Hello all! New kei van owner! Bought one for a pittance that wouldnt start, hoping to get it going. Above-average mechanical ability, so wish me luck! Where I'm at so far: Carb is spewing tons of gas into the engine and out the intake as soon as the key is on. Compression tests bad: 25, 100, 35 PSI left to right cylinders. Where is the oil dipstick?!?! I hope to yank the carb this weekend and resolve a likely stuck float, and I've got a leakdown test kit to try on the cylinders. Maybe (hopefully) just valves?
Squirt some oil in those plug holes, before turning it over. The cylinders are likely washed down with gasoline. Also, do an oil change, before starting it again.
I checked the valve clearances yesterday and sure enough, the intake valves werent closing. Cylinder leakage now shows 15%, compression at 145PSI across the board. Next up: stuck carb float!
How likely do yall think the valves or valve seats got damaged? Previous owner pull started it at 20mph and drove it like that at least a couple times long distances. Should I be concerned (eventually I plan to take this on a 1000 mile round trip), or since my compression tests good not worry about it?
Also, I saw a post referencing a conversion from square to round headlights, but no real details. Has anyone done this?
If you have good compression and you are not seeing smoke at start-up, your valves and guides should be fine.
Huge cloud of smoke on first start up. Will find out tonight if that cleared itself out. Anyone know what the little red warning light in the lower right corner of the cluster is for? It stays on once the engine is started... Looks like this: ((O))
That shows a brake problem. Could be low fluid, park brake lever not fully released, defective park brake switch, or some other matter. Fred
Alright, got that figured, thanks!! Has anyone done a custom rear bumper for the Every van/Scrum Van? Mine's in bad shape, and the tail light housings are disintegrating too. Kinda would like a metal bumper with a hitch. I just took a welding class, I can probably do it, but I'd want to see where others have attached it, etc. A search of this forum revealed nothing for the van.
Got it driving! Still runs like crap, probably gonna replace all the vac lines then go through the carb tune procedure. Are those little plastic pods in the middle of the vac lines available anywhere to replace? I take it some are check valves and some are restrictors? Issues discovered while driving: Front brake pads GONE... no US equivalents found here so far... Rear wheel bearings dry and crunchy, roars when driving - cant seem to find a part#?? Steering "center link"? The thing the rack and tie rods all meet in the middle at? It's loose and wobbly, throwing off my alignment and making steering in wind nasty. Bearings replaceable? Part#?
www.megazip.com is the easiest place to get the parts. The center bushing is pretty commonly worn out but available. Rear wheel bearings could be matched up to something most likely The brakes are the easiest part. contact the mini truck parts places, and grab pads and rotors.
Grrrr, been spending hours going through the vacuum threads, but so little about the vans! Previous owner scrambled the lines! The 4wd system is connected only to the intake filter box! Where are the two lines for the 4wd system SUPPOSED to connect? What's the intake manifold port directly after the carb (not the one the idle switch/valves connect to up by the head, the one right by the carb) for? What are the multiple ports on the intake box SUPPOSED to connect to? What's the little red round vacuum switch that only has one vac hose going to it supposed to be for? My van has a FOUR way vac splitter mounted to the sheetmetal behind the engine, with lines going to the idle vac switches, that round red/orange vac switch, and more... none of the diagrams show a 4 way. I'll be happy to draw up a diagram to share here of the 4wd AC equipped Vans for other's future reference if anyone can help me figure this dang thing out!
Also noted: There's TWO vac lines coming off the thermo-valve on the airbox. One goes to the actuator for the hot-air intake (as it should), the other WAS connected to the 4wd. What else in the vehicle SHOULD be on vacuum that is switched by intake air temps? There would only be vacuum on that port when it's really cold.
There appears to be TWO thermal vacuum valves in my intake box. One has two ports, one of which is attached to the hot air intake flap, the other goes to a T, which is connected (apparently, but maybe mistakenly) to the SECOND thermal vac valve, and to a vac source. If either thermal gets hot, the air intake moves to cold air intake upon loss of vac. Maybe if BOTH get to their trigger temp (which may not be the same) the system loses **MORE** vacuum? It **APPEARS** as if this system has it's own vac line that runs to the nipple on the intake maniford about an inch in front of the carb, with no other things on that circuit. Could it be intended to not only actuate the air intake flap but also to intentionally reduce the vacuum to that port on the intake manifold? To lean the engine slightly by bypassing the carb when the intake air is sufficiently hot??
