Author Topic: Who has more luck than this????  (Read 3689 times)

August 10, 2016, 12:03:24 am

ORCoaster

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Who has more luck than this????
« on: August 10, 2016, 12:03:24 am »
Two weekends ago now I finally got the time to button up the engine work I was doing on the VW.  I took it out for a test drive on the new head gasket, after proper torque, heat and 90 degree turns of course.  It ran kind of strange in that it would seems to really get up and go then bounce back down to almost a foot off the pedal feel.  I chalked it up to the different injectors I dropped in just not working quite right yet.

Well that behavior went on for a couple of days then went away, car started and drove fine.  So I forgot about that type of action.

This weekend I decided to check the timing, and compression just for good measure you know.   Well after I got the snorkel off and started working on the injector nuts I looked down and whoa!? what is that bolt doing laying there?   The far bolt towards the engine that holds on the injection pump is completely out of its hole and laying on the edge of the engine above the oil pan.  In the process of getting it out of there I spy the nut that goes on the back of the bolt that holds the bottom of the injector in place.  Crap I say.  But hey look here on this radiator hose, the bolt itself!

Ok so I look to the top of the injection pump again and the front bolt is nearly out of its hole as well.  Hmmm, something tells me the mechanic took a break here when it came to tightening something down.  I reached for the 17 mm box wrench and rolled the engine over enough to touch that nut on the front, yepper, he forgot this one too.   

All in all I had forgotten to tighten any of them and somehow the pump was not affected at all for performance.  But what I was feeling was the advance it would get when revved up and the retard when slowing down.  Somehow it came back to a good setting, actually 7 degrees BTDC, every time I stopped the engine. 

I was surely lucky to not have lost all the nuts and bolts but even more so that it ran nearly flawlessly for a week.

The compression numbers were 480, 480, 440 and 480 so I think I will leave well enough alone.  Maybe send the injectors off for a rebuild as it is blue trailing all over town now.  Not sure what the MPG is as it takes me months to burn through a tank nowadays.

Just wondering if others have such good fortune.  Maybe you found that 3/8 ths in drive ratchet laying in the fan housing?  or screw driver on top the battery?

I am counting my blessings and thinking that might be my quota for a while.






Reply #1August 10, 2016, 10:04:48 am

RabbitJockey

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Re: Who has more luck than this????
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2016, 10:04:48 am »
i had a crank sprocket on an 11mm 1.6 get all messed up and it would wobble around because the wooddruff key and the slot in the sprocket were nearly completely destroyed, im not sure how long i had driven with it like that, im sure it was over a week, i think thats quite lucky haha.
01 Jetta TDI 100% stock daily
81 Rabbit:TDI-M ported head, Frank06 cam, PD intake, hybrid T3 turbo, Renault intercooler, Syl20 11mm pump, light weight fw, and yellow California Clutch clutch kit

Reply #2August 10, 2016, 06:43:52 pm

libbydiesel

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Re: Who has more luck than this????
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2016, 06:43:52 pm »
I had a bolt vibrate loose and fall in one of the gaping holes at the back of the Mk1 metal timing cover.  It punched through the timing belt when it got pinched between the belt and intermediate shaft pulley but left a small bit of belt unbroken at one edge, so no damage aside from the belt needing to be replaced.   :o  8)




Reply #3August 10, 2016, 07:50:42 pm

ORCoaster

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Re: Who has more luck than this????
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2016, 07:50:42 pm »
My buddies are constantly reminding me that I can avoid all these near death (of the engine) experiences IF I would just leave the hood latched.

Well want kind of fun is that?

Reply #4August 10, 2016, 07:54:39 pm

libbydiesel

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Re: Who has more luck than this????
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2016, 07:54:39 pm »
Your buddies are wrong.  If you take your car to a mechanic instead of fixing it yourself, you still experience the same failures, they just charge you for causing the failures AND charge you again for fixing the failures...

Reply #5August 11, 2016, 12:38:00 am

ORCoaster

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Re: Who has more luck than this????
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2016, 12:38:00 am »
And That is exactly why I don't listen to them so good!   I think I was born with engine grime under my skin.  It never goes away for very long. 

And I am not complaining about it either.

Reply #6August 14, 2016, 08:11:05 pm

RabbitJockey

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Re: Who has more luck than this????
« Reply #6 on: August 14, 2016, 08:11:05 pm »
Your buddies are wrong.  If you take your car to a mechanic instead of fixing it yourself, you still experience the same failures, they just charge you for causing the failures AND charge you again for fixing the failures...

yeah, i recently heard of a garage who replaced a failed turbo with out draining the intercooler of oil, when they started the car it ran away, now theyre charging them to replace the engine....
01 Jetta TDI 100% stock daily
81 Rabbit:TDI-M ported head, Frank06 cam, PD intake, hybrid T3 turbo, Renault intercooler, Syl20 11mm pump, light weight fw, and yellow California Clutch clutch kit

 

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