Motor runs away on my 83 Rabbit

[ozzyrockman]

I would like to find out if anyone here could give me some suggestions on what to look for on my rabbit. It will hold ideal at about 2000rpm and will not drop down unless I drag the clutch or move the full load screw on the injector pump. When it gets hotter the condition gets worse to  a point where it is very hard to get it to drop down to a normal idle. The problem is not in the cable, return spring or  throttle, I can what it return to home position every time and have hosed it down with WD40. Is this a problem in the timing advance or in the governor and how would I correct it.

I just purchased the car about a month ago and do not know much of its history so I cannot give much more detail than what I already have given. This is my first post here. Thanks

[jimfoo]

Someone may have turned the full load screw too much, because that's what happens. Did you try the residual fuel screw, the one that looks like the throttle stop? Then again you say you are new. The idle is actually on the engine side of the IP, not the one mentioned above, no matter how confusing it looks. Does it have much blowby if you remove the oil cap while running? If it does and it's vented back into the intake, that will cause it to run fast as it carries oil droplets to the engine.

[DieselSteed]

Is it useing a lot of oil? Blue smoke?

[Smokey Eddy]

I have this same problem on my 1990. It only runs away when i've been giving it more than 1/2 throttle. It doesn't run away too high just noticably and frighteningly. IT doesn't rise and rise and rise. it's exactly like what jimfoo said and the idle is too high it starts to run off "into the distance" one could say.

i was worried i'd need a new pump or pay a hefty lump sum for a rebuild. im sure i still do but i think fixing the blow by, fuel screw and idle will do it for me. Thanks! (its also getting a bit of water injection through the head gasket. i forgot to do the bolts the last 90 degrees [i forgot to do it mostly out of fear of having sheared bolts in my block] DOH!!)

[ozzyrockman]

Thanks for the reply. I have been a mechanic for about 20 years and for the past two I have been wrenching on big trucks. Anyhow I have minimal blow by for an 83 IDI with 183K, the air filter/intake is not soaked with oil, does not smoke too bad for a motor with 10% waste oil not WVO and #2 petro diesel mix (the way I bought the car) slight black on heavy throttle/ cold start, power balance excellent, valve adjust good, compression/leak down nice.

Problem: holds about 2000rpm when hot, drops down to base idle when I either drop the clutch or play with the full load adjuster screw on the top cover of the injector pump.

I do not have a dial indicator for the pump timing but have one ordered. I also went thru my first VE pump "parts swap" I cannot call it a rebuild because all I did was swap parts from a broken housing to a good housing that someone got overthere head with, started pulling apart and gave up. That one is sitting and ready to go on the car if needed. Needless to say the condition of the pump is unknown and I am not sure if I have the camplate timed correctly with the input shaft and the distributor piston. (any suggestions?) 50/50 shot what the heck

The problem for obvious reasons I cannot remove the top cover on the pump while the car is running to see what is not returning to home position base idle. I have removed the top cover many times (got pretty darn good with the throttle lever, governer lever and return springs) At this point should I swap out the top covers/governor levers and let her buck or should I not bother and wait until my dial indiacator set arrives and swap pumps.

[gigaz2]

Needless to say the condition of the pump is unknown and I am not sure if I have the camplate timed correctly with the input shaft and the distributor piston. (any suggestions?) 50/50 shot what the heck

hehe, don't worry, if after you have purged the lines it only starts after a lot of cranking and fiddling with the static timing, turn the pump pulley 180º and try again.  

also get new nozzles, the difference is staggering, especially if yours are in an unknown state or mileage.

[ozzyrockman]

Ah come on I wanted a reason to have SOOOO much fun playing with those return springs getting the head back together. See that brings me to another question. I used petro jelly to hold the retun springs in placed while putting the head back together and on the governer shims will that cause any problems ? I figured if nothing else the petro diesel should desolve it pretty fast. Figured that little trick out back in the early 90's dealing with those fine A604s from Chry Corp.