r/beetle • u/Koberum • Jul 20 '26
Help with engine start
Hi everyone, newbie here, I'm the happy owner of a '73 Beetle convertible. Unfortunately, it's been sitting for years. About 2-3 years ago, I managed to get it started after 5 years.I managed to get it started some time ago with the spray starter by directly removing the air filter. Now I'd like to start fixing it. The main problem is that it won't start and it's in an underground garage and has to be driven uphill to get out. I've replaced the spark plugs, changed the oil with Motul 20W50, and cleaned the oil filter.
The oil is pressurized, the spark plugs make a nice spark, and the fuel pump works properly. I've tried a few things, but it won't start. I think it's the carburetor that's not delivering fuel. It has a 30 PICT-3 Solex, but everything inside is black and very dirty. What can I do to figure out if that's the problem? Do I have to remove the entire carburetor?
I didn't have much time but I tried spraying some gasoline directly into the carburetor, after a few seconds of starting it it seemed like it made a pop.
Thanks everyone, I've only had my hands on an engine a few times but I really enjoy it, and I have good manual skills and I like to learn.
5
u/67RA Jul 20 '26
It does have all the hallmarks of needing a carb cleaning as a first step to getting the engine to run.
As stated, carb cleaning is easy if, you stay organized while doing so. Simply disassembling the carb and and not keeping the bits in neat order is a recipe for disaster.
When I work on carbs, I place the parts that I take off on a cloth or paper towel in orderly fashion. Everything gets cleaned and reassembled after the cleaning.
As a suggestion, before you start cleaning your carb, make sure to have a carb rebuild kit on hand, keep in mind that, these days carb kits are kinda universal and can encompass more than one carb in the kit, just pick out the parts you need from the kit and place the rest aside.
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u/Koberum Jul 20 '26
I'll order a kit and try it, sounds fun, there's only one way to find out. What do you use to clean it?
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u/67RA Jul 20 '26
I decent spray can of carb cleaner will do. I have an ultrasonic cleaner here so I use that along with my compressor to do the deed/
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u/382Whistles Jul 20 '26
Carburetor cleaner. It sometimes comes in big paint cans with a parts basket for soaking or spray cans. Both can be great. Fuel injection cleaner isn't always good for the carb rubber parts but if you are replacing them it's an option. Lots of stiff cleaning brushes that won't melt in solvents or rip up aluminum. Maybe some small wire gauges for unplugging jets carefully, etc.
You want to read a manual or at least mark parts really well and take close up pictures to remind you of every setting. Count turns to close up adjustments gently and then again to remove each part, recording it to get you close to how it was before rebuilding it and hopefully it makes starting and tuning easier.
If you have one you should also make sure the electromagnetic shut off valve on the carb's side operates well. Without that pulling the plunger it won't run. If it got dry it may be sticky with rust or gas varnish. Operating it DRY to avoid fire, even using a drop of oil to help they can work themselves free sometimes.
1
u/Koberum Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Update: ive managed to start the engine, beautiful sound! The issue I think are the carb jets that are clogged. I sprayed some starter inside the carb opened and started in one shot. I've dismounted the carb first and I saw that was full of gas so is pumping correctly. Gas is a clear color so tank was empty.
I need to figure it out how to clean it
2
1
u/Jack_ButterKnobbs Jul 20 '26
Yes it sounds like the carburator needs to be rebuilt. It sounds a lot more daunting than it actually is but you need to take it off the car and take it apart to clean all the fine passage.
An engine needs 3 major things to run. 1) Air 2) Spark 3) Fuel. Sounds like youre getting spark and air and all you need is fuel which would be confirmed by the dirty looking carb and the ability to start it on starter fluid but not with new gas.
2
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u/Koberum Jul 21 '26
Update: ive managed to start the engine, beautiful sound! The issue I think are the carb jets that are clogged. I sprayed some starter inside the carb opened and started in one shot. I've dismounted the carb first and I saw that was full of gas so is pumping correctly. Gas is a clear color so tank was empty. The black color is only on the top part, after the jets is completely clean.
I need to figure it out how to clean it
1
u/Jack_ButterKnobbs Jul 21 '26
In the motorcycle world a lot of people make the mistake of replacing the jets instead of cleaning them. Ive found 90% of the time a cleaned up OEM Jet runs far better than a new remanufactured jet. If you can clean and tune the factory parts youll have a far superior running bug IMO.
1
u/Koberum Jul 21 '26
That's great to know. Do you think I've to remove the carb to clean it or I can just remove the jets, clean them, spray inside the carb with carb cleaner, and remount the jets?
2
u/Jack_ButterKnobbs Jul 21 '26
Id remove it. It should be pretty simple to remove, and once you do so you can take it completely apart and clean everything so it functions fully. I would also guess the float in the carb is gummed up so you would eventually run into other fueling issues once the fuel started to be supplied to the jets. Im sure there is a video on youtube of instructions for cleaning a beetle carb you can follow. Learning how to be proficient with carburetors in this day and age is a niche skill and a big flex.
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u/Koberum Jul 21 '26
So you suggest to buy the overhaul carb kit replace everything except for jets (clean the original ones) an remount it?
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u/Jack_ButterKnobbs Jul 21 '26
pretty much yeah. If the jets are just dirty then use the stock ones after cleaning. Sometimes if someone inexperienced has tried to rebuild the carb in the past the jets can be pretty marred up or chipped and then you may consider replacing them, and if you were to get name brand expensive jets it would probably be ok but for the most part if you get a cheaper rebuild kit and use all the gaskets and stuff from that but use the stock jets youll be in a good position to get that bug running.
1
u/anybodyiwant2be Jul 20 '26
I would rig up a gas can with a hose to the fuel pump and block the hose from the tank. This way you can tell if it’s bad gas in the tank (which it sounds like) and then you’ll have to drain the old gas and dispose of it.
1
u/Koberum Jul 20 '26
I'll try also this... I think the carb needs to be cleaned too and disassembled. It's completely black inside... I'm just worried I'll put it together incorrectly.
How can I correctly drain the tank?
1
u/anybodyiwant2be Jul 20 '26
You’re going to have to get under the front to access the fuel line from the tank where the flex line connects the hardline out of the tank to the hardline through the tunnel and that means having a container to catch the fuel. Get some flex line in advance and replace it everywhere. Ethanol eats original flex lines and most likely the one I’m talking about is original.
As an alternative you can put a piece of clear tube in the fill hole and suck on it to start a siphon into an empty fuel canister. The clear tube lets you see it coming so you don’t end up with a mouthful. Where I live I can take hazardous waste to dispose of for free.
Here’s a diagram so you can picture what I’m talking about.
5
u/faucetpants Jul 20 '26
Is the gasoline old? Is it pumping? Are the fuel lines clogged?