Author Topic: I give up (Read 6310 times)

Infinitrium · « **on:** August 01, 2008, 04:31:17 pm »

Got the water pump, thermostat, starter solenoid and radiator changed today. The solenoid works but the starter doesn't work very good. The car still overheats, the little return hose still just spits water and now I have a new problem. We must have bumped either the cam or IP pulley or both because now the car runs like *** and it sounds like a big truck engine. I give up, I can't afford to fix these problems.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #1 on:** August 02, 2008, 04:47:18 am »

If you were closer I'd stop in and give you a hand.

You should reverse flush the rad, and make sure that little hose isn't clogged up? Does running the heater on full help keep the temperature in check?

FWD.MOTION · « **Reply #2 on:** August 02, 2008, 04:32:33 pm »

what are you looking to sell the car for to save yourself the trouble?
post pics of the PITA

commuter boy · « **Reply #3 on:** August 03, 2008, 08:00:38 am »

One thing at a time.

Starter- check all the connections, sand them off, maybe run newer, thicker cables, you can get them from Canadian Tire cheap. Old ones corrode and can't carry enough current to drive the starter. Is the battery top notch? Check that as well, maybe try starting it off a running car with jumper cables and see if it's better. You did get a diesel starter right? The gasser ones don't always have the same oomph.

Cooling system - probably still air in the system, it'll need to be burped a couple of times before you get all the air out. Are you sure the waterpump is hooked up properly and turning? Belt tension is right, adjuster didn't slip after install?

Rough timing checks are pretty easy, line up the slot in the cam with something flat, shim with feeler gauges, put the socket in the pump to lock it and see how far off you are at the flywheel. If those are all on and you don't have a dial indicator to fine-tune it most independent VW diesel shops will only charge you $25 or so to check with their dial indicator.

Infinitrium · « **Reply #4 on:** August 04, 2008, 01:58:54 pm »

Quote from: "FWD.MOTION"

what are you looking to sell the car for to save yourself the trouble?
post pics of the PITA

If I get a reasonable offer I'll let the car go.

Darkness_is_spreading · « **Reply #5 on:** August 05, 2008, 12:02:19 pm »

Yea hes giving up....

Infinitrium · « **Reply #6 on:** August 06, 2008, 02:36:31 pm »

I sure would like to keep the car but I can't see t costing less than 800-1000 bucks to get it going again. I might be able to get away with just another head but I don't know if any damage has been caused to the block. There is a fair bit of blowby but that could be caused by a cracked head, couldn't it? Even if I did find a head I'd have to get someone to put it on for me. I checked car-part.com and there's an NA head in Nova Scotia for 150 bucks. If that would work, I'd still need a headgasket, timing belt and tensioner and god knows what else. Of course, I'd still need someone to put it on for me and I bet that would cost 300-400 bucks or more.

gigaz2 · « **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2008, 04:47:56 pm »

truck sound like too much advance?

I loosen the IP bolts a bit, just so that I am able to move it, then have someone start the engine, if you move the ip away from the engine the timing gets retarded, in the limit it starts to make pinging noises.
moving towards the engine gets it advanced, the noise gets more "truck like" and performance goes up (and a lot of wear too) in the limit also makes pinging noises.

as in my signature, I do not recommend doing this, but it works

Infinitrium · « **Reply #8 on:** August 06, 2008, 06:58:08 pm »

Here's some videos:

jtanguay · « **Reply #9 on:** August 06, 2008, 08:35:50 pm »

if i were you, and you were going to just junk the car anyways... try a last ditch effort for www.steelseal.com product... it will either work or it won't, and its much cheaper than the alternative to get it going...

now maybe re-torquing the head bolts first would be a good idea though... either way that coolant pressurizing is definitely not good at all, but the blowby isn't so bad.

Mark(The Miser)UK · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2008, 04:46:02 pm »

Quote from: "jtanguay"

if i were you, and you were going to just junk the car anyways... try a last ditch effort for www.steelseal.com product... it will either work or it won't, and its much cheaper than the alternative to get it going...

now maybe re-torquing the head bolts first would be a good idea though... either way that coolant pressurizing is definitely not good at all, but the blowby isn't so bad.

Insignificant blowby but you have to lift the head off. It'll take a couple of hours only. Do it then if what you see makes you feel sick then bolt it back up.
I just drove my Quantum for 2 miles in the hottest day of the year towing a caravan before I realized that the splash of water on the screen was not from a passing vehicle but from a six inch rip in the upper rad hose. Things looked pretty grim... but... [I shall post what has happened :wink: ]

riddleyo · « **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2008, 06:03:10 am »

My car does the blowby dance like yours, after I rebuilt a cylinder head and put it on. I said to hell with it, and I've been driving it for the past month or so with nothing terribly bad happening... yet.

jtanguay · « **Reply #12 on:** August 13, 2008, 06:20:33 am »

i've used wynn's stop leak/stop oil burn on a car that had some good blowby. it is some pretty thick syrup... near molasses, but it did the trick! there was virtually no oil burning anymore. however come winter time the car would not start.

moral of the story... oil thickeners are good for summer, but not winter :lol: just use a product like that to keep you going. call it snake oil if you must, but it helped me out big time.

Mark(The Miser)UK · « **Reply #13 on:** August 14, 2008, 12:41:19 am »

Use a sheet of paper held over the oil filler opening and watch it to see if it is a steady stream of true blowby or the to-ing and fro-ing of the pistons. Do this at idle and rev engine. Sometimes it's deceiving. :idea: