AAZ Engine Sputter

[turboocco]

Recently I bought a 1983 Jetta with an AAZ swap. Picked-up the car in Calgary and drove it all the way back to California. Ever since I bought it, each time I started the car it would sputter initially. After I punched the throttle pedal lightly it would rev up and idle correctly, and run fine after that. This happened every time I started the car. It did this consistently for the first few weeks I was driving it in California.

Then recently it wouldn't get out of the sputter state, even after punching the throttle or holding it at full throttle. The only way I could get it to out of the sputter state was to start it up, then push it to get it going around 5-10 mph, then drop the clutch and the engine would start running properly. As long as I kept the RPMs up it would be fine (meant I had to rev the engine when sitting at stop lights), but as soon as I let the RPMs drop down it would go right back into that sputter state. I could push it and drop the clutch again, and it would run fine again. By "run fine" I mean it was totally drivable, had normal power output, and did fine driving around the hills of California, but I just had to keep it out of that sputter state.

Any thoughts on what might be causing this? How would you go about troubleshooting this?

Appreciate any advice you have!

[MizPahPAH]

I was going to suggest that you check your glow plugs until you said that the sputtering would go away if you dumped the clutch, and now it doesnt go away at all.

I have no experience with the AAZ is that a 1.9? or 1.6 either way you may want to check the crank sproket and see if it is loose and or if the key way is worn, the sproket may be slipping time?

[joat]

try a diesel pump purge treatment ( could just be one dirty injector )

also try draining the filter for water if you have one (or change it)

Just possibilities....

[Fatmobile]

Do you have clear fuel lines?