After rebuilding the 36 hp engine on an old Beetle of
mine, (and it not starting) I recall finding out that
I had installed the distributor gear completely out of
time. Of course I found this out after I had kept on
trying to start it...... to the point of  filling the
crankcase full of fuel/oil!

Congrats on getting the timing sorted out.

--- Nathaniel Poole <npoole@TELUS.NET> wrote:

> After crying in my beer I went back and like you
> said, started from scratch,
> and eventually got the engine running. Whooopie!! I
> don't know why there was
> little compression in number 1, and why it was
> sucking through the exhaust
> on intake, but everything seemed to clear itself out
> by trying over and
> again to get it started. The one thing that was out
> of whack was that the PO
> had marked TDC on the fan pulley 180 degrees out,
> and I used that for
> setting up initial timing. It was only after
> carefully watching the rockers
> and valves as my son rotated the engine through it's
> cycles that I realised
> the error. When I found the little (unpainted) nick
> for TDC, I found I had
> set it up at 9 degrees after TDC. Using an ohmmeter
> on the points, I set it
> up for 7 degrees BTDC. A little cranking later and
> it roared to life (by
> then it was also flooded) a few farts and lots of
> smoke and it settled down
> to a sweet-running engine, much smoother than before
> the rebuild; you really
> couldn't tell the engine was running by looking at
> it. Been driving the van
> all day and it starts with the barest touch of the
> starter. It's great
> having the rig on the road again.
>
>
> On 11/18/06 7:58 AM, "ROBERT DONALDS"
> <donalds1@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
>
> > Nat
> > sounds like you need to back up a little and take
> a deep breath
> > lets not blame the heads for the no fire condition
> > lets go back to basics the engine needs 3 things
> to run gas, compression and
> > spark
> > if you can find a compression tester start there
> > a little testing of components goes along way
> >
> > Bob Donalds
> > Boston Engine
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Nathaniel Poole" <npoole@TELUS.NET>
> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> > Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 1:11 AM
> > Subject: <no subject>
> >
> >
> >> I feel so damned discouraged, and I get what Jake
> Raby says about Vanagon
> >> AC
> >> engines. I've done all the work on my vehicles
> without much problem all of
> >> my life, and it's never been so much hassle as
> redoing this 2.0 AC. And
> >> when
> >> I get it all together, no go. Won't fire at all.
> Sounds weird turning
> >> over.
> >> It was late and so I did a quick 'n; dirty
> compression test by stuffing a
> >> finger in #1 cylinder and almost nothing. Put my
> hand over the exhaust
> >> output of right heater box and it sucks as much
> as blows. Check lifter
> >> preload and the lifters aren't holding valves
> open. I am saving $$ for new
> >> heads, and decided to slap in these "good" used
> ones, and this particular
> >> head has recently been rebuilt. Yet the symptoms
> seem like the valves
> >> aren't
> >> sealing, although there's no dropped seats. I've
> spent I don't know how
> >> many
> >> hours on this sucker and it looks like it has to
> come out again. Any other
> >> possible suggestions? I know the valve timing
> can't be off.
> >>
> >> Can the heads be pulled without pulling the
> engine?
> >>
>

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