head stud gradually backed out of the block, but often both cylinders on that side are affected if a head is loose.

Could you scan and post a jpg. of the work order so that we can see what work was actually performed?

In this instance, more or less was done and needs to be done other than just replacing a mystery seal.

Unless, he meant the intake boot (not seal) was replaced, which restored power to one side bank of cylinders, and now the other boot (not seal) has gone bad and needs replacing . . .

A little more info is needed.

Luck, TC

Ok, according to fellow that fixed it, the major problem was a valve that was very tight. This prevented it from closing all the way which caused the loss of compression. He said that if that is the problem now, and the valve has tightened up again so quickly there might be a more serious problem. This is a VintageSpeedsters replica with 10K miles on a 1600 '72 with dual carbs. It has not been "hopped up" otherwise and I do not drive it hard. I have $500 in towing and repair right now, and I can add another $200+ just to get it back to a shop to look at. Should I just get a new engine, etc?

Joe,

Seriously, if it has a tight valve, you can remove the valve spring and use a little lapping compound on the valve stem and rotate it while pushing it in and out of the head (a small piece of rubber hose and a drill will work well), this will loosen it a bit n the guide. If it's tightening up because the rocker adjusters are to blame, I'll mail you a good used rocker quadrant. If you want to pay it safe and just change out the head for a new one with new valves and springs and guides and retainers and keepers, you can buy one complete for less than what it going to cost to get the car back to the shop to have it looked at.

It really just breaks my heart to hear stories like yours and know how easy the repairs are to perform and see how folks get taken.

Have your mechanic replace the head, quick and easy and over in less than a days work.

Luck,

TC

Thanks TC. I talked to VS and found out it is actually a 1776 with stock head. I've been told that because it's aluminum, the previous owner most likely drove it hot, and/or didn't adj the valves every 3K miles and the combo of heat and lack of maintenance caused it. VS will send me a new head for $65 plus $30 to mill + shipping. I think I'll just replace it to be safe, considering the cost of towing...

When I get out of this apt and get a place with a garage I'll be able to do a LOT more on my own. Urks me too; I used to drive a K-car in college and literally replaced the water pump, brake rotors, alternator, etc in the student parking lot. I just don't have the space.

Joe,

There is a good VW engine guy in Clayton, DE about 125 miles from DC. www.vintageperformance.net He did my engine rebuild and really knows his stuff. I would recommend him for your valve job. When I needed to tow my car I rented a two-wheel tow dolly from United Rentals about $60 per day and towed the speedster with my Honda.
E-mail me off line if you need some more information. Good luck with your engine.

Karl

Update. A diff't guy at the shop worked on it this time. Checked and re-set specs from first visit at no charge, got the engine running but did some more checking and found it to be an electrical problem. Replaced points for free (since they got it wrong first time) and fixed the condensor. Also fixed tailight switch and bulb all for $200. Now it runs like a champ.

That's amazing! Let's hope this is the final cure.

Joe,

GOOD FOR YOU!! Now grab the phone number and address of that shop and THROW IT AWAY!?!?!?!?!

Replaced the compression seal?!?!?!?!

Almost forced you into buying a new head!?!?!?!?

YIKES!

TC