1979 winnebago chieftain dies after running for a bit

scubieman · December 03, 2014, 07:06 PM

Rick, I dont really have any help with motorhome so hard to test anything right now.

scubieman · December 03, 2014, 07:25 PM

I have replaced cap and rotor.
I have replaced the coil

I have replaced ballast resistor
I have replace all 3 fuel filters
I have blown air through fuel line.
I have replaced air filter, spark plugs.
I have dropped primary tank due to rust issues into tank. I connected hose from the fuel line and put inside of a fuel can.
I have noticed the acceleratorq pump is not working so I assume when I put fuel down the carb to fill bowls I dump some crap down it.
I have rebuild carb. but it ran just fine after doing so.
I have fuel coming out of fuel line right before carb.

future updates.
I plan to put ground cable to engine since the current ground cables are rusty.
There are many cable connectors that have extra wiring showing and are only connected with a standard butt joint connector.I just ordering same connectors but with heat shrink.

I may need to dissemble carb to get accelerator pump working.

However the engine dies with plenty of fuel going down the carb.

Vacuum is around 15-16. I have checked several lines and unable to get it higher.

Voltage at diagnostics center is 14.5 (if I remember) when I had the engine running fine.

Hope this helps you.

What has NOT been changed
Voltage regulator

LJ-TJ · December 03, 2014, 08:24 PM

:)rotflmao :)rotflmao Well yah got me. The only thing left is the voltage regulator............why not you've done everything and everything I can think of and everything I did when I had a similar problem. Wow. Well all I can say is change the voltage regulator and I'm done i?? you got me buffaloed D:oH!

DaveVA78Chieftain · December 03, 2014, 08:48 PM

Have you read this thread? http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,3424.0.html

Dave

scubieman · December 03, 2014, 08:56 PM

Quote from: LJ-TJ on December 03, 2014, 08:24 PM
:)rotflmao :)rotflmao Well yah got me. The only thing left is the voltage regulator............why not you've done everything and everything I can think of and everything I did when I had a similar problem. Wow. Well all I can say is change the voltage regulator and I'm done i?? you got me buffaloed D:oH!

LJ, I would do this, but motorhome needs to run first. It wont run even with battery charger on and set to 10 amps.

pvoth1111 · December 03, 2014, 09:04 PM

slow down....is it not cranking or not starting........cranking battery/starter......starting....start with timing double check you could have jumped time....may need timing chain

remember I said....power.....timing......air.......fuel......and err exhaust too

motors are simple air pumps ......not magical machines with emotion

will it start with starting fluid????don't use too much you could blow a head off

scubieman · December 03, 2014, 09:49 PM

Quote from: DaveVA78Chieftain on December 03, 2014, 08:48 PM
Have you read this thread? http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,3424.0.html

Dave

I bought the service manual for my model off this site. I went through all the pages. So far I realize I have a lot of maintenance work so I am seeing once if one of them fixes it.

Examples are bad connections.

scubieman · December 03, 2014, 09:51 PM

Quote from: pvoth on December 03, 2014, 09:04 PM
slow down....is it not cranking or not starting........cranking battery/starter......starting....start with timing double check you could have jumped time....may need timing chain

remember I said....power.....timing......air.......fuel......and err exhaust too

motors are simple air pumps ......not magical machines with emotion

will it start with starting fluid????don't use too much you could blow a head off

I have not tired for a while(a week) since it has been cold. From what I have found it will start but it will not stay running. Yes i think my engine is having issue with electrical. Yet I know I have carb issues so I may fix that first.

Also I do not have a timing gun.

Rickf1985 · December 04, 2014, 07:02 AM

If it will start and run for a minute or two, especially at or close to idle, then the timing chain has not jumped. The ignition timing is good enough for now. I agree you need to rebuild and clean the carb very well. Trying to get something running like this with old dirty parts can be a nightmare. I will usually try it with the old parts a few times and if I don't have success then I do a complete tune up, including carb rebuild and new fuel pump and all filters. Eliminate all of the worn stuff right off the bat and then when you do get it running that is that much less you have to do in the future.

joev · December 04, 2014, 08:34 AM

so what you are saying is if you put gas down the carb it will start and run for a few seconds and quits. Then it sounds like you have a problem in the carb sounds like you are running out of fuel in the float bowl sounds like the float bowl needle valve is stuck or when you took the carb apart you might have bent the float bowl and the needle valve is not allowing fuel in the fuel bowl . take the top off and adjust the float

LJ-TJ · December 04, 2014, 11:38 AM

Shoot one last trick. Go to the dollar store and buy one of those plastic mustard, catchup,vinagar jugs and fill it with gas. Start the rig and very carefully and very slowly squirt the gas down the carb and see if it keeps running longer than normal. Hm?

