Buying a used 1.6TD

[anarchyx34]

Hey everyone. I purchased a A2 jetta with the sole intention of doing a 1.6 turbodiesel swap. Now is the time to actually buy the motor. I've done a fair bit of internet shopping, and it seems the only place to buy one is in Canada as they're a bit scarce in the US. I've found one that I'm considering. Mileage unknown, but the place assures me the motor is in excellent condition (they're primary business is diesel service) and passed a leakdown test with flying colors. They also give a 90 day warranty.

Assuming it has about 250k miles, which it seems most do, should i just drop it in the car and not worry about it? Or should I perform exploratory surgery and make sure it's not a mess inside? I know these engines last an extremely long time, but I have heard of some having trouble.

Also, I've heard about head gasket issues on non "hydro" motors. I'm assuming an engine from a '92 would be a hydro motor and that it shouldnt be an issue?

Also, I plan on doing plenty of performance upgrades to at least have it be as fast as a "normal" car. I'm not looking for pavement blistering performance. 100hp will do just fine. Will I need to build the motor up or will it handle this fine in stock form?

Any favorite places you guys like to buy engines?

Thanks!

[anarchyx34]

Thanks for the reply. Can you tell me what the intermediate shaft is? I'm not terribly familiar with this engine yet.

[RabbitJockey]

one of the po's had the intermediate shaft  changed in my cars old motor, while the motor was in, i'm not sure completely how they did it but there is a slice in the inner fender and stuff.

[QuickTD]

It is possible to change the I-shaft bearings in an A3 with the engine in the car, I've done it, but it ain't easy. The front crossmember must be unbolted and the engine lowered a few inches for clearance. I think I also had to pull the right rear motor mount to get the engine low enough.

[avocado_tom]

<snip> I personally would remove the head and look at the bores.  If there was much of a lip at the top I would do a full rebuild (bore, new pistons, bearings, etc.).  If there was minimal lip in the bore and still cross hatches, then I would consider putting it back together using a metal headgasket from a 1.9 and head studs, or even go so far as to hone and rering depending on the amount of wear in the bores.

When you say "lip" I assume you mean lip between the top of the cylinder and the end of where the top ring reaches on the compression stroke?

And regarding the "amount of wear in the bores" are you referring to the amount of visible lip or...?

Just curious.  I'm relatively new to diesels (and water-cooled engine disassembly) and I too am trying to get a sense for what I need to do to my 1.6TD before popping it into my bus.

Cheers,
    Tom