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sarah dell
15 years ago
Hi drove my beetle home last night and sounded more noisy than usual, then became really loud and in intermitant almost like a breathing rythmic grinding sound statred happening and also as if it was sucking in air (like on a windy day) Then started accellerating without me pressing the pedal.turnned off to a side road and pootled at 30 which seemed to be a bit better then noticed that there was smoke in the car. Turned car off almighty grinding, and running really fast when i looked under the decklid the coil had come off the fan housing. didn't dare start again, so pushed 2 miles home :cry:
Never had any probs but seems just lately everything is going wrong. :cry:
After what you said in the other forum help think i need to find a different garage too any ideas in my area?

Thanks in advance
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pre67vw
15 years ago
It's hard to tell what's happened here, but it might not be as major as it seemed - if the coil has come off it may have caught on the accelerator cable on its way which could make it accelerate, could also make some other noises if anything was near the fanbelt. It does sound like you need to get someone to look at it though!!

I don't know anyone in Norfolk, but a quick google threw this up - might be worth a call?
https://www.mn-aircooled.co.uk 
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
sarah dell
15 years ago
nothing near the fan belt and i clipped the coil back up sounded like the fan scrapping what do you think. What concerned me more that it was getting very hot and the car stared to fill with fumes/smoke.
Thanks for the contact. That was the garage i intitially took it to. he is supposed to be well recommended but was surprised he didn't know that the breather was not the oil cooler.
sarah dell
15 years ago
Looks like it was the fan as is no longer attached, I'm assuming this is why it was making such a racket, how would this have managed to detach itself, would that be why it was smoking as nothing to cool the engine.

Think the guy is on holiday as all I get is answer phone. Hope I havn't done too much damage. 😞
mrsherbie
15 years ago
Dont worry, its a beetle! everything is easily fixable.

How far are you from Stamford PE9 ?
Tim at Roadhouse retro is skilled honest and reliable, and I dont recommend people I have never met :

https://www.roadhouseretro.com/contact.asp 
"it'll wreck the patina you haven't worked so hard to create" - 50Karmann
pre67vw
15 years ago
The top of the fan belt is attached to an alternator, on the back of the alternator inside the fanhousing, is the fan - it's held in place by four bolts into the fanhousing and a strap around the alternator stand. Is it just the fan thats loose? or the whole fanhousing?
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
sarah dell
15 years ago

Dont worry, its a beetle! everything is easily fixable.

How far are you from Stamford PE9 ?
Tim at Roadhouse retro is skilled honest and reliable, and I dont recommend people I have never met :

https://www.roadhouseretro.com/contact.asp 

mrsherbie wrote:



about an hour and a half drive away. 😞
sarah dell
15 years ago

The top of the fan belt is attached to an alternator, on the back of the alternator inside the fanhousing, is the fan - it's held in place by four bolts into the fanhousing and a strap around the alternator stand. Is it just the fan thats loose? or the whole fanhousing?

pre67vw wrote:



the fan has detached itself as can pull out the back. The belt is quite tight though onto the alternator could this have contributed?
mrsherbie
15 years ago
I was thinking similar, at least to get the car driving safely so you can get it checked out, take a pic of your engine bay? (I am afraid my own knowledge of engines is probably like yours)

Yes I thought Stamford might be too far from you, there is Type3 detectives, still not very close :

https://www.typethreedetectives.com/ 

I cant think of anyone else in Norfolk who has been around the vw scene a long time/has a good reputation, it is way out of my area. But I am sure there must be a couple more.


"it'll wreck the patina you haven't worked so hard to create" - 50Karmann
sarah dell
15 years ago

I was thinking similar, at least to get the car driving safely so you can get it checked out, take a pic of your engine bay? (I am afraid my own knowledge of engines is probably like yours)

Yes I thought Stamford might be too far from you, there is Type3 detectives, still not very close :

https://www.typethreedetectives.com/ 

I cant think of anyone else in Norfolk who has been around the vw scene a long time/has a good reputation, it is way out of my area. But I am sure there must be a couple more.


mrsherbie wrote:



picture of engine bay  my engine.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.
sarah dell
15 years ago
anything I need to watch out for. if i diconnect the belt to take the alterator off and take that off the fan housing and then reconnect the fan to that and then put all back again. is that all I need to do?
(tring to find stuff in my book and online, but someone at work said I could muck up the timing if i disconnect the belt etc is that true?)
pre67vw
15 years ago
You won't muck up the timing, but it is difficult to get the fanhousing off while the engine is in the car.
Rob Amos
Happiness is a stock VW
six-o-one
15 years ago

You won't muck up the timing, but it is difficult to get the fanhousing off while the engine is in the car.

pre67vw wrote:



Yep, its a very fiddly job and you'll end up taking more and more bits off to get to the fan.
It may be easier to get it out if it has detached itself from the alternator though!

