>
> OK, here's the latest weirdnesses with my 81 Westfalia...
>
> Weirdness #1: the cold-start engine noise. It sounds like baseball cards in
> the spokes of your bicycle wheels, for those of us old enough to remember
> before baseball cards were "collector's items" and there was no reason not
> to casually destroy them. The noise diminishes but does not disappear
> completely when the bus is in gear and rolling, louder in neutral. Also
> louder when braking or facing downhill (center of gravity shifted forward).
> After 5 minutes or so the noise stops and will not recur until I park it
> and let the engine get _completely_ cold, like all day or overnight. Even
> after sitting for an hour or so -- no noise on restart. It sounds more like
> plastic than metal, I've tried sticking my head into the engine compartment
> but I can't seem to localize it.

Sounds like stuck lifter.  Try my favorite fix:  All quart of ATF fluid,
run till good and hot or until fixed.  Then drain and refill with oil.

>
> Weirdness #2: the not-hot-start. When the engine is *really* hot, like
> after a couple of hours of highway driving in 95-degree weather with the
> a/c running, if I stop briefly (like for gas) when I try to start her up
> the engine turns over veeeerrrrry slowly and reluctantly, and won't catch.
> I have to sit for about 10 more minutes, and then she starts right up. I've
> also gotten it push-started by getting it rolling only as fast as I could
> push it by myself on a level surface, probably 5 mph max.

Could be a couple of things.  As a diagnostic, retard the timing and see
if that doesn't cure it.  If it does, it's a distributor sticking.  If
it doesn't, starter could be binding when hot.

TBill

***The hardness of the butter is proportional to the softness of the
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