Haha, I wouldn´t call it a rocket 
You might benefit from some timing advance. However I can´t feel no difference in power if I leave the timing stock. Sound smoths out on idle when advanced and if I forget to advance I can feel some surging on light load. That´s all. But you never know. Every engine is different.
I still think, on acceleration, 250 kg (25%) more weight will make quite a difference.
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I like it JO 
Rolling right along very well !!
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Thank you, Mr Wayne! Actually way past my initial expectations. Only I could use another set of cylinders if I wanted to haul more than one tiny calf at the time
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Reminds me of a little convertible like a miata I had when I was like 25, with a 1.6l turbo in it, and it was fairly quick and agile. I went to show it off to my dad, who was a fairly big guy, he squeezed himslf in, and it lost all it’s pickup and handling. I don’t think he rode in that car ever again.
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I’ve been away on a non woodgas family event this past week.
When we got home this evening I just “had to” run an errand. What a relief to be back in the saddle on woodgas 
After cranking up to go home everything was normal, but when shifting to second gear the engine started to make a ratteling noice and revved 5000 rpm before I managed to turn off the ignition. I saw a cloud of smoke in the mirror and my first thougt was a normal intake event.
I switched to gasoline and cranked up again. The ratteling was gone but still extreemly high rpm. I opened the hood to see if one of the throttle plates were stuck open. No, both arms where in closed position??? Opening the tb rubber connection revealed the truth. One third of one of the plates were gone. It probably stuck an intake valve open, started the intake event and then blew out the exhaust valve.
I found an empty cardboard juice can with a plastic lid in a bin at the parking lot. I cut the lid out and it fitted right in the throttle channel, tightened the cable to get an idle opening at the second plate and drove 10 miles home with no further issues.
Woodgas obviously corrodes my tb plates.
I’m thinking of fabricating new plastic ones. I just hope that piece of metal didn’t damage valves or seats.
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Hopefully all ok! The throttle plates are made from zinc or aluminum? It might have passed through the system without significant damage.
Good emergency fix. 
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Thanks Garry!
I think my plates are made of brass. I just read brass are quite resistant to corrosion except in ammonia enviroments, where it develops cracks. Spot on my suspicion.
Brass being copper and zink I hope that piece was still soft enough.
Oh no! Bad news! I was hopeing for some pictures of a good catch when l saw your topic notification…
I was looking for a IAP sensor for the chevy on a junkyard the other day and saw a engine with a peace of metal stuck in the piston. The picture of it was in my head as l read your post 
hope nothing got broken…
Thank you for the brass info, l too had no idea!
Rabbit engine is a contact engine right? Good you didnt bend any valves!
Ha, l always say improvisation is the most respectfull science! Good fix!
Plastic butterflys… l see one problem. Intake burbing. The throtle plate on my chevy was ss and has no sign of wear…
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Yes of course!
I wasn´t thinking straight writing that plastic suggestion. I have to be able to use the torch on the plates 
I will have to try to fabricate ss plates.
I don´t know actually, if the Rabbit´s engine is interferance or not. When this piece of metal jammed for a while the intake valve was probably only slightly open.
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Way to go with the field fix!
How long had the plate been in wood gas service or an estimate of miles?
Have you been able to determine what the plate material was? I would think aluminum would be a worst case situation
Thank you for the excellent report. I will be making a close inspection on my truck ASAP.
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Well JO, I guess that is a sad first for the wood gas family. Does any body know what the Dakotas are made of. When I got my valve job, the mechanic thoroughly cleaned out the throttle body charging me for a gallon of paint remover to soak it in. I hope he would have noticed any degrade there.
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Thanks Carl and Michael,
Only since July last year. 8000 miles on 99% wood.
My guess is brass since they have that golden colour. Well, that was before woodgasing
How difficult is it to remove those butterflies? Are they still available as parts? If so maybe you could powder coat paint them and make them last longer?
Hi, Jan-Ola!
20.8.2017
Harsh to say, but this is mainly a result of wet gas, and is avoidable with proper
end-treatment of the gas!
That is wet under vacuum, if not earlier…
The end-treatment has been repeatedly described, but usually neglected as “unnecessary”… doing it “the American way”… until!
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I haven’t done any investigation yet but even if new plates are avaliable I think I’ll first try to find a complete tb at a junk yard. That will buy me some time and the oppertunity to take a proper look at my old one.
Thanks for the paint tip. Torching linseed oil crossed my mind. Paint might be easier.
I ran a hopper of wood today on one butterfly. No power difference in normal driving.
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Not harsh at all. It’s a fact. Cooler area and reheat is the proper solution, no doubt.
The only reason you and I still don’t use it is the sometimes big leap from talking to walking.
It will definitely be incorporated in my next build.
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J.O.,
Yes, by all means get a spare throttle body. Maybe with a lot of cutting and filing you could make a replacement plate (plates) out of thin stainless. Looks like you would have to take a mini-grinder (Dremel tool) to the rivets holding the plates. Rainy weekend project! 
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Hopefully you will find a corrosion proof solution - I always look forward to seeing your videos of that little German pickup going down the scenic Swedish roads
PS - I saw another VW truck for sale locally, rust-bucket, dead engine, $3,500!!
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Thanks guys,
Mike, that was exactly my thinking, but I haven´t had the time yet to visit a junk yard. Still running back and forth to work with that bottle cap plug
Will, that price sounds awfully expensive to me. I guess they aren´t quite as rare here. I´ve seen plenty of them since I got one myself. Never did before
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I´ve been DOWing every day with one broken throttle plate plugged with a plastic bottle lid for the last week. Only using the bigger butterfly is ok but a bit sensetive.
Today i visited two different junk yards, but no luck on a similar tb. Downside to owning a rear beast. Made a couple of other finds so the trip vas not totally in vain.
Back home I decided to grab the bull by the horns. Night shift today, so all day off. Stripped the tb and fabricated two new ss plates. I didn´t get them 100% true. About 1500 rpm idle right now, but those small gaps will carbon up in no time.
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