[T3] Trouble-free FI

Phil Hof phil.hof at ostronic.org
Sun Nov 17 19:37:00 PST 2013


They are out there… I am having the bodywork restored on my 1-owner ’71 fastback that has all original Fi components except for the pump and filter.  It even sat for 5 years with bad gas.  I expect I could get better mileage after having the injectors cleaned, but it starts instantly hot or cold, and cruises up to 85 (as high as I dare drive it) without trouble.  So I would agree with the success of cars that haven’t been messed with.

Sounds like the decision is made, and the best advice I can give is to CAREFULLY remove all the parts, store them, and leave as much of the wiring intact.  So if/when the carbs do not work out as easily as you expect, you can restore it to FI without hacking.

-Phil



> The problem is, I  
> can not think of one air-cooled VW of ANY type that I've ever come  
> across that has not been at least partially botched by a previous  
> owner, or incompetent mechanic.  I am convinced that the F.I.  
> problems I've encountered on my 912E are a result of the previous  
> owner trying to maintain the system himself. So it's easy to say  
> that, but how do you find one? I could spend every last penny I've  
> got traveling around the country in search of an all-original,  
> unmolested type 3, and mostly likely not find one. The difference is,  
> and it's an important one: Myself or any one of a hundred people I  
> know could get an abused carbed vehicle running easily..... but fuel  
> injection? I would be lost, and I wouldn't even know who to take it  
> to for help. Most of the really reputable VW mechanics I've known  
> won't even work on them. And the guys that tell you "sure, I can work  
> on those", are usually the guys that don't know what they are doing,  
> and will screw up the F.I.... or at best, not fix the problem. Just  
> my personal experience.
> 
> 
> On Nov 17, 2013, at 5:05 PM, Keith Park wrote:
> 
>> Lets see, with this car Ive put about 170K with stock injection, never
>> stranded, about 5oK on the 73 I had before this, also cross country  
>> trips,
>> pikes peak etc. etc.
>> 
>> My Opel went 182K with its stock L jet before I sold it, never  
>> stranded.
>> 
>> I think the key to reliable injection is NOT having had someone  
>> butcher the
>> system or mess it up.  If things have been spliced or cut up then  
>> all bets
>> are off unless its repaired properly.  A good solid system really  
>> doesn't
>> have all that many components, therefore not much to go wrong.
>> 
>> Keith
>> 




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