Franken-TD for an '84 Coupe: Like i need another hole in my build thread

[TimpanogosSlim]

Never done a build thread before. Never really built a car before either.

I don't have a good excuse for this project, other than the therapeutic value of working on a car that is 100% optional that i don't have any specific bond with or obligation regarding.

So last year, with no justification whatsoever, I started trolling around for a mk1 diesel. At first I was convinced that i needed a 2-door non-sunroof rabbit. A few slipped through my fingers. Many were identified but too far away to economically retrieve.

On the local free classifieds, someone started advertising a silver 1984 jetta coupe 1.6d (NA), asking $1500. It was a couple hundred miles away. I kept an eye on it for a few weeks.

One day i refreshed the webpage and the price had dropped to $500, so i immediately called the seller. It turned out that we have a number of mutual friends. He had bought the coupe as a running vehicle as a project. The seller made it clear that there had been issues - a bad injector had caused some head damage, so there was a rebuilt head on it. And there had been other issues, so there is a rebuilt starter, and a rebuilt (NA) injection pump, and an electric lift pump at the tank.

He told me that after a while it would only start when towed. He worked for a diesel shop so he borrowed a compression tester and discovered less than 150psi (cold) on all 4 cylinders, with marked improvement after pouring some oil into the cylinders.

Basically, it sounded like there had been issues starting, and everything but the block had been checked and changed.

By that time he had been enticed into buying an old salvage-title miata for $500, semi-running and with a real roll cage. He's more of a jdm drift guy and this VW had been his forbidden fruit purchase, and he'd lost interest.

Moreover, he had deposits to put down and needed to get the heck out of where he was and into where he was going. The vehicle was stored on his grandfather's property in southern utah, and could stay there for a while, but he needed the money bad.

So this is how i ended up buying a title for a car i'd never seen in person for $500 cash around christmas last year.

Eventually i got down there with my land cruiser and a dolly and dragged it back home.

Eventually i got it situated on a clean patch of concrete and up on jack stands.

I'm just about ready to pull the engine out. Mounts are the only thing connected at this point. Probably pulling it, separating it from the trans, and getting it on a work stand this weekend.

I have acquired, without the sense that god gave a crow, the following:

prothe AAZ head, never assembled, plus used-good valvetrain components (1.9 hydro cam, valves, lifters, inner and outer springs, keepers)

PD130 intake manifold

k03 and low-mount intake manifold from a 1997 AHU

G60 valve cover (yes, I realize the head will have to be drilled and tapped)

a whole lot of misc. parts

an appreciation for how costs spiral out of control in this kind of project

[TimpanogosSlim]

[TimpanogosSlim]

I acquired an intercooler from a Saab today. Not the blackstone one you are hoping i found - i think it's from a 900 turbo or a 9-3. Plastic end tanks. I hope this isn't a mistake. I don't think i will be pushing crazy boost yet, so, eh.

Seems to fit between the headlights.

Also, possible former owner chicanery uncovered: Read vince waldon's overview of oil pressure switches. The switch in the filter housing is the gray one, 0.9 bar, most forgiving available.

Good thing I'm getting the mk2 oil pump for my mk2 hydro head.

Edit: Waitaminute, since there is no tach signal, maybe this is legit? hmm.

I have been unable to find a reasonable deal on a VDO oil pressure sender that has the switch output as well, so i have one that is just a sender, and happens to be 1/8 NPT. Looks like, at this point, I will be using an M10x1 to 1/8npt adapter, a 1/8 npt close nipple, an all-female 1/8 npt cross fitting, and a non-oem 1.4 bar pressure switch in the toward-belts port, the vdo sensor in the top, and a 1/8 npt to -4 AN for turbo oil feed on the toward-transmission port.

Which sounds ugly.

[Rock3tman]

One way to handle diesel vibrations on an multi-point oil pressure/doo-dad setup to reduce chance of fatigue cracking:

http://www.42draftdesigns.com/VW-Oil-Pressure-Relocation-Kit_p_314.html

regards from a fellow Mk I Jettanaut.

[RabbitJockey]

no point in using a better flowing aaz head with pd intake, if you're going to run that little baby turbo.  need mo turbo

[Gizmoman]

One way to handle diesel vibrations on an multi-point oil pressure/doo-dad setup to reduce chance of fatigue cracking:

http://www.42draftdesigns.com/VW-Oil-Pressure-Relocation-Kit_p_314.html

regards from a fellow Mk I Jettanaut.

Getting the pressure sender closer to the center of the (vibrating) mass will reduce the chance of fatigue. This is an AAZ in an 82 vanagon  but you should have a similar situation.
I drilled and tapped the top of banjo bolt going from the filter to the turbo. No problems so far but then I don't have a tone of miles on it yet.

