t3 - it dies

[cliveg]

please can someone help me,

my t3 petrol auto has got me baffled, this is the 6th time this has happened!

after a hard drive I park it up, half an hour later I start, it moves 50 metres then dies,
the fuel lines into and out of the fuel pump are bone dry. with sure start it starts!

I have been told I may have fuel cavitation problems.........( fuel boils and creates an air block)

what's to do? re-route the fuel lines away from heat sources?

I have loads of spark, pierburg carb rebuilt by roger of Bromyard VW (good job roger), just had an annual service ( new fuel filter!)

clive

[jmarkha1]

Sounds like the motor is getting too hot - assuming you are based in UK.
One option is change over to a 3psi rotary electric fuel pump mounted up near the fuel tank and that should get around the vapor lock you are getting now with the mechanical pump in the engine bay.
I think CB Peformance do the pumps - very quiet compared to the traditional FACET pumps people used to use with mechanical regulators.

[Editor]

If you change to an electric pump, you need an impact switch to automatically turn the fuel pump off in the event of a collision.

This is a fairly common problem, but not usually severe enough to empty the fuel lines. You may have a problem with valves or maybe the diaphragm in the pump, or partially clogged filter or tank outlet that means the pump has to work harder to get the fuel through.

If you can, borrow another fuel pump and check it does the same. I think I heard recently of someone who had a similar effect occur and it was cured by a replacement pump.

[purplepeter]

Rich Oakley was having the same problem and narrowed it down to a non-return valve in the pump,which he rebuilt & apparently cured the problem.
I've been having this problem for a while. Have tried changing to what I believe is a NOS pump but it didn't cure the problem instantly,so I put my old one back on. Having thought about it, I guess the pipes were dry, so that's why it didn't provide the instant solution I had hoped for.
A quick squirt from a CO2 extinguisher cools the pump nicely, or leave it for an hour & it'll start again. Don't drain your battery wasting time trying to start the bugger.

[miketyp3]

Is this a T3 van?
Might be something different if so.

[cliveg]

yes it is 1989 t3 van , 1.9l engine

[broady_6]

ah, wrong forum chief. This is type 3s and 4s. Not T25s. Have you checked for a blocked breather on the tank? Next time it stops pull off the filler cap and listen for a woosh of air going into the tank

[Wireless]

Jeez, I knew there was a reason I wasn't able to follow this conversation, a T3 van, that would explain it, I was thinking this was a fuel injection T3, and that because I had twin carbs none fuel injection that that was the reason, but he wanted advice on a motor built 16 years after T3 production ended.

Thought I'd had too much of the home-brew wine over the festivities, ha!

[miketyp3]

Don't worry Clive you're not the first...
There's a bit of crossover in VW's model nomenctature which leads to the confusion.
i.e. Type 3 = 3rd vehicle model group launched & T3 = 3rd generation Transporter.

VW 1500 or 1600 doesn't work either as depending on the year that could be a Type 3 or a Type 1 (Beetle)

Maybe a big picture on the index page might help!!

Anyway I hope you find the advice you need...

Mike

[Wireless]

Yeah, a picture on the index page would be a good idea, but really you'd want a group picture of every model.

It doesn't happen all that often though.

[broady_6]

Don't worry Clive you're not the first...
There's a bit of crossover in VW's model nomenctature which leads to the confusion.
i.e. Type 3 = 3rd vehicle model group launched & T3 = 3rd generation Transporter.

VW 1500 or 1600 doesn't work either as depending on the year that could be a Type 3 or a Type 1 (Beetle)

Maybe a big picture on the index page might help!!

Anyway I hope you find the advice you need...

Mike

You are correct sir, but I have only ever heard of a T25 (T2 v3) called a T3. Not a type 3 which Ive always thought that was the unwritten definition.

It could just be something ive made up in my head to help myself know the difference haha

[Editor]

I thought the T25 was the model after the Bay window - 'The Wedge' - but Wikipaedia says that's the UK name. It's simply a T3 (as T1 is the Split-screen van and T2 is the Bay-window). Anyway, Type 3 is the car, not the bus!