Brand new owner of a '74 2.0L with the original D-Jet in place. Until now I've built and raced Type I based VW Beetles, so I'm on a bit of an accelerated learning curve.

I purchased the car with the understanding it probably needed a top end rebuild. When you drove it it would leave a cloud behind it like none I've ever seen. Oil was litterally dripping out of the tail pipe. Yes, drops of oil.

Once I got it home I found that the crankcase was insanely over filled. Oil was half way up the dip stick. This gave me hope of avoiding a top end rebuild. I drained and correctly refilled the oil, cleaned about 3 quarts of muck off the bottom of the car, and set the timing as best I could without verifying TDC.

Now it doesn't smoke at all when cold, but still smokes moderatley while driving. It does NOT smoke on decel. There are a few other interesting observations.

1. It doesn't idle well when warm, yet idles very nicely when cold.
2. The plugs are black with carbon, but not wet with oil. The carbon build up is somewhat chunky and all 4 plugs are the same.
3. Power is good on the car, but that's a bit subjective as this is my first and only 914 and I'm use to a 160HP '66 Bug.

I'm planning on replacing the PCV valve and checking other routine maintenance things. Any other ideas on the smoke other than a top end rebuild?

Thanks.

-Aaron

Sounds like guides, rings or both. Try running a straight 40 weight oil. Change or clean the plugs.

Do a compression check...WOT and HOT engine.

Idles great cold, but rough when warm? Is it choppy, or just the idle falling off?

What is the idle on the first start of the day, and what RPM does it settle to? You should warm the car up, then set the idle with the AAR (aux air reg) hose plugged on the FEED side.

Wheelcome!


M

sounds like its running RICH if its black with carbon. Check out the by pulling a 15hg vacuum on it for 5 minutes. Show hold with very little bleed down. The MPS is the hand grenade looking thing under the battery.

He said it doesn't smoke on decel...




M

First replace or check the CHT and recheck the Idle problem (cheap check). Is the smoke blue or black? If it is black check all vacume hoses and then adjust the mixture knob on the computer. If it is Blue smoke

QUOTE

Sounds like guides, rings or both. Try running a straight 40 weight oil. Change or clean the plugs. Do a compression check...WOT and HOT engine.

this is just my .02$

Good luck

Jeff

Welcome to the board. There are a few of us from Pasadena around here. We have socal events every once in a while. You should check them out some time!

Let's see... I'll try and answer all the questions.

Idle - It idles around 1100 RPM at start up nice and smooth. As it warms up the idle falls off and needs the accelerator to be held to get it to stay alive. Even with that it's hard to keep it idling. I'll try to find that valve (AAR), block it, and reset the idle with the big screw on the throttle body.

Smoke - Yup, doesn't smoke (or get worse anyway) on decel so I think I can fairly safely rule valve guides out. Smokes more and more as the car warms up. I'm still toying with the idea that the PCV valve pumped tons of oil into the intake and it's still burning its way out. I'm loosing faith in this idea as the oil smoke is a little more consistent now. I still have yet to take it for a good, long drive. I'm a bit afraid to with all that smoke!

MPS - I'll test the MPS once I find it. Is there only one place to test it? i.e. one vacuum line?

Pasadena, CA - There is nothing I'd like more. I had loosely associated myself with several VW clubs and loved getting together. Their help with my last project was invaluable and I made quite a few friendships out of it. Please let me know when you guys would like to get together. I'd welcome any local to come look at my new car!

-Aaron

With all that oil it will take quite a while to burn it out of the whole exhaust system.
I had this same thing on a few 911's.
The motor may still need work ,but if it truely because of overfill, it will burn out ,it takes awhile ,
everything needs to get up to temp. short drives will take forever. It will lessen then show up under accelleration then go away. It will get worse as it warms up then should decrease.

Thats my expierence , your motor could still need work, but if overfilled is only cause of smoke it will burn out .Patience and temperature.
Then you can address the other running problems. Good Luck,

QUOTE (yeahmag @ May 31 2005, 09:10 PM)

Let's see... I'll try and answer all the questions. Idle - It idles around 1100 RPM at start up nice and smooth. As it warms up the idle falls off and needs the accelerator to be held to get it to stay alive. Even with that it's hard to keep it idling. I'll try to find that valve (AAR), block it, and reset the idle with the big screw on the throttle body. Smoke - Yup, doesn't smoke (or get worse anyway) on decel so I think I can fairly safely rule valve guides out. Smokes more and more as the car warms up. I'm still toying with the idea that the PCV valve pumped tons of oil into the intake and it's still burning its way out. I'm loosing faith in this idea as the oil smoke is a little more consistent now. I still have yet to take it for a good, long drive. I'm a bit afraid to with all that smoke! MPS - I'll test the MPS once I find it. Is there only one place to test it? i.e. one vacuum line? Pasadena, CA - There is nothing I'd like more. I had loosely associated myself with several VW clubs and loved getting together. Their help with my last project was invaluable and I made quite a few friendships out of it. Please let me know when you guys would like to get together. I'd welcome any local to come look at my new car! -Aaron

Idle- typical as someone has adjusted the idle cold instead of hot. You must adjust the idle hot or meaning the engine fully warmed up at operating temp (maybe 15 minutes of driving). The AAR valve must close fully and then adjust the idle to 1000 rpms. Next morning, the idle will be at 1500-1800 cold and then settle down to 1000 after 5 minutes. There will be some slight hunting.
MPS - has only one vacuum port where you plug in the vaccum pump to test it.

can't be sure ofcourse, but this looks like classic mps fail causing rich mixture. AAR seems to be working, since when cold it is allowing extra air to match the excess fuel. As mentioned by others, check mps. There is 1 vacuum line coming off it. It has a 4 prong harness connector. I wouldn't do anything with ecu mixture knob, idle air, or anything else until checking mps or it will just make it harder to find your way back "home" later. Just pull the vac line off the intake plenum and suck on it. If it wont hold vac it is kaput. If kaput, you can get a rblt at perf. prod.. I did and it works fine although others on the board here have other opinions. good luck

Would the extra fuel be responsible for what is clearly oil smoke as the car warms up? Washing down the cylinder walls or the like?

-Aaron

If oil was dripping out the exhaust , because of over fill , As you stated. It will take 1/2 to 1 hour driving to burn it out of the system. Depending how much is in the muffler.
Then you can worry about the rest. How long have you run it total ?

I drove it for maybe 10 minutes. Parked it for a few days (had to let mother nature rest after that one...) and then cleaned the under side of a ton of oil and grease. Idled it for 5-10 minutes or so (no smoke even when revving it up) then took it for a 5 minute drive where it started to smoke pretty good. Nothing like the time before, but was still embarrassing.

-Aaron

Take it out and drive the piss out of it for an hour or so to see if you can burn out the residual oil. If it still smokes after that, follow the above mentioned advice.

Didn't have a chance to go for a drive yet, but I did test the MPS. I pulled 15" of vacuum on it and left it for about 45 minutes. I checked on it frequently at first and it never lost any vacuum. At the end of the 45 minutes it was down to 13-14". I had a cheap vacuum gun and serveral rigged T's and 'cone adapters' to get it all working.

Sounds like it passed to me. Maybe I'll adjust the valves and timing and go for a long drive this weekend. What should I tell the police if they pull me over for the smoke screen?



-Aaron

QUOTE (yeahmag @ Jun 2 2005, 09:56 AM)

What should I tell the police if they pull me over for the smoke screen? -Aaron

Tell 'em you use it to hide from the cops.

nah...you work for "Vector Control" and you are killing M'skeeters...

remember the game "Spy Hunter"?