1980 Rabbit Diesel manual Project

[acidtonic]

I just picked up a 1980 VW Rabbit Diesel (1.6 I believe 1.5 engine) with the 4 speed manual and a sun roof for $600. Car has 82,000 original miles and seems to be quite rust free for the number of years.

There are minor problems yet I was able to start it up and drive it 45 minutes home under its own power.

I'm completely new to diesel yet I have other gas performance cars. The 1st and biggest problem is a leak either from the injector or the throttle-input seal around the fuel injection pump that causes the car to lose prime after sitting overnight. Then I have to pull the hose off the fuel filter and pour diesel in before I'm able to start it. Also it didn't want to start in the snow when I first bought it until I was able to plug in the block heater. So my guess there is the glow plugs probably need replacing. There is a very small and almost non-existant coolant leak from this little 2 inch piece of rubber hose in front of the radiator where it appears to go into what I believe is the T-stat housing.

Here are a bunch of pics to show the car and it's starting condition which I think was a downright *steal* for $600 It has a beautiful interior and really only needs minor fix ups to be 100% ready.

Problems in list form.
1. Injection pump leak causing car to lose prime.
2. Leak around injector #3 but it doesn't seem to be fast. (might be part of prime-loss issue?)
3. Glow plugs that need replacing for the harsh winter here in Michigan.
4. Front turn-signals aren't hooked up. Rears work fine.
5. Only high beams work, yet no one seems to notice when I just leave the brights on with such small lights (hehe)
6. Heater fan never seems to be turning on, guy I bought it from said he put power to it and it turned on, so it's not blown it's just an electrical problem of some kind.
7. Rear hatch strut is blown and doesn't hold the rear glass up.
8. No radio (but I could care less, love the sound of the diesel engine!)
9. Wipers work, but they are "slow" so I probably want new motors. The guy said he had them somewhere and will call me if he finds them.
10. Door hinge on the drivers door doesn't hold well, yet I can shut the door and just lock it which then keeps it shut nicely.

Spare parts:
    I got a spare radiator, spare set of axles, spare head lights, generator, front and rear bumpers which aren't spares but were taken off the car when purchased... (looks kinda good without them honestly). Also some extra visors and floor mats that look factory. The little vent window is fine on the passenger side but on the drivers side it's taped on with gorilla tape (quite well actually) and thus I'm not listing that as a problem.

Here are the pics.
(NOTE: The white dots on the front of the car is just salt from the snow storm I just drove through to get this thing home, it looks smooth and shiny when clean.)

[TimpanogosSlim]

I'm gonna take a guess that the low-beam filaments are blown? new sealed beams are cheap. All i learned from the candle power forums is that long-life bulbs have a long life but their light output is sub par after a year or so.

I'm under the impression that it's unusual for an injector body itself to spring a leak. Loose or cracked injector line? loose or cracked leak-down hose?

If you get a gasket kit for the injection pump from your local bosch diesel injection dealer, several people have been able to re-seal the lid and some other major points of leakage without major heartache.

[acidtonic]

I'll check the bulbs tomorrow. Worst case I'll get a headlight kit from the store and wire it up.

I'm mostly worried about having to time the pump when I take it off. That procedure looked quite difficult and I wasn't sure that you can get away with just making a mark and trying to line it back up.

I would just like to get it to start every time without needing the block heater so I can take it to work and back. I presume the pump is the main culprit and I'll replace the return hoses on the injectors tomorrow as well.

Thanks for the help 

[TylerDurden]

Yup, you stole it. 

I'd check the brake lines closely, or just replace em... every one of my fleet had bad lines, esp the rabbits. I'd check the lower corners of the windshield closely for rust, those areas are the bane of the rabbit line: water gets in and shorts the fusebox near the driver footwell.

Git yerself a Bentley manual, timing tools and a compression tester, and have a ball.

(I'm in A2, BTW)

[acidtonic]

I'm slightly worried about the cracks I see along the injector mounting area in the head. I am afraid to attempt to remove those injectors for fear of breaking it off or ruining the head.

I think I'll just focus on the pump and purchase the timing kit and manual, then fix that seal myself.

Any pointers or guides? I saw a youtube video of how to time it.... anything better than that?

