renamed - PROBLEM FOUND - now need help with the solution

[Mikeyworks]

I'm trying to save this thread from the other forum, so here's the bulk of it:

I'm going to look at a Caddy with a completed TD swap. The current owner want's it gone from his yard.
He says it runs, but also says it has a mysterious "knock from the bottom end." I am going in a couple hours to go look at it.

Any clues on what the knock may be?

After I get back I will try to better describe the "knock."

Regardless of repair needed, I will likely get it since he's only asking $400.

Mikey


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Mike Hitchings/Mikeyworks
Here's another piece of info to help in the long-range diagnosis.

The owner told me today that the last time the PO had it in for service, the shop put "regular oil" in it instead of the normal Amsoil that had been used. My thought is that the sudden change in oil may have causes a bit of unusual happenings in the bottom end.

By the way, here's the soon to be Mikeyworks BioTruck!!!


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Dr. Diesel

sweet truck! I guess it's just the pic that makes it look bent?

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BlackTieTD
i want a caddy someday.. parts truck    
what's that poor corrado doing sitting there?

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Mikeyworks

Dr. Diesel,
Yeah, it looks bent b/c of the photo stitch program that I used. It kinda put a fish-eye effect on it. The truck is freakin' great. It has a nice sport interior with really comfy seats. The bed has a wonderful bedliner (spray in, rhinoliner or such), a couple spots of rust on the body (nothing that I can't fix).

The other cars around it are going into various other projects, none of which are mine, yet. Believe me, nothing in this yard is going to waste.

Mikey

[fspGTD]

Hey, who's the little passenger?  

Amazing how much better images look with the lighter color scheme.  (Or maybe it's just my laptop?   )  The fonts look bigger too?  Very nice improvements - thanks admins!!

[Turbo DS]

I just see a red X...    :wink:

[Turbo DS]

Never mind, it loaded after I posted  :roll:

Nice looking truck!  Definately get it

[Mikeyworks]

The co-pilot is my 22 mo. old daughter.  She saw the truck and said (no kidding) Diesel W Truck Daddy!!!!  It made my heart melt. I have to get it.

Any additional thoughts on the knock?

Mikey

[andy2]

hi, your sure its not a fuel knock , a sticky or stuck injector can make some pretty loud poundings . If you havn't done so yet, lossen of the injector lines one by one to possibly give you a clue to whitch cylinder it is ,If the (cylinder cutout) test makes no difference theres obivously theres somthing wrong in the bottom end, but if one cylinder stops making noise when not getting fuel, pull that injector.

[Mikeyworks]

Well, I bought the truck today!!!!  For $400 is was a friggin' steal!!!!!

After only 5 minutes of work, I had it going too!!!  I put a new battery in it (actually the one from my other rabbit with a full charge), topped off the fuel filter, topped off the injection pump (twice each) cranked it for about 20 seconds and it started right up.  It stalls out once in a while, but that's easily attributed to the air in the fuel system at this point.

Well, after I had it started, I could hear the knocking sound.  Help me with this one...it's a TD motor from an '86 Jetta. That means it's more than likely a hydraulic head. I can confirm this pretty easily, right?

If it's a hydraulic head, and the wrong oil was used, will that cause the valves to act up?  I know that before it was parked (about a year ago) the owner had it serviced, the service loc. put in the wrong oil and acknowledged this.  The owner thought it was no big  deal. He drove it about 10 minutes to his house and parked it. He said it was making the knocking/tapping sound and didn't want to hurt the engine, nor did he want to bother with it anymore.  I figured after a that short drive, the wrong oil would have had time to work into the hydro head and result in the tapping noise.

I am thinking of getting it home in a week or so (after travel) and doing a series of oil flushes. My fingers are crossed that this will solve the problem.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance as always.

Mikey

[DieselsRcool]

I've had lifters go flat before and it does make a tap/knock sound. They are easy to replace.

Of all the diesel VWs I've had I have yet to have one with a bottom end problem. I'm guessing injectors, or as you point out, a lifter could do it. Keep tinkering and learning. You'll figure it out.

Great find though! I'm envious.  

[Angry Tape]

I HIGHLY doubt that changing oil would cause any internal engine damage.  I'd look elsewhere.

[Dr. Diesel]

the wrong grade of oil can make a tired out hydraulic lifter sound MUCH worse. If in doubt, change them out. hehe
Grab yourself a length of 3/8 wooden dowl and use it as a listening stick. (or a mechanic's stethescope) Listen at each of the injector fuel unions, and down in the pocket where the injectors thread in. You can also hear inside the block too, lower down. This can help pinpoint noises. I've even listened to individual lifters by touching the stick near each lifter bore with the valve cover off. (messy job, have rags handy)

[Mikeyworks]

Hey gang.  

Thanks for the advice. Right now I am sidelined to light duty since I broke a bone in my foot and I am in the knee-high imobilizer boot!!!   :x  :evil:

I am going to start work this week on getting the noise resolved. How easy is changing out the lifters?  How much are they likely to cost me?  Should I replace all of them while I am in there?

Thanks again gang. I love this forum and this group. You folks are absolutely wonderful!!!!

Mikey

[Dr. Diesel]

around here, i can get trade price on a set of rebuilt lifters of about $10 cdn each. Installation is a breeze. You'd probably want a new cam seal and valvecover gasket to complete the job. The timing is disturbed, so you'd probably want to be set up to recheck injection timing with a dial indicator.

[fatmobile]

Does it have hydrolic lifters?

[Mikeyworks]

yes, it has hydraulic lifters.

[Mikeyworks]

I played around with the truck this evening.

The sound seems to be coming from the #1 cylinder end of the engine (end closest to the timing belt...)  It is still present during each cycle of the engine. It only knocks once per revolution.

I also noticed that it seems to be burning more oil than normal. The entire time I had it running...close to 5 minutes...it was burning pretty blue-white out the tail pipe.

It seems also to be pressurizing the cooling system as while it was warming up, it filled up the overflow bottle. Is this normal?

Is there any way to check the condition of the valves w/o undoing the timing?  I don't have a dial indicator and I would hate to take this thing out of time since I know it runs now.

Any new thoughts?

Thanks as always gang.

Mikey