Don't forget about disconnecting the rod from the thermostat (under the right hand cylinders) if it's fitted.
This is connected to some flaps inside the fanshroud, and will prevent you from raising the fanshroud up to get the fan/alternator assembly back in..
The flaps may have been removed though!

Ho hum
:?

Lavenham Vintage VW Show - 2012 
Bandwagen | Vintage Volkswagens & Photography 
sarah dell
15 years ago
Thought as much, not really confident enough to take out the engine....:(
But will have a look tonight and see if I can lift of the fan housing.

Thanks for all your help, I'll let you know how I get on.
sarah dell
15 years ago
Found out what was wrong with my fan when i took the fan housing off it. the gatersa and wahers had sheered off completely and the connecting piece that was attached to the alternator had changed form a suare fitting to a round one? wher it had worn it away. Gotta get a new one ay and try and fit. mmm not looking forward to that.
sarah dell
15 years ago
managed to get the fan in, did end up taking loads of bits off to get to the fan but all working well thanks for your help.

I posted this on the other site but just in case.

Also managed to find someone (which was where i got my fan replacement from) fuel problem he said that I shouldn't have it centralised as this is making the fuel travel further and not atomising properly ie going into droplets he said I sould split and have on each side, is this right? I am asuming with 2 air filters one on each side? He said this way I should be able to get at least 30 to the gallon, set up the old way. sorry to keep asking but you have given me such valuable advice so far I value your advice/opinion.
harveypj
15 years ago
The standard setup on a beetle engine is a relativley small carburetor centraly possitioned, providing modest fuel flows along the inlet manifold to the cylinder heads. The inlet manifold has a preheat pipe running along its length (conected to the exhaust system), this helps to keep the fuel in vapour form.
You have a large carb/manifold upgrade so potential fuel flows are high, retaining the central location and not having a form of preheat (your set up does not appear to have any) will as your found mechanic says be prone to fuel drop out in the manifolds and can cause poor mpg, idle problems, stutteriYng to name a few.
Yes, as a rule carb upgrades are best done by utalising two carbs one each side mounted on short manifolds directly over the cylinder heads. Much more efficient.
Not sure your carb can be split thou:?
 twins.jpg You have insufficient rights to see the content.
Stock......the new custom
sarah dell
15 years ago

The standard setup on a beetle engine is a relativley small carburetor centraly possitioned, providing modest fuel flows along the inlet manifold to the cylinder heads. The inlet manifold has a preheat pipe running along its length (conected to the exhaust system), this helps to keep the fuel in vapour form.
You have a large carb/manifold upgrade so potential fuel flows are high, retaining the central location and not having a form of preheat (your set up does not appear to have any) will as your found mechanic says be prone to fuel drop out in the manifolds and can cause poor mpg, idle problems, stutteriYng to name a few.
Yes, as a rule carb upgrades are best done by utalising two carbs one each side mounted on short manifolds directly over the cylinder heads. Much more efficient.
Not sure your carb can be split thou:?

harveypj wrote:



the stuttering and other symptoms you discribed are exactly whats happening, thanks really usefull, I have learnt so much in the short time I have been on here, will it be very expensive to change to the one on each side set up?
harveypj
15 years ago
It's not going to be cheap, never realy priced the conversion up as I like to keep things 'stock and simple', but you would need manifolds, the carbs and then all the correct linkage. certanly going to be hundreds as apposed to tens of pounds. You'll also need a specialist to get the carbs set up correctly (jetting and balance), that alone could knock a dent in £100.
If your engine is otherwise stock, I'd seriously consider fitting a stock carb and manifold.
What exhaust do you have as some of the 'alternatives' do not cater for the preheat pipe conections and do away with the heat exchangers.
Stock......the new custom
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