My 1.6td/aaz head and other stuff too.

[Vincent Waldon]

Or if you're anywhere near a NAPA their standard oil pressure gauge kit is about 6 bucks (Canadian!) and includes pretty good nylon tubing, compression fittings, etc.

In terms of routing... I make mine a bit longer than what you have and route along the small hose that goes to the coolant reservoir with a judicious number of zapstraps,  then thru the firewall.  This keeps it away from the back of the engine (and the heat that pours off the exhaust manifold) completely.

[Smokey Eddy]

come on ed....spend $10 and get a proper boost tubing kit...they can be had at just about any performance auto parts store...comes with the tubing, compression fittings and everything.

^^^ x 2 ^^^

I don't follow the point of spending ANY money on something that is so temporary? are you guys talking about my make shift 180 degree bend? or a sleeve for the line to the gauge?


Gee, that post sparked an enourmous amount of interest... I'm amazed!

I think i'll just zap strap it like vince suggested. I have some free line up in that box area where i have all the wires going behind the dash.

[Smokey Eddy]

Well i got an actual fitting and when it boosted hard it blew the fitting out, threads and all.


But my bigger worry is the enormous oil leak. It was leaking from the oil sender on the driver side of the head. I fixed that. ran up and down the street again and it's a constant drip from the back end. I checked the oil feed at the top of the turbo, it doesn't leak. I can't see oil anywhere on the turbo that i can see from my stand point with it in the car... Is there somewhere from underneath i should look for in specific? like where the cold side joins to the hot side?


There were 2 or 3 oil pan bolts i just couldn't get in because of how close the trans is to the oil pan (who's idea was that  :| ) Anyone have any ideas on how to get those in there? I tried a universal and it doesn't fit. A wrench - im not super human enough to turn at that angle.

anyone?

If it is leaking from the oil pan, do i have to drain the oil and take it all off again and clean off the gasket  :cry: and try again?  I'm really angry that VW designed it so that in order to take the pan off you need to take the trans off...

which leads me to think, "is it leaking between the trans and the block?"
to change that seal it's a massive job isn't it?

I put two of the bolts from the LDA that i replaced for actual bolts in the stead of the oil pan bolts and i got them in with a screw driver. BUT one of the holes was stripped so i guess i just gotta hard cheese it.

[truckinwagen]

go to the fastener store and get some pan head phillips drive bolts the right size, then get a phillips driver for your ratchet, it will allow you to have the drive not lined up, but still drive the bolts in

[Vincent Waldon]

I'm really angry that VW designed it so that in order to take the pan off you need to take the trans off...

Chill home boy... they didn't. :lol:  

1/4" universal and a 1/4" 10mm socket and bobs your uncle.  I've also done it with a straight 1/4" 10mm and a long, thin extension... but the universal joint makes it a bit easier.

In general, if it seems like something's impossible... it probably isn't... you just haven't figured it out yet.

Notable exceptions... yes, the power steering pump has to come off to change the t-stat, and yes the driveshaft has to come out to change the starter on an auto. :roll:

Anybody remember which car came with the Platinum plugs from the factory, because the engine actually had to be removed to change 'em ??!!  :shock:

[dubbinchris]

Anybody remember which car came with the Platinum plugs from the factory, because the engine actually had to be removed to change 'em ??!!  :shock:

Wasn't it the V6 Fiero?

[Smokey Eddy]

Chill home boy... they didn't. :lol:  

1/4" universal and a 1/4" 10mm socket and bobs your uncle.  I've also done it with a straight 1/4" 10mm and a long, thin extension... but the universal joint makes it a bit easier.

You must be a lot better at wrenching than me because i tried that and i couldn't get the socket on the bolt for the life of me.

[Smokey Eddy]

go to the fastener store and get some pan head phillips drive bolts the right size, then get a phillips driver for your ratchet, it will allow you to have the drive not lined up, but still drive the bolts in

The LDA bolts bit perfectly and are slotted.

[Vincent Waldon]

Wasn't it the V6 Fiero?

That rings a bell... definitely a mid-engine as I recall.

[Smokey Eddy]

vince is there any chance you could email me a higher res. picture of your avatar?

[Vincent Waldon]

vince is there any chance you could email me a higher res. picture of your avatar?

It's the brilliant work of Peter Aschwanden from the "Keep Your Rabbit Alive" book.

The funny thing is, when I first started driving diesel bunnys (in my case, a Rabbit pickup)... that's exactly what it was like.  Diesel was only available at truck stops, and I always sandwiched between an audience of truckers, one of whom might come over to warn me that I was filling with diesel... until they saw the DIESEL badge on the tailgate.  Then at least half the time they'd pull out their wallet and offer me cash on the spot for my tiny truck.

Ah..... memories :wink:

[Smokey Eddy]

that's a cool story  

I'm still surprised how many people don't realize that like ~40% of the newer jettas and golfs out there right now (at least where i live) are all TDI and they run on DIESEL.

[Smokey Eddy]

got day insurance for the 11th. It's now 2am and i've put about 80km on it! ha!

I fixed the lurching by turning the fuel screw out 180 degrees. It sounds more like a throaty diesel now and idles at (mine and my dad's guess) 900rpm.

Still accelerates great. The polished/ported aaz head and 2.5" downpipe make the T3 seem not so big until you look at the boost gauge or stick your head out the window and hear the GLORIOUS whistling of the turbine.

I saw 700F on the EGT at 120km/hr on the highway. WOT it never got above 800F for holding WOT until the boost went over 10psi. I can't get the fitting to stay in the hose to the intake manifold. (fixing that tomorrow before air care)

The oil temp stays extremely static. It never seems to waver even with erratic driving.

The lag with my set up from a stand still once i let the clutch all the way out is about ...2 seconds to see 10 psi and then another 2 or LESS to see 20 and then im usually in 2nd by then and i don't want the boost to go up anymore because it keeps firing that fitting out.

a smoothed out intake, exhaust and AAZ head with a big down pipe on a 1.6 make for very very very little turbo lag. when it revs up it's just totally different than it was before. I can't believe how much has changed with this new head.


The only issue im having is a pretty harsh oil leak which i can't see at all where it's coming from. the drip pattern seems to be all over the back of the oil pan and the belt side. I'm going to run it with the cover off to see if the cam leaks or intermediate shaft leaks etc. I'm pretty sure it's coming from the back of the cam cover like Vince has mentioned before and i will be putting carriage bolts through it all in the near future. I'll do a DIY on it too i think just for fun and it's so simple.

Another problem is the coolant/temp light is still ALWAYS flashing and my alt. light flickers very dimly. any suggestions? I don't know what the dim flickering batt light means and I'm totally lost with the temp light. I've given up with it. I think something is just broken causing it to forever blink. The temp stayed wonderful - like i said the oil never got hot but i did notice the hoses never got hard and (YAY!) the expansion tank didn't hiss at all.

[dillenger1]

800 degrees doesnt seem right.If your fuel is turned uo then you should see at least 1100 degrees on a pull if not 1300.

[jtanguay]

800 degrees doesnt seem right.If your fuel is turned uo then you should see at least 1100 degrees on a pull if not 1300.

because of all the porting, and extra airflow, it might just be running more efficient... especially with that larger downpipe he has installed.  

is there any black smoke when you drive, Ed?