!979 Rabbit Diesel Need help!

[VW Smokr]

Look closely on the block, at the pump-side head bolt hole between cylinders 3 & 4; my magnifying glass sees what looks-to-be some suspicious lines going out to the water jacket & to the oil feed hole. OTOH it could just be my silly eyes & pessimistic brain. Hope I'm wrong!

Back when they were new, our delivery guys cracked the block right there on an almost new '80 Rabbit "company car" 1.5L... the third time they blew the head gasket! Nice guys, but idiots, mechanically speaking.


J.R.
SoCal

[vw-tim]

Look closely on the block, at the pump-side head bolt hole between cylinders 3 & 4; my magnifying glass sees what looks-to-be some suspicious lines going out to the water jacket & to the oil feed hole. OTOH it could just be my silly eyes & pessimistic brain. Hope I'm wrong!

Back when they were new, our delivery guys cracked the block right there on an almost new '80 Rabbit "company car" 1.5L... the third time they blew the head gasket! Nice guys, but idiots, mechanically speaking.


J.R.
SoCal

once i pull the head off ill take a look hope your wrong too!

[R.O.R-2.0]

have the valves ever been adjusted?

valves that are out of adjustment will make for HORRIBLE compression.. oil wont really make the numbers go up much either, when its valves.

[vw-tim]

have the valves ever been adjusted?

valves that are out of adjustment will make for HORRIBLE compression.. oil wont really make the numbers go up much either, when its valves.

yeah im gonna get the valves all adjustest and then re do compression test if it still fails i guess i jump into re doing rings then

[vw-tim]

also if i can get my feeler gauge between a shim and lobe where should i start pull the shim out and see what size it is and go smaller shim from there? now do all shims they dont have to be identical correct just each valve needs the shim that will get it into spec? so i could have all different size shims on each valve correct? im just making sure i understand ha

[nathantheengineer]

That is right, the shims dont have to be the same on all the valves, just build each shim pack to land in the range specified for each individual valve.  i always aim for the tighter end of the clearance.

[vw-tim]

That is right, the shims dont have to be the same on all the valves, just build each shim pack to land in the range specified for each individual valve.  i always aim for the tighter end of the clearance.

gotcha! yeah i just pulled the shims off and noticed all where about 3.80mm or 3.75mm or 3.60mm makes sense now.. okay so now the bentley says .15mm - .25mm clearance for the intake valve and then .35mm-.45mm for exhaust valves do i want to aim to get like .20mm for intake valves and .40mm for exhaust  valves? or it just doesnt matter as long as i hit .15 or inbetween and then .35mm and or inbettween ?

[vw-tim]

so im working on getting my vavles all adjusted but i just want to make sure what valve is what... now looking at cylinder #1 is the valve on the left closest to the sprocket the exhaust valve and then next to it is the intake valve?

[theman53]

Tighter isn't nessesarily better.

What we do around here is we have a tight and loose feeler gauge*if your numbers are accurate the I have a .15 and .35 for the tight ones and .25 and .45 for the loose ones*. If the tight one fits under and the loose one doesn't then that valve is done, move onto the next.

[libbydiesel]

Because the valves get tighter with wear, I prefer to err on the side of looser rather than tighter as it can extend the adjustment interval. 

[ORCoaster]

Tim,  note the intake and exhaust ports on the head.  You can see the valve stems through the openings.  Exhaust are the smaller ones no?

[8v-of-fury]

Move your head a little bit further back and line up the cam lobes/valves with the intake or exhaust port on the back of the head.

The bottom head of this picture would be as if you were looking over the head from the top and looking down on it.

Exhaust/Intake/Exhaust/Intake/Intake/Exhaust/Intake/Exhaust starting from the belt and working towards the drivers side.

[vw-tim]

yeah i got the valves all figured out got this pic that helped!



and so basicalily i want to shoot for like the biggest gap i can get between the lobs and the valves because over time the gap will get closer and closer together correct?

[ORCoaster]

I so wanted to do the E I E I OH? thing but without that picture I wasn't sure you would get the pun.  OLD MCDONALD had an engine.  Sing it baby.

[8v-of-fury]

I so wanted to do the E I E I OH? thing but without that picture I wasn't sure you would get the pun.  OLD MCDONALD had an engine.  Sing it baby.

I think.. you need another beer? Or seriously need to go to sleep. LMFAO!