Flooded engine - issues ever since

[Simonpiemon]

double check all your basics especially vaccum leaks
check the vacuum pipe to servo as its a favorite to split and cause bad idle etc
after that i would be pulling jets one at a time and cleaning incase of any debris
[/quote]

Thanks! I'll give that a go assuming a basic strip down is fairly straightforward? I wonder if some crud got in it when I had the airfliter and cover off. I found spraying around the intake manifold and replacement flange with soapy water still causes the revs to drop ever so slightly.. Sprayed everywhere else with no drop in revs. The replacement flange was from Heritage Parts so assumed it would be half decent however the quality reminds me of those toys you get in Christmas crackers!

[james butler]

yes defo check your air leaks you may find the inlet manifold gasket has failed too
its easy enough to change just fiddly with the bolts (don't forget there's a water seal in there too that will need changing!)
get a can of lynx or wd40 and spray the areas you think may be leaking and if the revs rise or it suddenly stalls then you know for sure where its leaking
air leaks are the most common things to cause issues with running and idling and always worth fixing those issues first as and when you find them
taking the jets out is a doddle on these, but must be done one at a time so you don't muddle them up and put them back in the wrong holes
when you take the air filter box off you can see into the top of the carb, slap bang in the middle between the venturis you will see some brass flat head looking screws. see piccy
https://www.flickr.com/photos/55777341@N00/5464599813
those are where the jets are located! so unscrew them carefully one at a time, take them out one at a time and clean them thoroughly and put them back, one at a time! do it this way and cant really go wrong

[Simonpiemon]

yes defo check your air leaks you may find the inlet manifold gasket has failed too
its easy enough to change just fiddly with the bolts (don't forget there's a water seal in there too that will need changing!)
get a can of lynx or wd40 and spray the areas you think may be leaking and if the revs rise or it suddenly stalls then you know for sure where its leaking
air leaks are the most common things to cause issues with running and idling and always worth fixing those issues first as and when you find them
taking the jets out is a doddle on these, but must be done one at a time so you don't muddle them up and put them back in the wrong holes
when you take the air filter box off you can see into the top of the carb, slap bang in the middle between the venturis you will see some brass flat head looking screws. see piccy
https://www.flickr.com/photos/55777341@N00/5464599813
those are where the jets are located! so unscrew them carefully one at a time, take them out one at a time and clean them thoroughly and put them back, one at a time! do it this way and cant really go wrong

Brill thanks for the advice I'll try the above and see how I get on. I've spent so long trawling through various forums and exploring possible causes! What's the best approach to cleaning the Jets? It seems from doing some reading up everyone has different methods!

Thanks

Simon

[james butler]

i use a air compressor to blast air through them to clear any blockages but if you dont have access to a compressor then clean petrol and a toothbrush will suffice and something soft to poke through the passages bearing in mind they are made of brass and soft so be careful!
also when putting back in the carb make sure you only nip them up gently they dont need to be mega tight!

[RussGLAuto]

Evening Simon, gents, this may seem like the antichrist of websites to those that advocate Webber over Pierburg, but trust me, it's the way forward...

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgc ... rburettors

£435 for a rebuild!!! thats the reason as you can get a whole new weber setup for £350.

Only get what you pay for Tom....

hmmm
the peirburg maybe a superior carb in its capabilities ie auto choke and vacuum operation secondary throttle but for comparable affordability and performance you dont loose much if anything with a properly setup and fettled Webber for a lot less money
as tom says a new carb is £350

Your choice...

[RussGLAuto]

Evening Simon, gents, this may seem like the antichrist of websites to those that advocate Webber over Pierburg, but trust me, it's the way forward...

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgc ... rburettors

£435 for a rebuild!!! thats the reason as you can get a whole new weber setup for £350.

