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82 year young lady - 71 tin top - Help me help Anna
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brandt
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:50 pm    Post subject: 82 year young lady - 71 tin top - Help me help Anna Reply with quote

Not sure where to start with this one.

I got tracked down and was asked if I would help a lady in the next town that I met briefly just once years ago. She said her 71 bus would stall when put in reverse. I searched the archives, the likely culprit, the reverse light circuit, seemed like a simple solution.

However, when my buddy and I made the house call tonight we could not get her bus to run very well. After adding some brake fluid we ended up towing it the 20 or so downhill miles via tow strap to my house. I know late bays far better than the early style so I'm a bit out of my leauge...

Turns over with gusto, Optima battery.
It would start with a bit of ether, yes I know gas is better, but the can was there...
The only way it will stay running is to have the gas pedal most the way down and then it's only a rough 800-900rpm. Foot off gas it dies.
We took the gas line off the carb and turned the engine over, plenty of gas pumped out so filter and pump seem fine.
Checked firing order & spark plug wire connections. Checked that points open and closed. cap & rotor look fine.
Tried it with the oil bath/air intake disconnected at top of carb. No diff.
Old gas in tank was allegedly removed and 5 gallons of new gas added within the last 4 months.
Engine was supposedly rebuilt not too many miles ago. Carb is allegedly new but doesn't look like it.
Allegedly ran fine four months ago.

I'm working on photos. Pretty sure this is a 1600 dual port.

But now for her story if you are still reading. This is her only car. It has not ran properly in months if not a few years. She has no family and has depended on a neighbor to take her to doctors appointments. She lives a few miles outside of town on 5 acres. She's 82 and suffered a tramatic brain injury in 1986. Maybe ten years ago she wanted a car with "nothing electric" so she chose the 71 bus and had the engine rebuilt. It's a decent bus with just a bit of rust. She told me that before the neighbors dog ran her over a few years ago and broke her back and she was self suffient on her land, garden, orchard, chickens, rabbits... She used her bus to transport her vegetables and eggs to the local farmers market to supplement her very meager income.

Interestingly her riding lawnmower will only go in reverse, no forward...

Any ideas? I really want to help this lady out.


Last edited by brandt on Mon Aug 08, 2016 4:18 pm; edited 1 time in total
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consvws
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:12 pm    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

just a few thoughts,

idle jet plugged?

float valve sticking?

varnished up fuel plugging up the carb or fuel tank screen?

check the valve adjustment too.

Hope you get it fixed, let me know if you need any parts to help, sounds like this old lady needs the bus back on the road.

Conrad
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Wildthings
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:23 pm    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

You could start by adding a bottle of carb cleaner to the tank and see is that clears things up or not.
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captincanuck
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:46 pm    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

In all that you checked I didn't see timing? My engine (although a type 4)would also only run with my foot to the floor and only at about 900rpm. Turned out the distributor (somehow) had rotated just enough to cause this condition. Always good to check the clean options before getting dirty.
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 10:56 pm    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

Oil level?
Last time I saw a 1600 that ran like that, oil was diluted from bad fuel
pump & 3 or 4 piston(can't recall which) had it's rings welded to the grooves, chunk of piston crown missing.
I actually drove it around the block like that, it'd move, kind of, barely.(bug)
Just no revs with a dead cylinder.
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Tom Powell
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:03 pm    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

brandt wrote:
... Old gas in tank was allegedly removed and 5 gallons of new gas added within the last 4 months. ...


Do you still have old gas in the carburetor bowl? If so, you'll have to get that out before it will run. Starting fluid may cause catastrophic damage to the engine. Hook the fuel pump up to a can of good gas and put good gas in a wash bottle or ladle some with a spoon down the carburetor throat. Have the fire extinguisher handy.
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Aloha
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Malokin Martin
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2016 11:37 pm    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

Take the air cleaner or oil bath cooler off. Then have your buddy give it some gas while it's running.

While he's doing this, quickly place your hand completely over the intake on the carb so you starve it out. The idea is this pulls all the gunk out of the jets/valves in the carb. Try it a few times. Don't like drop if from the moon or anything.

Worth a shot. Simple stuff first.
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SGKent Premium Member
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 1:31 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

Run a points file on the points and check the dwell. Same as a late bay. Then check the timing - 28 - 29 full in same as a late bay. If it has two hoses to the distributor, pull the one on the flat side off and plug it. See how it runs.

