TD rebuild

[54321chris]

I'm thinking of buying a 1.6td to replace my n/a in my 85 jetta.  Apparently the turbo is watercooled; is that oe?  This td is worn out and will need some love.  How do I know if it needs a hone or bore?  If I'm replacing the rings, is a hone a necessity?  I've heard to look for a lip at the top of the cylinders and to make sure there are no deep vertical scores in the cylinders.  How about roundness of the cylinders?  
This will be a direct bolt-in, right?  Is my n/a clutch the same as the td, or is it weaker?  Should I replace it?  I'm hoping for some decent power, maybe 120hp???  I don't know, really.
Thanks in advance!

[td_Jetta]

Chris, You have lots of q's and I don't have enough info to give you your case info. I've never seen a water cooled turbo on a 1.6td. The oil line that feeds the turbo is cooled via water to oil heat exchanger mounted above the oil filter. The only real way to know what shape the block is in is to measure it. All other methods are educated or not guesses. The block is a direct bolt in. The clutch should be a 200 mm. I think all 1.6d and td came with that size. Most of these cars have been taken apart and had parts swapped around with parts from who knows what year and applications. Rebuilds can be slapped together with little concern or lots of care. You will get out what you put in it. Use the search and you'l find all you need to know.

[Rabbit on Roids]

sounds like its an SB engine with a water cooled turbo. probably a T2. and if you can pull the head off and wobble the pistons in the bores, rebuild that ***.. ***, you should rebuild it anyway. i would. its very cheap to rebuild a VW diesel. and you dont have to have a degree in engineering to do it either.

[54321chris]

So can you all help me make a list of parts for a rebuild?  Or does someone offer a rebuild kit for these?  Trying to figure a cost estimate for all this.  I'm getting the complete motor for four or five hundred after I give the guy my N/A and run an errand for him; that's fair right?

piston rings
head gasket
oil pan gasket
IM shaft bearings and seals
crankshaft bearings and seals
rod bearings
head bolts
valve cover gasket
rebuild oil
what else?

[Rabbit on Roids]

pistons & head studs.. the 2 most important parts!

[54321chris]

So you wouldn't even consider just honing?  Think it definitely should be bored?

[Rabbit on Roids]

if theres a ridge, bore it. if theres no ridge and the engine has like 60 thousand miles on it, then you could re ring it. my engine had 70k miles on it, and had a slight ridge, and all i did was hone it, and now it has TONS of blow by when its warmed up. well, not tons, but definitely has more than a freshened up engine should have. if you do a half assed job rebuilding it, you will end up with a half assed engine. i would give it as much of a fighting chance as you can, being that you said it had bunches of miles on it.

[54321chris]

Thanks rabbit.  Does bring the build price up a bit.  Any particular brand of pistons I should look for?  Anybody else care to chime in?

[54321chris]

I'm guessing volkswaparts.com should be avoided when shopping for pistons and rings?

[rabbitman]

I'm guessing volkswaparts.com should be avoided when shopping for pistons and rings?

I've actually heard all good things about his pistons. He seems proud of them unlike everything else he sells.

[Rabbit on Roids]

kobleschmidt or however you spell it, KS pistons are a good german brand. but then again people are running Prothe's pistons with no problems.

[54321chris]

Well, I'll probably go the cheaper route if people are giving rave reviews, as I am a broke grad student.  Somehow am finding the resources to buy the motor in the first place though...  :roll:

[Rabbit on Roids]

prothe for the win then!

[jtanguay]

regular casting products he sells on his site are probably alright, like pistons, heads, manifolds...  some stuff is sketchy, but then again its pretty cheap.  those $60 TDI injectors must have chinese nozzles that will last maybe a year, but a brand new injector costs in excess of $400 just to give you an idea.