RATS!!! CB can't get my gaskets to me for at least a week. I may not be able to get them in before the Dragon Run. DOUBLE RATS!
Ah well... Such are the burdens that we must bear. I'm still going, damnit!
PS - Thanks, Danny. That's probably the most succinct set of instructions on tuning carbs that I've seen.
In the words of "Mrs. Doubtfire"
I have a couple of spare, head-to-manifold gaskets (the thick, mushy, CB ones) that are in my kit to bring to the cruise Wednesday night. They are for round head ports, so you can open them up with an Xacto knife if necessary (if you have elliptical or "D" ports).
You can give me yours when they come in.
gn
HELP IS ON THE WAY!!
I have a couple of spare, head-to-manifold gaskets (the thick, mushy, CB ones) that are in my kit to bring to the cruise Wednesday night. They are for round head ports, so you can open them up with an Xacto knife if necessary (if you have elliptical or "D" ports).
You can give me yours when they come in.
gn
Thanks, G-dawg. I'm a little more confident about the car's driveability on the trip now.
Danny, given the short fuse here, I will use Gordon's gaskets. However, the NEXT time I have to do this, I'll probably follow your guidance.
Danny, given the short fuse here, I will use Gordon's gaskets. However, the NEXT time I have to do this, I'll probably follow your guidance.
Gordon, I stiil can't believe you keep using the same gaskets. You do know the definition of insanity, right?
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Throw away the squishy gaskets, that's why they fail every year.
I had them too, no more.
I'll have to get you a set like mine, from evwparts.com.
http://evwparts.com/index.asp
I just emailed the owner and will get some more or at least find out the application. I am thinking Vanagon watercooled, probably the 1.9 ones, they are smaller than the 2.1 gaskets. They are the cat's behind for this achilles heel. It doesn't look like they are available separately, but we'll see. Maybe I can get ahold of one the wasserboxer rebuilders and make them a deal, they should have extra as it appears both sets(1.9 & 2.1) come with the rebuild gasket set.
They are green, and not too thick, and definitely not squishy. They have(had) square ports, I matched them to manifolds/ports with an Xacto knife(cut them on a piece of plate glass, easy-peasy).
Install with a super light bead of loctite 517 on both sides of gasket(anerobic gasket maker/sealer). Back up your 11mm STEEL manifold nuts with some custom fitted steel washers(grinder takes two to a D-shape, other two are unmodified). The washers prevent galling of the aluminum manifolds. Use a little Loctite on the studs, and torque them down. You probably can't use a torque wrench, so just make them good and tight.
Last step, most important: you can now forget about them, your manifolds will no longer loosen and you will not get any more intake leaks.
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Throw away the squishy gaskets, that's why they fail every year.
I had them too, no more.
I'll have to get you a set like mine, from evwparts.com.
http://evwparts.com/index.asp
I just emailed the owner and will get some more or at least find out the application. I am thinking Vanagon watercooled, probably the 1.9 ones, they are smaller than the 2.1 gaskets. They are the cat's behind for this achilles heel. It doesn't look like they are available separately, but we'll see. Maybe I can get ahold of one the wasserboxer rebuilders and make them a deal, they should have extra as it appears both sets(1.9 & 2.1) come with the rebuild gasket set.
They are green, and not too thick, and definitely not squishy. They have(had) square ports, I matched them to manifolds/ports with an Xacto knife(cut them on a piece of plate glass, easy-peasy).
Install with a super light bead of loctite 517 on both sides of gasket(anerobic gasket maker/sealer). Back up your 11mm STEEL manifold nuts with some custom fitted steel washers(grinder takes two to a D-shape, other two are unmodified). The washers prevent galling of the aluminum manifolds. Use a little Loctite on the studs, and torque them down. You probably can't use a torque wrench, so just make them good and tight.
Last step, most important: you can now forget about them, your manifolds will no longer loosen and you will not get any more intake leaks.
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Lane, put them on, but unfortunately you will have to change them.
Also, I will finally change my filter setup to this:
http://www.jegs.com/p/Perma-Cool/745089/10002/-1
Should provide some nice super clean fuel and eliminate any question of where dirt comes from, i.e. carb top(no jet doctors for me).
