Vanbcguy's M-TDI Build

[vanbcguy]

An AHU/1Z bottom end is not overly heavy.  Without a head on it, I haven't felt the need for another person.

I screwed my back carrying it up my driveway and in to my dad's Tahoe when I took it in to the shop.  Still have a niggling little pain around my spine from that.  Not going to chance it again!!

EDIT: Went out to the car to measure a couple of things.  Remembered why I call her Jezebel.  There was about 2 gallons of water on the floor in front of the driver's seat (she's parked nose down right now - my driveway is steep).  GARGAMEL.

Wet vac'd it all out and I've got the engine idling (the old 1.6) with the heat cranked.  Bah.

[One_punchmachinegun]

No, not that heavy.. I've lifted quite a few..I've even man handled entire engines..
Lift with legs, no back. Don't push yourself though if you have a pre existing injury.

[vanbcguy]

She's home!!





I haven't shot any photos of the head yet, but it's gorgeous.  The shop did a wonderful job on everything, I'm super stoked.

Dropped my pump bracket, back of my timing cover and my ALH pulley off at a different machine shop today (this one does custom machine work versus engine work).  I'm having him open up the pump bracket and the back of the timing cover to fit the Rover pump, and having him mill off the shoulder on the ALH pulley so it will fit inside the AHU timing cover.  Awesome little machine shop - the guy has a ton of equipment packed in to this tiny little place you would never know was there otherwise - he has a big lathe that must be 10-15 feet long.  Very cool.  Should have taken him my IM shaft to have it cleaned up too!  Might still do that actually....

[whoabeats]

Awesome build so far, I plan on getting to building my ahu this winter in a similar fashion. What are the plans for machining the intermediate shaft? Would you just have it turned a bit to lighten the rotating mass a bit?

[bbob203]

Get I'm shaft balanced I hear it makes a big difference in engine vib. Supposedly a reason why the alh is much less shaky at idle no I'm shaft.

[vanbcguy]

Yeah I don't know what VW was thinking with the IM shafts - they seriously look like a tree trunk spinning around they are so wonky.

Don't know that I will get it actually "balanced" as it obviously isn't even slightly now. But definitely could do with a pass in a lathe.

[ToddA1]

Do the AHUs have the cam lobe on the IM shafts, or did they do away with that?

-Todd

[vanbcguy]

They did away with it - no cam lobe on the AHU shaft.

[vanbcguy]

Does anyone know what size the freeze plug is on the transmission end of the block - at the end of the IM shaft?

Realized that while the shop replaced all the rest of them they appear to have left that one out.

[libbydiesel]

36.6mm

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?sid=oot3azeaj2imke45432geoyy&makeid=800026@VW&modelid=1282902@JETTA%20&year=1987&cid=freeze@freeze&gid=5332@Expansion%20Plug

[vanbcguy]

Thanks Andrew!!

Hookay - my transmission is back home, I have my machined IP bracket / timing cover / pulley, I have my engine, everything except the head gasket should be showing up this week in the "seals and gaskets" department, I have all new cooling hoses....... I think I've nearly bought everything!!  Wow.

Still inbound from various suppliers:

- Oil Seals
- Turbo:Downpipe flange / gasket
- Turbo oil lines
- 02J shifter parts
- Polo shift box for 02J shifter parts
- Timing belt / roller / tensioner
- Oil pump
- Camshaft

What's left to buy:

- Clutch
- Injectors
- Clutch hydraulics
- Head gasket
- Oil

Looking at the total spend vs. the used cars available for about the same money and I feel a bit better... In the end this project will have cost me about the same as a lower mile ALH-equipped 2000-2003 Jetta by the time I paid the transfer taxes on it.  Only I'll have 2x the engine of a stock ALH car...

[vanbcguy]

Made some progress today... Front main seal and im shaft seals installed, water pump installed. Used my new die grinder to open up my exhaust manifold to match the turbo. Ordered my clutch and head gasket.

I'm RIGHT on the line between a 2-notch and a 3-notch. Decided to go for the 3 as I'm going to try one of the Dr. Diesel AAZ cams that I found second hand.
Other than that it was mainly a "clear the work space" day. Got all the scrap parts together for recycling, that kind of thing.

Won't be able to get much else done for a week or so!

[vanbcguy]

Gratuitous turbo photo:



One AWESOME thing with the GTB turbos is that they are very easy to reclock.  I haven't quite decided how I am going to handle my intake piping - gotta think on that a little more. 

[vanbcguy]

Haven't had a chance to get too much done... I have the WP mounted along with the brackets for the IP and the alternator.  I have a TON of parts sitting down in Bellingham that I need to go pick up.  It is turning out to be cheaper for us to go and have a short stay in Portland so we qualify for a customs exemption rather than just driving down and paying the duty on everything that should be sitting there, so that's what I'm doing instead!  All the "fun" stuff like the head gasket, etc is there right now so that very much limits the forward progress I can make at the moment.  Trying to avoid tearing in to the car till I have everything pretty much ready to go as I don't want to have my landlord on my case.

Still trying to sort out my alternator.  I think I'd prefer to go for a 120A one - I've found that VALEO Part # 437369 for an AAZ is a 120A that still has the 'W' terminal.  There aren't many 120A that have that.  It's not a cheap alternator though - pretty darn close to $300 no matter where I look.  Ouch.  There is a REMY Part # DRA8950 listed out there for under $200 but it is identified as a "light duty" rebuild... I've got a "light duty" rebuilt alternator on Jezzie right now, bearings are done and voltage regulator took a crap after about 20,000km so I think I'd prefer to get something a bit better.

[vanbcguy]

Hookay, lots and lots of money spent but not much happening right now.  I have a ton of stuff sitting in Bellingham waiting to be picked up.  Turned out it'd be cheaper for the three of us to head on down to Portland for a weekend and stay in a hotel rather than just picking up all the packages I have waiting and paying the duty on what's there, so that's what I'm doing this weekend.

Fun things I've gotten recently...

- Racor Turbine fuel filter
- Facet lift pump
- 02J shifter, cables, shift tower
- Polo shift box (fits the 02J shifter components but bolts in to the Mk3 body without hacking anything up)
- Alternator (found a 120A Bosch rebuild that should have a W terminal on it)
- Hiflox Warp 7 nozzles (don't have them in my hands yet but I've sent the money)
- Water pump pulley to allow elimination of the AC compressor (I don't have AC - this will drive the WP and alt on the serp belt, only the PS pump will be on the v-belt)
- Bunch of bits and pieces for my VNT controller... it is starting to get a little more complicated than just controlling the VNT - serial LCD will show stats like a Scangauge would

I'm off December 24 - Jan 1 so I should have some time to DIG IN to the car finally.  I think I've gotten just about all my bases covered now, not really much left to buy.  Ordered all the weird little fasteners and things that VW uses... All the clutch pieces to do it OEM style... Heck I've even got a Mk4-style shifter knob and boot to fit my 02J shifter!