What to do: 60k mile Eco D engine sat for 14 years when car was wrecked

[Dakotakid]

Naw....we gots no use fer common sense..............

[vdubspeed]

I've pulled two cars out of the woods that sat for 14 years and 18 years.(video's of both on youtube under my screen name vdubspeed16vt) Both started up PERFECTLY and are still running. I pour ATF in the pump and let that sit a couple minutes. After that...start cranking. Now both engines did get a new t-belt.

14 years was just a hibernation for the ole girl. Don't let these doomdays people have you spending hard earned money on a complete rebuild or to have a look or whatever. New t-belt and go.

Regards,

Jason

[libbydiesel]

Yup, I just revived one that sat 16 years.  Runs like a top.

[hillfolk'r]

Depends on where its stored to what is gonna happen.
my red car needed nozzle tips,they were rusted shut..about 500miles after getting it running and using lube my ip still crapped.
def do a timing belt,it lets you get in there and get some of the crusty crap off the pulleys and sprockets..
id prelube it like its a fresh engine,cause its dryer than one thats for sure.and dont prelube it by cranking it over it doesnt make sense you ar spinning it with no oil.
my car was in a damp garage,there was green crap on the steering wheel.it always smells musty even though ive had the interior out.its 70% better but a few spritzes of febreze only lasts a few days.i think the dash will haveta come out so everything can be cleaned and wiped down.thats too much to think about right now,febreeze is cheep.....
for initial test running,id run it out of a small gas can and set it up on the cowl or somethin

[fatmobile]

If the timing belt is still on I would crank it by hand.
 If you get near a peak and it wants to spin backwards the compression is real good. Above 375.

Starting to wonder how well that works with hydrolic lifters that have sat for so long.
 Always works with the mechanical heads.

 You are going to remove the I-shaft seal and check the I-shaft bearings before instal right?

[745 turbogreasel]

I  have got 14 lbs across the board reading from a car with bled down hydro lifters before, but it wasn't a VW.
I'd run it.  My 6.2  sat under a redwood tree for over 5 years, and in my shed a few more, but ran fine once I patched the torn valve cover.

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

I  have got 14 lbs across the board reading from a car with bled down hydro lifters before, but it wasn't a VW.
I'd run it.  My 6.2  sat under a redwood tree for over 5 years, and in my shed a few more, but ran fine once I patched the torn valve cover.

14 lbs of what? Compression? Diesel compression gauges are in the 1000 psi range. How was it that you were able to measure 14 psi?

[srgtlord]

I would just run it. My replacement porsche 944 engine had been sitting in a warehouse for a good 20 years before I started it. The hydraulic lifers were noisy as all heck  but quieted down after a few minutes.

[745 turbogreasel]

I  have got 14 lbs across the board reading from a car with bled down hydro lifters before, but it wasn't a VW.

14 lbs of what? Compression? Diesel compression gauges are in the 1000 psi range. How was it that you were able to measure 14 psi?

Gas car, gas compression gauge.

[TylerDurden]

You are going to remove the I-shaft seal and check the I-shaft bearings before instal right?

+1

Suggest slacking/replacing the belt and give the driven shafts a wiggle to check bearing wear (Cam/IP/IM).



 

[hillfolk'r]

As if you dont have enough suggestions: prelube it as if a new engine by spinning the oil pump drive with a drill

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Finally got around to working on this engine to try and get it to run on the ground. Replaced the timing belt and tensioner and set the timing. Engine turns freely. Took out the glow plugs and checked them and they looked clean, none were burned out (they are the old Bosch not the Duraterms). The cam looks great!

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

Took compression on all cylinders dry and then wet (with some oil). Compression was not even and ranged from 309 psi to 460 psi dry and 540 to 620 wet. I remember on my daily driver 92 Eco when I first got it the compression was also all over the place and ran like crap. As I drove it more with a lots of Italian tuneup the compression got better and better and more even. I am hoping that this engine having sat for so long. that the valve seats and rings need time to bed in again and even out the compression. What do you think?

Dry:
#1 309 psi
#2 360
#3 340
#4 460

Wet:
#1 540
#2 560
#3 490
#4 620

[ORCoaster]

I would try and run it as is for now.  There may come a cold morning when that #3 cylinder will not want to fire like the rest but as soon as it is warmed a bit it will come around.  I question the 620 wet value.  Seems high to me, too much oil? 

Just the same, run and see that is what I would be doing if in your shoes. 

I just put new rings in my 1.6 back in May because of a 200 lb reading on #3 and the rest were at 500+ a few.  So, I know what that is like.  Just a tint of blue in the morning as I went up the street and a whole lot of blowby out the VC to the air box.

[Toby]

You guys are such a bunch of ninnies. The engine isn't going to fall over and hurt itself if it is bolted to a transaxle. I've run a bunch of these on the ground. Its never a problem. As for taking what is likely a good motor apart to see if its good... Don't be an idiot. If its good you will know it in a couple of minutes of running. If its not a good motor you will know that in a hurry as well. Then take it apart. As long as you can touch the head with the back of your hand you haven't gotten it too hot. We can't duplicate the ring seal that they get from the factory. Replacing the rings in an otherwise good motor is a big step backward. IF ITS NOT BROKE DON'T "FIX" IT. Or perhaps "Kid F&$k it" is a better term. Or at least a more descriptive term.

FWIW don't worry about the compression at this point. It is supposed to be checked hot with a battery charger on the battery while you are doing the test. The compression will almost certainly come up and level out after it has run a while. I have probably brought a hundred vehicles back to life after they were abandoned by someone else and they "need to get used to runnin' again" as the old guys used to say. Just try to get everything lubed up again before you crank it up. That will keep it from getting damaged before the oiling system comes up to pressure. Don't freak out when it smokes when you first start it up. You have been oiling it down to free it up and that will put out a big cloud of smoke on start up.

Being cautious/paranoid, I would spin it over for a while with the glow plus out to drive out the excess oil and bring up the oil pressure before light off. While the danger of a run away is real it is not great. I would make sure that I had enough of the air filter stuff on the motor to allow me to choke off the air in the event that you get a runaway. You probably won't be able to kill it that way, but you can keep it from over revving.