Wheels on the bus go round and round - sort of

[bobc]

  So I've got the engine back in the Westy , sitting behind the wheel and turning the key - it firers up and sounds like it should. The problem is when I hit the gas pedal the engine doesn't rev up. I've checked the linkage from the pedal to the carb (solex 34 pict) - good. There's clean fuel in the tank and the filter is dirt free . Vacuum hoses seem fine. Now the first time I got it running , I was able to take it for a short drive where the engine responded properly for about half a mile and then it acted like it was starving for fuel . I had to gear down to 1st. where it would idle just fine but no response when I'd give it some gas. That's where I'm at- every time I turn the key it starts instantly - no hesitation , klunks or grinds - idles at around 900 rpms with no misses or backfires . What should I try?

Bob

[Volktales]

If it worked good at first, you probably sucked up something in the fuel tank, and it is mostly blocking the outlet. Did you clean out the tank after the bus had been sitting for years? There should be a screen in the outlet, and it is probably full of crapola...

[bobc]

Back when I pulled the engine , I was expecting all kinds of grunge to drip out of the fuel line - but nothing , the tank was bone dry . I poured a couple of gallons into tank and swished it around as best I could and let it sit for a day before draining it. The fuel came out clear  - no rust , dirt , nothing. I repeated the process just before installing the engine only this time I passed the fuel through one of those cone shaped paint filters and again nothing showed up. Your thoughts on maybe the tank was plugged at the screen got me thinking about pulling the line and checking the flow. I decided to first dribble some fuel into the carb and with the engine idling , see if it would respond - nothing. I figured I might as well check the timing again and this is where I found the problem . In my haste to get the bus on the road , I hadn't tightened the dist. and when I took for the test drive , it started out fine but slowly lost power as the distributor move out of timing. Reset it and all is good . Some things can't be blamed on the previous owner.

 I've got it to a point where I'm going to give it a rest , as summer here is quickly slipping by and firewood and other things with engines need my attention. I will be back later on asking for advice on soundproofing.

Bye Bye  Bob

[Volktales]

Cool. Glad you found the problem. Summer is disappearing fast, isn't it???

[tony]

I thought summer was supposed to be 90 days not 14! 😑