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Help needed with Old VW Engine

Hi all, I have just tried to start my old 1972 VW air cooled motor after the winter and a problem has developed which is baffling me. I have managed to start the vehicle but it appears to only be running on the two cylinders on the left bank (cylinders 2 and 3). This side of the engine is getting warm and a nice colour is showing in the exhaust. The other side however, (cylinders 1 and 4) are stone cold and do not seem to be firing at all, also petrol vapour/mixture is being thrown out of the exhausts on this side in large quantities. I have taken the spark plugs out on tried them on the leads and they appear to be sparking fine but do not spark when in the engine. The car has twin exhausts so I know its just the one side that is having the problems By the way, it has a single carburettor and the cylinder compressions are perfect according to my compression tester. Anyone got any ideas of where I start to try and locate the problem. Its really got me confused. All the best Bob

Reply to
Big Belly
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incorrect plug lead order? knackered plugs? massive air lead on one side?

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Are the plug leads in the correct order? Someone swapped two of mine over at a car show once, giving similar symptoms.

-- Howard Rose

1966 VW Beetle 1300 Deluxe 1962 Austin Mini Deluxe 1964 Austin Mini Super Deluxe
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Reply to
Howard Rose

: incorrect plug lead order? knackered plugs? massive air lead on one side?

I'd guess the plug leads. From experience, an air leak on one side (either at the bellows in the manifold or at the manifold-head joint) tends to affect both sides.

If it's been recently acquired, I'd check under the rocker covers in case someone has "salvaged" the valve gear from one side ... stranger things have happened.

Ian

Reply to
Ian Johnston

Try a new set of leads too, and a set of sparkplugs wouldn't go amiss either.

Firing order is 1-4-3-2.

-- Howard Rose

1966 VW Beetle 1300 Deluxe 1962 Austin Mini Deluxe 1964 Austin Mini Super Deluxe
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Reply to
Howard Rose

Hooray. I found the cause but not where expected. The cause was my daughter............... She decided to have a go at it last week without telling me and got the timing 180 degrees out with plugs leads all mixed up. She had also decided to take the Carb apart and clean it out and left the vacuum off . Anyway all sorted. Many thanks to you all who offered help and advice. It was greatly appreciated... Bob

Reply to
Big Belly

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