Aaron,
Check the wires going into the distributor. The wire insulation cracks where
they pass though the distributor housing causing intermittent shorting and
the exact behavior you describe.
Steven

--------------------------------------------------
From: "alfred bagdan" <abagdan@SHAW.CA>
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 10:07 AM
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Subject:      Re: '85 Engine hesitation help

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Aaron" <a.robinson.lists@GMAIL.COM>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:42 AM
> Subject: '85 Engine hesitation help
>
>
>> Hello all.
>>
>> I have an '85 westy that I have been having some issues with and the
>> wife is becoming less happy by the day. It's been the daily driver
>> lately as our subaru is in the shop.
>>
>> When it is running OK, it runs fine. Then it seems to hesitate/bog
>> down and will sometimes die at idle. It seems to only occur when warm
>> (intermittently). At freeway speeds, it will run, but feels like it's
>> missing power - perhaps 30%, then it will slowly surge a bit, then
>> lose power, then surge a bit etc. It's drivable as long as things are
>> flat...hills are slow. When I come off of road speeds to a stop, the
>> idle is very rough and it idles pooly, I (sometimes) loose all
>> throttle response and then it dies. It's usually hard to restart, no
>> rich smell at the tailpipe. It always restarts, it's just how much
>> time one has to wait.
>>
>> I've been doing some maintenance on it (cap/rotor/plugs/plug wires/Oil
>> change/cleaning grounds/flush coolant/etc) recently. Any thoughts on
>> an easy fix on this one? Temp2 sender? O2 sender? Bad connection/
>> wire? Other??
>>
>> Thanks!
>> Aaron
>> '85 Westy
>> '85 Sunroof (w/subaru)
>