# VW '66 idling problems. Help!?



## popcornfamily6 (Jan 14, 2009)

i've recently resurrected my old '66 vw bug. it wasn't driven for about 15 years. it has a 1650 cc engine with dual port heads, a Bosch .009 distributor, and a stock Solex carb. The problem i have is an inability to idle smoothly, it will usually just die. it has plenty of power in acceleration, just no idle. Where should i start to look for problems?


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## where_2 (Jul 21, 2003)

*Re: VW '66 idling problems. Help!? (popcornfamily6)*

Carburetor idle passages clogged with crud internally, or vacuum leak. Those are the two basic things a 1600 dual port needs to run on a single carb setup. I'd disassemble the carb and check for crud inside it if it sat for 15 years. As gasoline evaporates out of carburetors, it leaves a material behind that resembles wood varnish. I can't tell you how many different carburetors I have disassembled in my lifetime. 
(my first car was a '70 Beetle, with a 1600 dual port with a Bosch 009, which I eventually equipped with dual solex PD-SIT28 carbs... Twice the carbs, twice the fun, sometimes twice the problems. However, I did get good at synchronizing them)


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## popcornfamily6 (Jan 14, 2009)

*Re: VW '66 idling problems. Help!? (where_2)*

I also had idling problems before it had sat for 15 years, but they definitely weren't has bad. Do you have any idea why that might have been?


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## where_2 (Jul 21, 2003)

*Re: VW '66 idling problems. Help!? (popcornfamily6)*

Your best friend in owning that car is a book entitled "How to keep your Volkswagen Alive" by John Muir. Hit Amazon.com up for a copy. The best version was the spiral bound version, because it lays flat. The glue binder later versions were the same information, but keeping your place in it wasn't as easy as you worked on the car. 
_It will explain more than the Vortex can ever attempt to explain. _
I presume you've checked the valve clearances recently and adjusted them accordingly?
I presume you have tried turning off all the lights at night, and checked to see that you're not seeing any electrical discharge through the old spark plug wires anywhere? (yes, it happens)
I presume you've got the points gapped correctly, checked the cap and rotor for excessive buildup or corrosion? Checked the plug wire ends where they connect to the spark plugs? You've also removed and checked the spark plugs to make sure they don't have excessive carbon buildup?
I presume you've checked for any possible air leaks where the horizontal intake runner below the carburetor connects to the dual-port castings that feed the air/fuel mixture into the head? 
If you've done all that, get yourself a carburetor kit, and disassemble the carburetor. If you need pointers on doing that, get the book I mentioned at the beginning... The remainder of the book title is "a step by step manual for the complete idiot". I'm not saying you're an idiot. I'm saying just as the author of the book did, that he was intending the reader to have almost no knowledge on the subject of automobiles. John steps you through what it takes to work on those air cooled engines in great detail. The book is an enjoyable read, and I'm not one who likes to read for fun. However, this book is amusing, entertaining, and fun to read. I first read it when I was 17. I re-read many sections over the years as different things broke on my Beetle. It was almost like having a personal mechanic there to give you pointers while you worked on the car. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 
I wish someone would make a somewhat relevant modern equivalent to this book for parents with teenaged drivers. The book covered important details of owning a car, such as what to do if the idiot lights on the dash come on while you are driving. A co-worker of mine almost had a seized up engine a few weeks back, because his son ignored the "Water Temp" light, and pegged gauge after the water pump sprung a leak...


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## popcornfamily6 (Jan 14, 2009)

*Re: VW '66 idling problems. Help!? (where_2)*

Thanks for the suggestions, now the fun begins.


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## popcornfamily6 (Jan 14, 2009)

*Re: VW '66 idling problems. Help!? (popcornfamily6)*

I appreciate the time you took to answer. Thanks for the suggestions. It looks like my daughter and I are going to have some interesting times working together.


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