Only get what you pay for Tom....

hmmm
the peirburg maybe a superior carb in its capabilities ie auto choke and vacuum operation secondary throttle but for comparable affordability and performance you dont loose much if anything with a properly setup and fettled Webber for a lot less money
as tom says a new carb is £350

Your choice...

[RussGLAuto]

Evening Simon, gents, this may seem like the antichrist of websites to those that advocate Webber over Pierburg, but trust me, it's the way forward...

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgc ... rburettors

£435 for a rebuild!!! thats the reason as you can get a whole new weber setup for £350.

Only get what you pay for Tom....

hmmm
the peirburg maybe a superior carb in its capabilities ie auto choke and vacuum operation secondary throttle but for comparable affordability and performance you dont loose much if anything with a properly setup and fettled Webber for a lot less money
as tom says a new carb is £350

Your choice...

[RussGLAuto]

Evening Simon, gents, this may seem like the antichrist of websites to those that advocate Webber over Pierburg, but trust me, it's the way forward...

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgc ... rburettors

£435 for a rebuild!!! thats the reason as you can get a whole new weber setup for £350.

Only get what you pay for Tom....

hmmm
the peirburg maybe a superior carb in its capabilities ie auto choke and vacuum operation secondary throttle but for comparable affordability and performance you dont loose much if anything with a properly setup and fettled Webber for a lot less money
as tom says a new carb is £350

Your choice James...

[RussGLAuto]

Evening Simon, gents, this may seem like the antichrist of websites to those that advocate Webber over Pierburg, but trust me, it's the way forward...

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgc ... rburettors

£435 for a rebuild!!! thats the reason as you can get a whole new weber setup for £350.

Only get what you pay for Tom....

hmmm
the peirburg maybe a superior carb in its capabilities ie auto choke and vacuum operation secondary throttle but for comparable affordability and performance you dont loose much if anything with a properly setup and fettled Webber for a lot less money
as tom says a new carb is £350

Your choice James...

[RussGLAuto]

Evening Simon, gents, this may seem like the antichrist of websites to those that advocate Webber over Pierburg, but trust me, it's the way forward...

https://sites.google.com/site/pierburgc ... rburettors

£435 for a rebuild!!! thats the reason as you can get a whole new weber setup for £350.

Yeah, £85 more... go figure !

[GT_II]

In truth, both the original Pierburg and the aftermarket Weber carb can work well if set up and functioning correctly, but equally, both can give a lot of grief when things go wrong. This can be seen from the many threads on this topic on any forum devoted to modern VW classics. Which is best for you likely comes down to personal preference - whether you want simplicity or originality.

VW clearly thought the more complex Pierburg was the way to go. No doubt refined through millions of miles of testing in all climates and driving conditions, to provide the best combination of driver convenience, performance throughout the rev range, fuel economy, and low emissions. These are the things that helped them keep abreast of the competition, to generate favourable reviews in the all-important motoring press, and to comply with ever more stringent regulatory requirements. Of course, Weber suggest their carb performs better, but they would, wouldn't they? I doubt there have been any serious back to back tests to prove either way.

What VW didn't bargain for, was what would happen to the few cars outlasting their typical 10-15 year lifespan, once the technical know-how started to vanish from the dealer network, carburettor parts became increasingly expensive and hard to find, and maintenance often became the preserve of amateur mechanics tweaking this or that to overcome problems with warm-up or idle when the wax-stat failed or dirt got into the fuel.

The Pierburg is a beast to set up correctly, ideally by methodically following through the dozens of checks and adjustments set out in the official service manual, to test each component and check each setting. This needs dedication, patience, time, care and some test equipment. If you're minded to delve into the workings of Pierburg, I found the Haynes manual for Solex and Pierburg carburettors really useful as it discusses the structure and operation of the Pierburg in a lot more depth than either the Haynes Scirocco manual or the official service manual.

For me, I would always choose the Pierburg, but that is down to my obsession with originality. I have no experience of the Weber, but I can vouch that power delivery and refinement with the Pierburg are fantastic.