New Member with some 1Y issues

[thebilgerat]

Hey all - new to the forum.  I just got a sweet deal on an 81 Rabbit with a 1Y swap.  I got the deal as it was running rough.  I assumed that perhaps that they had not torqued down the timing pully on the camshaft to spec and that it had slipped timing.  Digging into it tonight after getting the timing tools I started examining the cam and lifters.  Well, on cylinder 4 it appears that it has wiped out the lifter and lobe on the second to last valve from the right.


So, I am at a quandry as to how to proceed.  I know the head is coming off at the very least to either make room for a new/recon head or to get repaired.  I also need to pull the oil pan and filter to see how much if any of the obliterated lifter and cam lobe went through the oil passages.  The head apart from that lifter and is in good condition.  Assuming I don't have metal throughout the engine (well, even if I do I guess, that's just going to add more parts to the list) what is the best way to proceed?  Should I try and find a good camshaft and just fix the naughty valve and lifter?  Or not waste my time and just get a reconditioned head with camshaft from a vendor of choice?  (Or a new Chinesium head straight on the slow boat.  Are those heads any good?)

Is there anything else I should scrutinize heavily after this sort of thing happens?

I have the bentley manual for my model year of VW - should I try and track down a 1Y/AAZ specific shop manual or rely on the wisdom of the internet?  How much difference will there be between the 1.6 procedures and the 1.9?

Thanks for great forum.   I appreciate it!

[ORCoaster]

I think you would be ahead dropping the oil pan and seeing if any metal is in there.  That might give you some idea if it is scattered around or if the oil filter was catching it.  That would be the easiest thing to do really.  Take off the filter and pour it into a big flat pan and look for shiny stuff. 

[thebilgerat]

Well, after draining the oil its shiny and sparkly.  No way around it now - dropping the engine and going to clean the block thoroughly.  If I'm lucky the only bits are in the pan and the filter got most of them.  Its all good though - getting the engine ready to drop I've found other things that need replacing (ball joints, engine mounts, needs some work on the wiring harness). 

[thebilgerat]

Finished the drop and tear down today (at least to the lower end - haven't removed rods crank or pistons).  Good news is there doesn't appear to be any scoring in the cylinder walls and the 1Y block has oil squirters.  It did slip timing - there's a divot in #4 piston where the strike happened but that's it.  So since I have it down this far I'm just going to replace the pistons and bearings, new head, and new oil pump.

If I'm going to do bottom end stuff, is there anything I should do to future turbo proof it?  May as well since I'm in there.