Newb Questions

[Hurdman]

Alright I'm new with Diesels but I want to get started with them.

I'm currently in the process of buying an 89 Jetta with a 1.6 non turbo. It happens to come with another jetta as a parts car but it is a 1.6 turbo.

The non turbo needs some work like a new starter, head gasket and other little stuff. The turbo has a cracked head so I was wondering if I could salvage parts off of it, like the starter, alternator, clutch, tranny and other stuff like that. I'm guessing most of the parts are interchangeable but just want to make sure!

Hoping to get one of them running for my first car. I'm 16. 

[Vincent Waldon]

Hey man... welcome to the wonderful world of VW diesels.

Yes, VW is like Lego... lots of parts interchange, particularly in the same model group.  You've got an A2 or MK2 chassis so parts from 1985-1992 will usually be fine.

In terms of getting up to speed on your new car I'd strongly recommend working your way thru the FAQ section.... particularly the main FAQ thread... she's a goldmine.

Again welcome aboard!

[Hurdman]

So I went and talked to the seller today. Had a good chat about the car. Its got brand new glow plugs, new clutch, new head gasket, new timing belt, new water pump. The starter is seized from sitting and when the car was parked it was having an oil cooler issue causing it to get hotter than normal and leak when really pushing the engine but just normal driving its fine.

The body is rust and rot free, including the underside, its in great shape but could use some paint. He wants $300 for it or $500 for it with a spare parts car [Identical, except its a TD]





Think its worth it?

[maxfax]

It woudl be nice to hear it run, although at the least I woudl verify that the engine does crank over...  How long has the car been sitting??   IF it has been a while plan on alot of maintenance and maybe some brake work...

The non turbo engines typically didn;t come new with an oil cooler, although one could have been swapped on it..(Yes they are Legos!)  Is it oil that leaks when pushing the engine or coolant??? The "hotter than normal" would have me a bit worried..


Personally I would say there is at least $500 in parts there...  And a rot free body is getting scarce these days...  But you also have to consider the funds you have available, how much time you have, your abilities, and space to store stuff and work on it.. Without divning in and checking it out thoroughly consider it a full on project..

  For me I woudl probably jump at it, sell what parts I was sure I wouldn't need and fix her up, but I tend to be a bit crazy too....

[Hurdman]

Car turns over just fine, it hasn't been running for about 6 months and the owner attempted to start it last week but the starter gave out. its not coolant thats leaking, its the oil. There is a small leak that only shows up when warm. I have all the facilities and tools that I need available at my school so I'm not too worried about that. The guy also said that replacing the head gasket fixed the problem for about a week, but then it appeared again.

[SolarSteve]

I'd be on that like a hobo on a ham sandwich, like a fat kid on a cupcake, like white on rice, like stink on turds.

That all goes for the $500 deal.  Get the TD motor, overhaul it and drop that in the car!

[maxfax]

Sounds like there may be a head problem of some sort, which is probably your oil leak as well..  It may be that the head surface was not flat, the head bolts weren't replaced, or not torqued properly..   Worse case is that the head is cracked...  Even at that it's a good deal..  At worst case someone around here can probably hook you up with a head..

I'm not a fan of turbos (the power is nice, but I like having one less thing under the hood to give me grief, and I'd be too inclined to crank it up and break other things) but as Steve mentioned if you end up needing a head anyhow the TD woudl be a decent upgrade....

[Hurdman]

The head on the N/A is fine and in great shape, I'm thinking the bolts were reused. As for the TD, the block is cracked and its about half disassembled.

[maxfax]

Heck of a good deal still..   I would however still check out that NA head just to be sure..   Even if it was fine when it was put on it could have gotten warped a bit... If you have access to a good straight edge it's no problem to check...

[VelocityConservation]

I would get the owner to tow start it, with good glow plugs this should be easy and will bypass the need for a starter.  I would want to hear it run, plus I would want to see what the "blow by" looks like after it is warm.

I agree that it sounds like the NA is going to need a head gasket to me.

I have the space so I would take the TD with it.  But if you are tight for storage space I would pass on the cracked block.  I have never been a fan of the idea of putting the turbo goodies on a NA block.