[TimpanogosSlim]

I didn't notice the cracks in the pictures. I would be soiling my shorts in your shoes. A good machine shop can flux weld those cracks but finding another head and having them rebuild that to original factory spec would possibly be a better or cheaper solution.

our own Vince Waldon's how-to is better than the bentley manual. See it here: http://vincewaldon.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=24&Itemid=28

If you don't have the cam and IP sprocket locks yet, EWK Tools sells a good pair on eBay for about $28 shipped - http://www.ebay.com/itm/261610002329

This "Shars" metric dial indicator is compatible with the timing adapters and appears to be pretty adequate (I have one) - http://www.ebay.com/itm/270350075799

Find your local snap-on man and get the official timing adapter - https://vw.snapon.com/SpecialToolsDetail.aspx?itemid=29100012 -- it's cheaper than the ebay tools.

[acidtonic]

I didn't notice the cracks in the pictures. I would be soiling my shorts in your shoes.

Is it really that bad? It does not look like it will be a problem as long as I avoid messing with those injectors. They don't seem to be leaking much at all compared to the fast leak on the injection pump.

I found someone locally who said they could rebuild the pump for $200 parts & labor. Since we'd be there he'd also change the timing belt for $200.... I'm still thinking I may want to do this myself and just invest the money in the tools so I could manage the car going forward.

Thanks for the links. I'll get that stuff rolling shortly and post some more updates.

[theman53]

is that shars dial indicator long enough to go into the adapter? If so I will get one

[TimpanogosSlim]

When i get home I'll take a picture of the shars indicator with my ebay adapter. Aside from having a much larger face, it seems to have the same dimensions as the yamaha indicator i borrowed from rabbid

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[TimpanogosSlim]

And cracked injector ports are scary because eventually rebuilding the injectors with new nozzles will be desirable, and people do break heads installing injectors the wrong way (wrench handle pulling away from the head instead of toward it)

.:Sent by pneumatic tubes

[acidtonic]

Well I just got done throwing 2 new glow-plugs in (cylinders 3 & 4).... Also got the plug in cylinder 2 loose and ready to come out which I'll finish up tomorrow.

I think cylinder 1's plug is best reached by removing the timing belt cover and going in from the side... I'll start there tomorrow. Either way I'm happy that I will be able to get them all without pulling the injector hoses or messing with any of the fuel injection pump components.

I ended up finding Bosch Duralights which are supposedly compatible with either the slow or the fast relay kit. I didn't want to pay for an expensive relay upgrade so I specifically sought out
these plugs.

[theman53]

Gear wrench especially with the flex head can be a worth while investment. I use them more than any other tool I own now. The glow plugs are now too much of a problem now.

Cheaper in a set but worth every penny even as singles
http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-9913-Flex-Head-Combination-Ratcheting/dp/B0002SR04Y

[vanbcguy]

Easiest way to get at the plugs behind the pump is to undo the engine mounts, raise the engine, then drop in a TDI....

I once pulled the injectors on my 1.6 so I could get at the glow plugs. Then I dropped one of the glow plug nuts down the injector hole. #$&$) #&$$

Thankfully the steel nut was easy to pick out of the aluminum head with a magnet.

[TimpanogosSlim]

Gear wrench especially with the flex head can be a worth while investment. I use them more than any other tool I own now. The glow plugs are now too much of a problem now.

Cheaper in a set but worth every penny even as singles
http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-9913-Flex-Head-Combination-Ratcheting/dp/B0002SR04Y

Yeah, bought my set of 7 when i was battling o2 sensors on my land cruiser. Great wrenches. i might buy some singles to fill in the gaps.

[TimpanogosSlim]

is that shars dial indicator long enough to go into the adapter? If so I will get one

Photos as promised. With ubiquitous ebay adapter. iirc with both sections of the ebay adapter together and the longer rod, it's basically the same lengths as the official adapter.

If you can find a snap-on truck, don't bother with the ebay adapter - it's not cheaper than the official tool.

It bears no country of origin markings, but was inspected by someone named YuPing so, draw your own conclusions.







I have many chinese mechanical watches, some exceedingly cheap, and based on their startling accuracy and durability i have no doubts that this dial indicator is probably just fine.