intermittent fuel supply to the engine pops to mind.
though that's not a diagnosis, just a thought of something that could match
the symptoms.
Need a few more technical clues or indications.

since it has points, I assume it's an air-cooled vanagon , yes ?

that does happen......old fuel tank, fuel starvation, you let it sit for a
while, next time it runs.
that also can happen electrically, and electronically...
first a block, then things cool down or whatever, and it's unblocked.

And it IS just a blockage or leakage of fluids or electrons....just finding
where is the trick of course.

re
put a new condenser on the distributor cap

I'm sure you mean put a new condenser in the distributor.
I don't usually replace those if I ever do touch points ....
and any new parts are suspect until they prove themselves, especially these
days.

and as a general rule...
when something fails......go back to the most recent work.
Very high probability that that's where the problem is.

if I get a van that was say 'just tuned up' and it's not working right...
I don't go looking for Other , New things wrong......
I look at the work that was just done first, before anything else.

any more clues or symptoms would help.
Aloha, Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Samantha" <yfsami@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 2:49 PM
Subject: loss of power climbing hill, ended up stalled in middle of road

the boyfriend and i have been doing lots of work on the van. we are novice
vw mechanics. its just us, the bentley book, and a couple of great people
helping us as we go.

we adjusted the idle, got a new battery, put a new set of points in, put a
new condenser on the distributor cap. i went to the part store to get a new
oil drain plug (current one is stripped from previous owners ignorance to
the metric system) and on my way back home i was in 3rd, you dont need 4th
in eureka springs, and the van started stalling. i put it in second to give
it a little more room to climb the hill and it stalled out. ended up backing
it down the hill to the side of the road and catchin a ride home.

got back to the van with my boyfriend and it started right up!

whats goin on!?