Also try the gas suggestions others have suggested. By the time someone gets to 82 lots of them loose track of time. 4 months could be 3 years and 3 months - trust me. I've watched too many elderly go down hill mentally between 80 and 85. Don't believe me? I am 65 almost 66 - come back and talk to me in 20 years - see if I remember what day of the week it is.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 2:56 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

Umm, is there an idle cutoff solenoid on this carb?
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Tom Powell
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 2:58 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

SGKent:
I'll ask you now.
What day of the week is it now?

Aloha
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 4:57 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

Be quiet Tom. It's time for my 0800 nap. Been up since 0755.

OP...kudos for helping out.

Ether is better than sloshing gas. End that myth. 2 second shot is telling you ignition is ok, carb is plugged up with gunk, snot, detritus, GKW.

Double check static timing, then get to work on that carb. What carb is on it now?

34 PICT-3 would be stock.
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brandt
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:00 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

Thanks all for you replies!

We did check the oil and it seemed fine. Distributer was tight but timing is on the list.

There are a few wires going to the carb. One down low on the drivers side to a small cylinder and another wire near top of carb on pass side to thing with three screws. Carb has a vacuum port blocked. Dist has one vacuum line coming from carb. Time for me to study!

Need to resize my photos. Busy with work the next few days. Plate has sticker from 2015 so that implies it was on the road then. Thanks!
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 6:11 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

brandt wrote:
Thanks all for you replies!

We did check the oil and it seemed fine. Distributer was tight but timing is on the list.

There are a few wires going to the carb. One down low on the drivers side to a small cylinder and another wire near top of carb on pass side to thing with three screws. Carb has a vacuum port blocked. Dist has one vacuum line coming from carb. Time for me to study!

Need to resize my photos. Busy with work the next few days. Plate has sticker from 2015 so that implies it was on the road then. Thanks!


thing with three screws is choke - make sure it is opening or else it floods carb

other one is idle soleniod - should make click when you touch wire to it with ignition on. Car won't idle if its fubar, but will drive okay without it.

Thats the right distributor if its a 34 PICT 3. The carb type is on the driver side of the carb, right below where the fuel line attaches

On edit..corrected distributor sentence
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:26 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

If only Colin was near. I'd be happy to help crowd fund a stop to help out this lady's problems.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 7:36 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

OB Bus wrote:
If only Colin was near. I'd be happy to help crowd fund a stop to help out this lady's problems.


Count me in on this action, number 2
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:13 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

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borninabus
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:25 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

adjust the valves and do a compression test......
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:28 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

OB Bus wrote:
If only Colin was near. I'd be happy to help crowd fund a stop to help out this lady's problems.

In past years, Colin has taken a brief sabbatical to Pahrump, NV after his northern California visits and before resuming in southern California. If he does the same this year, I think that is the closest he will get to Utah this trip. No idea if he will consider cutting his Pahrump pause short for this, but I would pitch in for an appt. too.

Brandt, a couple of things jump out at me from your photos. That fuel filter is really scary, and I'm pretty sure that the vacuum advance hose is going to the wrong nipple on the carb. It should go to the nipple on the left side of the carb, not the nipple on the rear.

Really, this lady should seriously consider driving a reliable Honda or Toyota, rather than letting her fear of "electronics" get in the way. At her stage in life, she shouldn't be having to deal with the vagaries of an old VW bus.
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Last edited by SlowLane on Sun Jul 24, 2016 12:32 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:31 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

Okay - not too bad. Needs TLC but we've seen much worse.

I can't see the coil to points wire but I think its there (has to be if it runs at all)


Where is the choke connected to? Does the wire run of the 'three screw' thing down to the generator post ?

That does look like the 34-PICT-3 - it should have both vacuum advance and retard hoses on the distributor canister.
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 24, 2016 11:35 am    Post subject: Re: 82 year old lady - 71 tin top charity case Reply with quote

brandt wrote:
Thanks all for you replies!

We did check the oil and it seemed fine. Distributer was tight but timing is on the list.

There are a few wires going to the carb. One down low on the drivers side to a small cylinder and another wire near top of carb on pass side to thing with three screws. Carb has a vacuum port blocked. Dist has one vacuum line coming from carb. Time for me to study!

Need to resize my photos. Busy with work the next few days. Plate has sticker from 2015 so that implies it was on the road then. Thanks!


Do check the points... if they closed up, it won't run...
Good luck
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