Cutting out - exhaust snapped?

After months of trouble free driving my Cabbie has done its best to end our love affair!

On a short journey it cut out about five times (leaving me in some real hairy side of the road situations - girlfriend has said she will not go anywhere in car again!) - I put these down to re-occurrence of fuel contamination problems and changed over the in-line filter at the side of the road. The cutting out problems continued & I ended up limping along in 3rd gear, cutting out every mile or so. On the way home to add insult to injury the back box snapped. The whole set up of the car then went to pot & would only run for a matter of meters before it cut out again.   

My question is could the demise of my exhaust have caused the cutting out problems?  

Booked in for a replacement back-box tomorrow afternoon - but I have grave concerns about how it is going to run even after that is sorted.

Thanks Rob.

Is this a Gti Cab???

If so check the tank lift pump and main fuel pump.

If you fill it up with fuel does it run better?

I suspect all the jerking of cutting out caused the possibly already weak back box to fail.

Cheers

Rich

Rich -
No it's an 8 valve 1.8 with standard carb.

Up until Saturday it has been running pretty good - only ever struggled & cut out when going up big hills.

Have you been through the rusty fuel filler neck scenario? You mention fuel contamination. The jerkyness, engine dying and problems going up hills sound exactly like the symptoms of a rusty filler neck?

Cheers

As far as I can make out the filler neck has been replaced before I took ownership, but I suspect there still may be some residue of rust in the petrol tank.

I thought that regularly replacing the in-line fuel filters would be a short-term fix for this problem?

BTW - taking car to have new back-box fitted this afternoon. Set off to work really early as I expected the same reoccurring cutting out problems. The car ran fine except for the noise from the lack of exhaust!
 :dontknow:

Planning to inspect the petrol tank at weekend with a telescopic magnet to see if there is any loose rust in there, also will strip carb down & give it a good clean.     

I will post again with info on what I find - cheers Rob.

It seems that small flakes of rust can get on the end of the pckup causing it to block - back blowing the fuel line seems to clear it then clean out the tank

crazyquiff said

It seems that small flakes of rust can get on the end of the pckup causing it to block

Rich -
If it is blocking the pick-up that will explain why changing the in-line filter seemed to make no difference. Do you think the rust is from the old filler neck or from the tank itself?

Also how big a job is removing the tank completly to give it a proper clean?

I suspect the rust is from the old filler neck unless there is water in your tank which can also be a cause of cutting out.

Not to hard to drop the tank but it does mean dropping the rear axle too