Springs on top of the rabbit injection pump.

Post by **Fatmobile** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:23 am

Here's a few pics of how the springs connected to the accelerator lever are put back on.
Pretty simple with these early pumps.
The lower spring has ends of different lengths.
The long end goes against the nub sticking up on the pump:

The other end of the lower springs sits against a stop on the bottom of this piece:

Spin it until it hits the stop and use a special tool like the one pictured (I don't have the part # on hand) to hold it there. This makes the rest so much easier.

There is a disc that sit on top of that:

If you have a problem with the accelerator sticking, this is where it will bind so put some lube on the disc.

With the lower pieces held in place the accelerator lever sets into place:

I hope you took note of where this arm was sitting when you took it off.

The upper spring sits under the cap. It's not easy to rotate into place with the spring tension on it,... especially the last little bit before it drops down into it's spot. The screwdriver really helps move it the last little bit when tension is at it's highest. If yours has that piece to lever against.

Remember to put a washer under the nut that holds it all together.

I sprayed dry moly lube on everything before I put it together. Hopefully I won't have problems with this throttle lever sticking.

dennis · Post by **dennis** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 3:03 pm

I always wondered what all of that mechanism was for. What does the lower spring and metal piece do?
Dennis

tawney · Post by **tawney** » Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:31 pm

Nice pictures and 'how-to' description. I've gotten so frustrated with that blinkin' combination of levers and springs that I've just left the top spring off a couple of times; seems to work just as well, but there must be some 'good' reason VW put the extra green one on there??

Post by **Fatmobile** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:10 am

These Rabbits have the easy spring setup, I'll have to do an A2 spring setup some time.
Not sure what everything does, just how to put it together correctly.

Post by **Fatmobile** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:48 am

bump; edited my post for correctness.

VW cat · Post by **VW cat** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 5:05 am

That was good of you Fatmobile for posting those pics. I had quite a time with those springs last time I had to take one apart. Phil

libbybapa · Post by **libbybapa** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 8:46 am

The complicated spring setup returns the accelerator lever to the idle position when there isn't pressure being applied to the pedal/lever. I'm being serious, there's no added function. The way the springs are linked together, just adds complication. They still only push on the pump case and the lever. A single simple return spring would have been functionally the same. Some of the AAZ spring setups are absolutely insane.

Andrew

vwkook · Post by **vwkook** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 11:00 am

You should make this thread a sticky.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:59 pm

in essence then as I understand it, all those springs on the top could be eliminated, if there was a return spring pulling the throttle lever back to it's idle position then.

Brian Rages · Post by **Brian Rages** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 2:07 pm

I'm guessing the reasoning behind the two springs is that if one spring breaks, the other spring will be enough to get the "throttle" closed again...?

Vincent Waldon · Post by **Vincent Waldon** » Thu Oct 23, 2008 3:17 pm

My only other guess... and it's just that, based on other spring designs I've seen, is that multiple springs (with different spring rates) allow the pedal response to be customized for a different "feel" during different parts of the accelerator's travel.

Kinda like the old days with carbs.. pedal felt pretty easy until you started to open the secondaries... an extra push was needed and you knew when you were bumping up against it. Or the additional spring used to remind you that you're about to downshift an automatic.