Well, those of you who have been following my trials with Sybil the TR-6 have
not heard much from me recently so I thought I'd bring you all up to date.
Sybil has been being cranky for the last few months. She'll run fine for a
few minutes, usually just long enough to get far enough away from home that I
don't want to walk back, and then go COUGH! sputter sputter R R R R R R uck!
I diagnosed fuel problems and replaced the rubber fuel lines, the filters and
put in a Facet fuel pump. NO change.
I pulled off the carbs to rebuild and put in Grose Jets and foudn they already
had Grose Jets in place.
Last Saturday Scott Fisher and Tim Takahashi came over to help and we put the
rebuilt carbs back on and tuned her up with the aid of Chris Kantarjiev's
Colortune (which is WONDERFUL!!!).
I drove my daughter up and down the block and then took Scott for a spin.
Halfway around the block it started again.
"I wonder where the crack is?" said Scott. Visions of hemmoraging checkbooks
danced through my head. We eventually diagnosed fuel starvation, though, and
decided we were getting vapour lock in the fuel line. I had installed an
uprated radiator and new fan, and we theorised that these new compnents were
very good at dumping heat OUT of the engine coolant INTO the engine
compartment adn that no the carbs were running hotter.
We could see that the little transparent plastic fuel filter I had put just
ahead of the carbs wasn't getting enough gas.
This morning while I waited for the tow truck to bring the Jetta back from 237
near Great America (the clutch died. Alene then took the other VW, the van,
to work, leaving me with only the TR6) I installed a new fuel line that ran
from the Facet on the left front inner wing, around the BACK of the engine
compartment, up the right inner wing to the carbs. I even used little plastic
clips to hold it down, making a neat job I wouldn't be ashamed to show anyone.
THIS will prevent vapour lock in the fuel line by avoiding the hot front of
the engine. After ALene left in the van, I took off for a test drive.
After a hard start, which I attributed to all the air in the new fuel lines, I
made it one and a half times around the block and the problem recurred. ARGH!
I limped back home (only 1/4 mile) and parked. I took the bus to work,
arriving 5 minutes before my 11:00 appointment.
Now what? I guess I'll pull the carbs again, put the conventional needle
valves back in and try again.
But now I get to spend Saturday changing a Jetta clutch. Fun fun fun (NOT!).
--berry
--
Berry Kercheval :: kerch@parc.xerox.com
|