Source
r/beetle•
Alexxthebee

Hesitating 74 Super beetle.

I currently have an issue where I drive my beetle for about 5 minutes and honestly it drives perfectly. No hesitation, no choking, no nothing. I get the clutch to the grab point and give it gas and it drives like a new car... that is until a few minutes of driving. After those initial 5 minutes, I get the clutch to the grab point and give it gas and it seems like it wants to stall... not too sure what the problem is and I was hoping I could get some insight on what I should do or change...

I changed the carb, but that didn't fix this particular issue even though it did fix others, I also changed the fuel filter because it looked quite old but that wasn't the issue either.

If you need more information to help, let me know please and thank you!

Posted Oct 2, 2022, 5:51 PM UTC

1510
AmiableCurmudgeon•

you said that you changed the carburetor, right? Did you adjust the fuel air mixture on the new carb? Seems to me that it is working fine until the choke warms up and opens. That could mean an improper fuel air mix, or a vacuum leak or even a bad fuel pump.

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Start with basics, adjust points, adjust valves, tune the carb, check the fuel pressure, check for vacuum leaks, make sure spark plugs are good, make sure wires are new.

6
caust12•

This would be the place to start, sounds like it’s running fine until it warms up enough to get off choke to the idle circuit. Carb needs a tune.

1
WhoReadsThisAnyway•

Maybe a vacuum leak? Could be during the first 5 minutes the choke is closed and the mixture is rich. After the car warms up the choke opens and the fuel mixture leans out and now it’s too lean and the car hesitates. My 73 SB does the same thing.

4
boxerbroscars•

Or also anything that could be affected by the engine warming up. Like if it needs a valve adjustment. Or maybe the choke is broken and not turning off... could be many things.

2
Difficult-Radio-5929•

What type of distributor? 009 are known for this

3
Ashtar-the-Squid•

Has it been long since the last time the valves were adjusted? Tight valves can make the car behave weird.

Does the car still idle like it should after it warms up?

2
AlexxthebeeOP•

I bought this car around July, and the only things I've done are change the oil, the carburetor, fuel filter and exterior stuff.

I'm not too sure when's the last time they were adjusted but I'm guessing their due for one now since the old carburator was shot and the previous owner didn't want to deal with he car.

So after warming up or driving for a few minutes, it does feel like it wants to stall and it has stalled on me 3 times since I've changed the carburetor and it's idling. But most of the time it's just hesitating and it's not a smooth idle.

2
Ashtar-the-Squid•

Having a quick look at the valves never hurts. If it is uncertain when the previous owner adjusted them I would check if the clearances are out.

Is the carburetor brand new? Sometimes there are some residue and gunk left inside them from the manufacturing process. A malfunctioning or misadjusted acellerator pump can also make the car behave like this. One of my cars did something similar today (not a Beetle but still another old car with a carburetor). There it turned out that a gasket had been a bit frayed at the edge, and some small pieces of it had come loose and gotten into the small passages inside of the carburetor.

Vacuum leaks can also cause problems. The most common places are at the base of the carburetor, the rubber boots at the intake, and between the intake and the head.

Does the car still have the original points ignition? Pitted points and/or a wrong points gap can also make the engine behave bad.

1
denizkilic2002'73 + Super•

Check the vacuum advance on your distributor, remove the dizzy cap and suck on the vacuum hose and check if its moving at all. If you dont have a distributor with vacuum advance, try getting a size or two bigger main jet for your carburetor, or do yourself a favor and get a dizzy with vacuum advance.

2
OGMcSwaggerdick•

Happened with ours too after a full carb rebuild. Turns out there were no rubber grommets on the air fuel mix adjust screws, so they were backing out and in after some miles from the vibration.

2