Also, I will finally change my filter setup to this:
http://www.jegs.com/p/Perma-Cool/745089/10002/-1
Should provide some nice super clean fuel and eliminate any question of where dirt comes from, i.e. carb top(no jet doctors for me).
Where does it go? Right now I have a filter under the tank (pre-pump), and one in the engine compartment.
Wow!
Looks like the fuel filter I have on "Son of Mighty Power Stroke!"
Take that puppy, mount it upside down, make it a cartridge filter with a spin-off top and you've got my fuel filter!!
Come to think of it - it's totally different than my filter, and I kinda like mine better!!
Lane! Mabe you need one of these!> http://www.straubbeer.com/virtual-tour/p7ssm_img_1/fullsize/10_cellar-aging_fs_fs.jpg
Wonder how you would tow it behind your Speedie??
Looks like the fuel filter I have on "Son of Mighty Power Stroke!"
Take that puppy, mount it upside down, make it a cartridge filter with a spin-off top and you've got my fuel filter!!
Come to think of it - it's totally different than my filter, and I kinda like mine better!!
Lane! Mabe you need one of these!> http://www.straubbeer.com/virtual-tour/p7ssm_img_1/fullsize/10_cellar-aging_fs_fs.jpg
Wonder how you would tow it behind your Speedie??
Oh I don't know... the $1.00 VW plastic filters have been standard on millions of VW's for decades.
Yeah, but Gordon's idea is kinda cool ;-)
UPDATE: Ok, swapping out the intake manifold-to-head gaskets was quite a bit easier than I thought. I haven't fired it up yet, but I'm glad that job's done.
Well, if it was THAT easy, then you should have time to get that Straub filter mounted in a trailer behind your Speedster before the trip to Townsend, right??
;>)
Oh, and while you had the carbs off, you cleaned them out, too, right?
;>)
Oh, and while you had the carbs off, you cleaned them out, too, right?
They were still spic and span from the cleaning a week earlier.
YAU (Yet Another Update): Seems to run fine, although I didn't do enough to get it warned up. Fingers crossed!
The Final (I hope) Update: Drove it to my friends shop this morning to do some fine tuning. He's often open for friends-only on Saturday. It becomes a gab-fest with folks tinkering on each other's cars and swapping lies, etc. The car ran great for the first few miles on the way over, but as soon as I hit the interstate it ran like crap, missing and backfiring. It idled OK, but didn't like higher RPMs. When I got to the shop, Ken and I were both scratching our heads. I pulled the carbs and partially disassembled them after our first attempt at balancing was unsuccessful. We cleaned out the progression ports, and we opened up the idle bypass screws a bit. I check and readjusted the float levels and reassembled. Ken did his balancing magic, but it was still not as smooth as it should be. I took it for a test drive, and it was pretty bad, but this time the problems seemed just like clogged idle jets. While driving it I revved it pretty good a few times, and it started running better. The last several miles of the test drive seemed just fine. I drove home ( about 30 miles) and didn't have any problems at all.
I'm not sure what we did, or how many different problems we fixed, but it seems OK. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
I'm not sure what we did, or how many different problems we fixed, but it seems OK. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
Lane,
Sometimes a good run will suck out the crap in idle jets....another cheap method is with the air filter off, rev up the motor and quickly cap the carb throat with a flat hand this will force dirt through a jet.....Not good to smoke during this task :(
Sometimes a good run will suck out the crap in idle jets....another cheap method is with the air filter off, rev up the motor and quickly cap the carb throat with a flat hand this will force dirt through a jet.....Not good to smoke during this task :(
Yeah, that's what I told Chris when Pearl was running bad just before his wedding - launch it a few times real hard out of a stop sign. That trick usually works great......unless your rocker arm shaft is in two pieces instead of a carb screwing up!!!!! 8>|
Hopefully, Lane, your problem is solved, as I know these things can be pretty frustrating til they're sorted out (and then they have a nasty habit of recurring - grrrrrr).
See all y'all later this week!
gn
Hopefully, Lane, your problem is solved, as I know these things can be pretty frustrating til they're sorted out (and then they have a nasty habit of recurring - grrrrrr).
See all y'all later this week!
gn