Fixmyvw.com

Author Topic: Bought a MK1 Diesel Rabbit! Help!  (Read 3047 times)

June 07, 2022, 03:17:56 am

pingapong64

  • Newbie

  • Offline
  • *

  • 3
Bought a MK1 Diesel Rabbit! Help!
« on: June 07, 2022, 03:17:56 am »
Bought a 1983 MK1 Rabbit Diesel (Non-turbo) a few weeks back. Want to use it as a commuter and Autocross vehicle, then once I can afford some damn cosmetic stuff I'll fix that too and take it to shows  ;D.
I posted about it on Reddit and was directed here. Guy also gave me a decent upgrade path to follow but I need to get the car reliably running first. I have no clue what I'm doing. I know there's Bentley manuals for sale online for in my opinion, ludicrous amounts of money so anywhere I can get one cheapest would be great. There's an oil leak somewhere I believe, telling from spots in the driveway and a greasy substance on the engine. I think it's the head gasket.

Any other help with basic maintenance would be awesome as well. I know my basics: doing fluids (oil, transfer case fluid, coolant, brake fluid) basic suspension work, timing belts, glow plug change, etc. But I have no clue where to begin here, having never worked on a Volkswagen, or a foreign car in general for that matter.

Heck now that I think about it, I don't really know what I came here to ask about either. I thought it up as I was typing this. I need guidance here. It will be an awesome car once it's working but I don't know how to get it to that point or even where to start. Help!

-pingapong64
« Last Edit: June 09, 2022, 04:03:43 am by pingapong64 »


"Sometime, Somewhere, a bird has pooped directly into a car engine with the spark plugs removed..."

Reply #1June 07, 2022, 11:00:43 pm

ORCoaster

  • Moderator
  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 4383
  • Personal Text
    Restoring a Caddy as time and weather allows
Re: Bought a MK1 Diesel Rabbit! Help!
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2022, 11:00:43 pm »
Welcome, Pingapong, 

Owning an old VW diesel is not for the faint of heart.  They are a fickle piece of German engineering and one should study up on that to truly know why the mechanical engine acts as it does.

Get a Bentley shop manual if you want to be fixing your new possession.  They are not that expensive considering you would be spending way more per hour at a shop that knows how to fix the diesel.  If you could be so lucky as to find one. 

If you are asking how I find this oil leak here is my suggestion.  Get a couple of cans of engine cleaner from NAPA, Oreily's, or Autozone.  Clean up the engine with it as best as you can.  Spraying it on a warm engine, then letting it sit for a while, then washing it off with a spray nozzle is good enough.  Plug the air filter opening and look for holes that might be missing plugs or hoses.  I am thinking of the transmission plug and on top the valve cover as a starter.

Once you have that engine mostly cleaned off then dust it with baby powder, that's right she's your baby now!  Any oil dripping while you drive it a short distance will show in the dust.  You should be able to trace the source back to a loose nut on the valve cover or a place where the gasket might not be doing its job.  It could be diesel fuel as well, there are plenty of places for that to leak out from too.

So do yourself a favor, invest in a good book for repairs, and clean and powder your engine to see where you need to start your work. 

Enjoy. 

Reply #2June 09, 2022, 03:59:53 am

pingapong64

  • Newbie

  • Offline
  • *

  • 3
Re: Bought a MK1 Diesel Rabbit! Help!
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2022, 03:59:53 am »
Thanks for the advice, ORCoaster.

Yeah this car will definitely a project. Heading to O'Reily tomorrow to get a few things for it.
Cheapest manual I've found was going for 70 dollars plus tax and shipping. I assume I'm not finding one for all that much cheaper.
I have a lot of mechanics in my family but being in Utah, I only really have experience with Ford/Chevy trucks. Definitely not a Rabbit, but I know the basics.

-P64
"Sometime, Somewhere, a bird has pooped directly into a car engine with the spark plugs removed..."

Reply #3June 10, 2022, 12:03:19 am

ORCoaster

  • Moderator
  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 4383
  • Personal Text
    Restoring a Caddy as time and weather allows
Re: Bought a MK1 Diesel Rabbit! Help!
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2022, 12:03:19 am »
I see manuals for around 40 on CraigsList from time to time.  You may need to search the surrounding big cities in your part of the world to find one that meets your needs.  If they are shipping it to you what does it matter if it comes from 200 miles away or not. 

I do a lot of random-looking for VW parts.  I found a group of folks in the Michigan/Minnestoa area that were willing to ship to me in Oregon.  Got some good parts that way.  Some are on this forum as well. 

Reply #4June 13, 2022, 02:27:44 am

RustyCaddy

  • Veteran

  • Offline
  • ***

  • 385
Re: Bought a MK1 Diesel Rabbit! Help!
« Reply #4 on: June 13, 2022, 02:27:44 am »
There is this manual on ebay right now for a decent price:

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=vw+diesel+bentley&_sacat=0

Not mine or anyone i know.

 

Fixmyvw.com