Rickf1985 · December 04, 2014, 12:21 PM

That is a good way to burn yourself down! One slip, one bad plug wire, one backfire and the container is on fire along with your hand and instinctive reaction is throw it. Now the inside of the RV is covered with flaming gasoline. NOT very good advice. Let him go ahead and run a line from the pump to a container and be safe.

DonD · December 04, 2014, 12:31 PM

A bit safer

scubieman · December 04, 2014, 06:56 PM

Quote from: joev on December 04, 2014, 08:34 AM
so what you are saying is if you put gas down the carb it will start and run for a few seconds and quits. Then it sounds like you have a problem in the carb sounds like you are running out of fuel in the float bowl sounds like the float bowl needle valve is stuck or when you took the carb apart you might have bent the float bowl and the needle valve is not allowing fuel in the fuel bowl . take the top off and adjust the float

I see fuel in carb through air vent before during and after it dies.

scubieman · December 04, 2014, 06:58 PM

Quote from: LJ-TJ on December 04, 2014, 11:38 AM
Shoot one last trick. Go to the dollar store and buy one of those plastic mustard, catchup,vinagar jugs and fill it with gas. Start the rig and very carefully and very slowly squirt the gas down the carb and see if it keeps running longer than normal. Hm?

I already did this lol. Still alive. However I think this is how dirt got into carb.

Also when doing this I did back as far as I could. I also bought a fire extigesger

LJ-TJ · December 04, 2014, 08:20 PM

D:oH! Well mate I'm out of ideas. If it had backfired out of the carb I would have said the timing was out. I'll sitting on the edge to see what you come up with. Good luck.

scubieman · December 04, 2014, 08:23 PM

I think of taking the carb off.

joev · December 05, 2014, 02:37 AM

well check out the carb if its not the problem I am interested in what you find out is

Rickf1985 · December 05, 2014, 07:05 AM

It will also backfire out of the carb if it is running too lean, which can happen with a clogged carb OR someone pouring gas in the carb as it runs out. Hint, hint.
Don't get me wrong, I do pour gas down carbs to get things running but not when I am sitting inside of a RV where things can, and will, go bad real fast.

scubieman · December 05, 2014, 11:43 PM

Think I found issue, Opinion time.

Elandan2 · December 07, 2014, 07:43 AM

I have been following this post and I didn't see where you changed out your electronic ignition control unit. If you haven't, maybe that is causing the problem. Also, if you have replaced it, ensure that it is the proper replacement. My engine had a "5 pin" control unit and I tried replacing it with a "4 pin" unit but it wouldn't even start afterward. Of course, I was told that it didn't make any difference, they were all the same and this was just the "updated" version. I then ordered the correct unit, (of course cost way more!!) and it has performed flawlessly since then. Rick

scubieman · December 07, 2014, 12:56 PM

Your right Rick I have not changed that out. However if I have a very dirty carb and very dirty fuel tank why not start there first? I thank you for your input I really do but these fixes are for sure issues now and I should try it first. If it doesnt run after this I will for sure look into replacing that.

scubieman · December 07, 2014, 06:48 PM

Issue Resolved:
I finally got the motorhome running. I turned out to be a dirty carb and two dirty fuel tanks. When the fuel tanks got clogged up I would dump fuel down the carb and the bowl to fill it up. I must of been sloppy and grabbed some of the bad gas with debris and put it down the carb. I did run 5 minutes just fine. It did die once but I believe I had a adjustment off on the carb so I twisted the screw out a bit. Once I did that it ran like a champ. I need to get fuel tank resolved which I have all parts just need to put together but I am waiting a few days to do that. Then I need to buy fresh fuel and see it pur like a kitten.

Maybe if ONE of these days it runs good enough I can finally start the restore inside. So much to do but so little time.

I have 5 months to finish restore(I hope) and dont think I will make dead line which isnt all that big of a deal.

LJ-TJ · December 07, 2014, 07:12 PM

:)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao :)rotflmao Well just think you shouldn't have any trouble with coil, ballast resistor etc,etc,etc :)rotflmao Well done. Congratulations.

Rickf1985 · December 07, 2014, 07:45 PM

If the tanks are full of junk they will need to come out and be cleaned.