I got my 914 running this evening!!!!
It hasnt run since I had to pull the engine down due to the cam gear coming loose. I ended up using a different type IV engine. I have a 2.0 vanagon w/8.2:1 cr, AMC heads with 41x34 valves. I'm running the stock hydraulic fi cam due to this being a temporary engine. I have 44 IDFs on it w/36 ven,55 idle, 175 main, 200 air,bypass screws set all the way in, and mixture screw 1 1/2 turns out. I'm running a facet pump. When I can get it running(have to pump the accelerator pump about 5-6 times, it runs really rough. It wants to stay around 600-700 rpm and just stumble. The throat on #2 is spitting gas out the top pretty bad. I'm guessing I need to adjust my valves again. When I can get it to gain rpm, instead of just cough and die when I touch the throttle, it just spits and pops. It's not wanting to pull smooth at all. Its even backfiring into the carbs and having a little flash fire at the top of the carb.

John

yes - check the valves, especially the intakes, and the timing (might be a bit too far advanced). however - the symptoms you describe are typical of bigtime lean. try fattening it up...

it may also be that it'll take a bit of operation for the hydraulic lifters to pump up, but i know nothing about T-IV hydraulic lifters ...

afterthought: also DOUBLE CHECK your plug wires. wires swapped front-to-back, off-by-one in the cap, and running the firing sequence backward are all common issues, and the engine can run (badly, and not fast) with at least a couple of these conditions. in that vein, if there is any chance the dizzy has been loose, DOUBLE CHECK that it's indexed in its bore and not 180-out. it'll run like that too - badly...

175 mains????

Yikes, I have 135's in my 44 IDF's in a 2270 T4, running 200 airs and 55 idles.

I'd start with 135's for mains and check to make sure you don't have any crap in the idles.

Tom

yes, absolutely - how could i forget that ? Weber idle jets are notorious for collecting every tiny bit of crap that has ever been in your fuel system. if you don't have a darned good fuel filter in your supply, get one quick...

And MAKE SURE you set the valves at 0 clearance..hydraulic!!!THats what I was taught anyways.

I already pulled all the jets and blew them out. The idles were clean. I have a good fuel filter on it already.

I'll check my jetting but I was thinking I had 175 mains. Its been able a year since I setup these carbs.

As for adjusting the valves I was told to turn them in until they contact the valve stem then turn 1 1/2 -2 turns. Is this correct? This came out of the bently manual at my local VW shop.

I have not touched the timing on it. I had this engine running in my railbuggy a while back. I did replace the plugs and wires. I'll make sure I didnt do anything stupid.

John

even if your jets are clear try this. pull the idle jets and blow out the passage ways with a can of compressed air. the i 1/2 out for the mixture screws is for initial startup only. you still need to adj each one. get them flowing the same, idle adj screws, turn the mix screws in until the engine stumbles(it will start to snap and or pop), then back out until the idle smooths out. you need to wait a bit on every barrel. i took one of my idle adj screws off and use the rod to get them to match(thanks jp). what kind of shape are the little rubber o-rings that seal the idle jets in? are they still there?

kevin

Correction on jetting-175 airs.

I'll try blowing them out. I cant even get it running enough to adjust it. I'm going by what is on redline webers site for instructions on setup and adjustment.

John

175 air correction sounds very plausible. but since the purpose of an air correction jet is to bleed air into the highspeed circuit to prevent richness, if they were plugged, you'd be experiencing main-circuit over-rich so i don't think that's your problem - since you're on the idle circuit until 3000 rpm or so, and it sounds like excessive lean - not overrich.

what do your plugs tell you about the mixture ?

intake popping is also a symptom of throttle butterflies out of sync.

my money's on valves or ignition, but in cases like this it's always best to go back to basics and assume nothing, check everything.

Found the problem. I didnt put the rocker on/adjust the valves myself. My assistant in training did. He accidentally didnt get the intake pushrod on cylinder 2 into the receiver for it on the rocker arm.

John

COOL !

thanks for reporting back!

sometimes people show up with a weird problem, a dozen people give it their best shot, and then we never hear back. which means that AT MOST one person learned something.

we now have a new thing to add to the checklist when this set of symptoms comes up again (and it will...)

Welcome. I hadnt even thought about this one. I figured he just adjusted the valves incorrectly. I got under there and sure enough with #2 @TDC the valve was still open. So I went to adjust it and ran out of room. Right as I ran out of room I noticed the pushrod wasnt in the end of the rocker arm. It was sitting at the bottom of it pushing the valve perminately open. I hope it helps someone else when they have this problem.

John

IT RUNS GREAT!!!!! I'm getting a little oil out the exhaust but the rings are new and I'm sure haven't seated. It feels great to have a running 914. It made all those headaches worth while.


John