[T2] Powerless 1800 cc

[The Bus Depot]

> Now, after warming up and running for about 30 minutes, I lose power while
> at speed (55 mph).  When I pull to the side, engine will idle fine after
> re-starting.  Then, when trying to accelerate, it loses power immediately
> down to the point that it wants to sputter out.  Re-starting occurs again -
> nice idle then no power when accelerating, etc.

Here is, perhaps, another possibility, although I've only run into it on fuel injected Buses - rust and debris in the gas tank which eventually worked its way to the orifice at the bottom of the tank due to suction and gravity while driving. It clogged the orifice, allowing enough fuel past it for the Bus to idle, but not enough to run the engine under load, so it would bog down or stall. You pull over, the fuel pump stops pulling and everything sloshes around a bit and the debris dislodge, and after a while everything works fine until it happens again. I've had this happen on a couple of Buses and ended up having to pull the tank. (In one case the fuel filter looked almost pristine; the chunks of rust were large enough that they never made it out of the tank.) However they were fuel injected Buses which require much higher fuel pressure. I've never had it happen personally on my carbureted '78 crew cab or any of the carbureted Type 1 engined Buses I've owned. 

Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot, Inc.
www.busdepot.com