Via a series of incremental changes, I've gotten to the point where my
vanagon conversion (1.8 CIS Golf motor) actually runs! I pulled it out of
the garage the other day (and then pulled in right back in.) I'm still
having some problems and I'm hoping for a little help. Here's what's going
on...

I can get it to start if I turn the mixture way, way up. In fact, I have to
turn it so far up that after I do so, it floods when I stop it and I can't
get it to start again until I disconnect the fuel pump and turn it over a
bunch in order to clear the residual gas out of the cylinders. After I do
that it'll start and run, though if I accelerate it will run ragged and
backfire. I've checked the thermo-time swicth, cold-start, aux. air reg.,
control pressure regular, injectors, and fuel pressure and all are within
Bentley specs.

So I figure its one of two problems; either a huge vacuum leak somewhere
(that's the catch...) or a faulty fuel distributor. I can hear what seems to
be a slight vacuum leak, but I can't figure out where it's from - it could
be the line running to the brake booster or maybe the valve cover gasket
(which is leaking a little oil.) However in both cases it would have to be
really small and I can't get a change by pushing or prodding at either the
hose or the cover. The other thing I've thought of is that the leak could be
from the injector inserts - is it possible to have enough of a leak through
these to practically stop the car from running?

I hope to get a spare fuel distributor in order to test that, but if anyone
has any ideas on what to try I'd appreciate it. I'm starting to get a little
tired of my friends' sniggering...

Matt

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Matt Ratto
Ph.D. Candidate
University of California, San Diego
mratto@ucsd.edu
http://communication.ucsd.edu/mratto
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