[TimpanogosSlim]

One way to handle diesel vibrations on an multi-point oil pressure/doo-dad setup to reduce chance of fatigue cracking:

http://www.42draftdesigns.com/VW-Oil-Pressure-Relocation-Kit_p_314.html

regards from a fellow Mk I Jettanaut.

Yeah, could do something like that. And it would be useful to know the pressure on the turbo feed line itself.

The banjo bolt looks clever as well.

There are also sandwich adapters that have multiple ports for gauges and oil lines, but when i think about having a double-decker oil filter housing sandwich (with oil cooler as well) my eyes cross.

The filter housing has two posts on it, and I've seen them with a switch in the front one but the back one solid, with the front one solid and a switch or sensor in the back one, and i've seen them with both of them solid.

Are they on the same 'side' of the oil filter? Not familiar enough.

I've got aluminum cutting fluid on hand for tapping the extra oil channel on the AAZ head, I could potentially drill and tap the rear post as 1/8 NPT, stick the pressure sender in there, and do the banjo thing on the front one. or something.

[theman53]

If you look there on mine, I used a brass air manifold. I just tapped the filter housing to 1/4" npt and used a nipple. I needed spots for the electric oil pressure gauge and the feed and something else I cannot remember now.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Dropped the engine today. Didn't get to it until after 3pm and it was date night so it was all i could do to put all the tools away before i had to rush out.

Tomorrow i separate the transmission, get it onto the engine stand, and disassemble.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Got the trans separated and the block onto the engine stand.

Finally got the IP pulley off. I used my duck's foot - two outer toes bolted to the bracket, and whacked the spindle good and hard a few times. Popped on the 4th or 5th whack.

I stood the IP up on a pad of shop towels, outputs down. Surprising how much diesel these hold. My inner juvenile delinquent wanted to set fire to the towels and slick of diesel on the driveway.

Discovered that i have a remanufactured vacuum pump. Dots of yellow paint on the fasteners. Good to have.

Oil pump looks newish. OTOH how would i know that.

One of the head bolts had a damaged head. Had to pound in the 12 point driver with a hammer. Got it out ok.

Head looks ok. Pistons look like they've got some history. No major damage tho. They do not appear to be OE pistons and the block may have been bored out. I think i recall seeing 76.45 stamped onto the piston heads. (Edit: I now understand that these are probably the original pistons, nural brand, standard size. VW and Audi markings are on the inside)

two-hole metal head gasket with a wad of RTV around the oil return. Hmm.

Plenty of evidence that oil has been leaking from front and rear main seals.

Timing belt idler pulley has a crack in it's edge on the block side. Dunno if I'm gonna replace it. i'm not convinced that it is a problem.

When i pulled the cover off of that end of the intermediate shaft tho, the, ah, I lack the terminology and i didn't manage a photo. The metal face set into the block there has a good crack in it. Probably yet another source of oil. I'll take a picture tomorrow.

Oil pan had a metal & fiber gasket on it that had clearly not been an effective seal either. I'm gonna spring for the windage tray w/ integral rubber gasket.

Tomorrow I'm gonna measure piston protrusion and continue disassembly.

[Gizmoman]

Cheers on getting into it and past the bad head bolt.
You may want to consider a new TB idler - sucks when they fail and I don't think they are very expensive.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Cheers on getting into it and past the bad head bolt.
You may want to consider a new TB idler - sucks when they fail and I don't think they are very expensive.

idler was maybe the wrong term. The tensioner pulley is fine.

I mean the intermediate shaft pulley. That ridge that keeps the belt from slipping off - looks like the engine side ridge got whacked, there's loose metal.

And yeah, they aren't expensive. i will probably replace it on principle.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Yeah i pretty much need to replace the intermediate shaft. Front IM shaft bearing is shot too, so, off to the machine shop the block goes.

Something must have whacked it pretty good!

Bottom end bearings all have 10/83 date code stamped on them.

pistons are Nural and have vw/audi marks on the inside. OK.

Anyway, like i said, machine shop. gonna call up my buddy who works at one, maybe load up his car with my block & whatnot to be hot tanked and measured.

[TimpanogosSlim]

[TimpanogosSlim]

Confirmed with my friend - he's picking up the block and anything else i want cleaned and measured tomorrow night.

Not sending the head because i am building a prothe aaz head.

Anybody want to chime in as to what else i should have checked out? Crankshaft, rods, etc?

Also, fwiw, it would appear that AS size -124 is the ideal replacement for the freeze plug block heater o-ring. OD of 33.7mm, 3/32" cross section, just a hair tight. Figure I'll grease it up with RTV and tap it in with my dead-blow mallet and a socket. Yes I'm that cheap.