Here’s another picture of my slightly cleaned up, and always tempermental air-cooled bus engine (actually a 1974 Super Beetle bastard engine).
I got the newly cleaned intake manifold back on, complete with new rubber boots and heat riser gaskets.
I also replaced the spark plug wires because they were looking rough, and one of the connectors had broken off as I pulled it out of the distributor cap. The new ones have rubber ends that make a really nice seal against the engine case – I’ve heard this can lower the operating temps.
Everything is looking good, so I decide its time to start this bad-boy up! Unfortunately, the engine immediately started backfiring. I rechecked my timing, made sure my new spark wires were hooked up correctly, and tried to tighten everything down. I got it to run a little, but it still backfired a lot. Eventually, I figured out that I have air leakage coming from the right end casting. I will try loosening it, and refitting to the cylinder heads – hopefully I can get the engine running well in a matter of days!
I made another thrilling video documenting my struggles, which helped me diagnose my latest round of engine trouble – enjoy!
