Pump pressure issue or maybe something else? Won't run

[bigbertha72]

 First, thanks for all the help so far guys. Now I double checked the belt and it was a bit to tight, so l loosen it up some. I put on a magnaflow muffler on it, its not quite but I can live with it. I let it run about 15 minutes and it still is pouring out white smoke. Then I noticed the dipstick was leaking oil. I swear a large number of vw owners are some of the cheapest people out there that will never fix a problem right. Instead of putting on a new o-ring the previous owner zip tied a piece of rubber hose to the dipstick and shoved it in the block that way. So now I need to get the o-ring and washer to fix it right. But on the bright side I was able to use a 1990 to 1992 Mk2 to Heater Core  coolant flange with AC. Which allowed me to use the stock aba fan switch/sending unit, so I can use the stock cluster to read the coolant temp and operate the fans. I still need to make some hangers for the exhaust and hook up the clutch cable and adjust the shift linkage. Then I can give it a test drive, but the smoke is a concern to me.

[Dakotakid]

What am I missing here....am I slow or what? Now, help me out....what model is this car....Mk. II or III. Your little picture looks like a 93 or up. I honestly can't tell.

So, this was a gas car. Fine....did you entirely pull the gas tank and get ALL the water and gas out? Or how did you handle THAT?

Now, what are you doing for fuel lines from the tank to the engine bay?

What I am getting at is air ingestion and old gas ingestion. If this was a Mk. II, how did you do away with the fuel box, accumulator, and fuel filter?

What in the he77 are you doing for a fuel filter? Either I am missing some pretty important details or I am insane. Or....perhaps, you are glossing past some seemingly important details.

[TylerDurden]

More to the point, white smoke is commonly from delayed combustion, which can result from various conditions:

Air in the lines gets into the IP and injector lines. That causes injectors to open later. Use clear fuel lines to diagnose.
Mis-timing: improper preload or mis-setting "zero" on dial gauge is easy.
Low residual pressure in the hardlines. One delivery valve was duff (#3), maybe they all need cleaning.
High injector pop-pressure causes them to open later. Pop-test for reading, adjust timing accordingly.[/li]

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

Can you do one more video(audio) of the idle, but stand about 5 ft away in front of car with hood down.
This will help reduce some of the resonances and 'standardize' the sound for me to compare it with other engines.

[bigbertha72]

Sorry if it wasn't clear, here is what I did for the fuel system

1995 VW Golf Factory 2.0 gasser
I pulled the tank and pump- made new pickup and return lines in tank
Tank was completely drained of gas
Replaced all factory rubber gas lines with new Trident fuel hose (diesel, biodiesel, e85 compatible hose)
Plumbed in a factory idi fuel filter in the engine bay.

I cracked the fittings on the injectors to make sure they were bleed good. A good mist came out of all four injectors when  barely cracked open, so there doesn't seem to be any air. I can try and get some clear hose to make sure.

And I will try and get another video up once I take care of the leaking dipstick and put the hood back on.

[bigbertha72]

I guess I will pull the injectors tomorrow and do a compression test and hopefully rule out that. I will call one of the diesel places around here on Monday and see who I can get to pop test the injectors.

[Dakotakid]

Thanks for the details on how you worked on fuel tank, etc. Now, it sounds like you are running good fuel instead a mix of old questionable stuff.

Myself, I would not pull the injectors. I would shore up the dip stick problem and then go run this car some in close proximity of home. Why? Because, no damage is going to come from having the timing off (this isn't like a gas engine). Additionally, if you drove it some, the pump and injectors would probably clean out some (run some atf--dexron or buy some stanadyne or a combo of both...put a little 2-stroke mix for lube) and the combustion chambers would clean out as well.

If this engine has been sitting for quite awhile (not being used), the rings will probably loosen up some and improve compression. If the engine is starting (cold starting) relatively easy (PLEASE no ether), it has adequate compression to run.

When you fire this up, does the overflow bottle start bubbling up within a couple or few minutes? Or does the little remote reservoir NOT run over until the engine gets good and warm?

I gotta tell you, I've been driving these cars since '79 and I don't really give two poops what the exhaust looks or don't look like. Unless, of course, if it is profusely "wrong." Until you run this and get the fuel components rinsed through with clean fuel and some conditioner or hillbilly conditioner (as above), I don't think you or anyone else knows what is what. I mean, if you start to pull out of the driveway and it can't pull itself....then ya, you got problems. That is what I think.

And, as far as the dipstick goes.....it is just leaking at the BASE of the dipstick or is the engine pumping oil all the way to the top of the tube? Myself, I NEVER use the annoying as he77 stock dipsticks. I use the shorter, stronger gasoline tubes and dip sticks. They are better and easier to live with. You just have to literally gently bend them forward to clear the fuel pump.

If the engine continues to produce profuse white smoke after running it, I might well suspect a timing problem or anti-freeze getting into the chambers. Did you put a straight-edge to that head when it was off? Well....there you go.

Added:  these cars utilize a one-way valve in the fuel line right after it leaves the tank (on the way toward the engine). If you loose the pump prime after the car sits for a couple or more hours, you may well need to add a one-way to the fuel supply line. The stock is just a no-frills small valve.

[bigbertha72]

Its been sitting a few months since I had it, the guy I got it from said he had only pulled it a month or 2 before. So I'd say its safe to say its been sitting six months now. I was also wondering if maybe the rings were sticking and causing some of the issues.

I honestly can't remember if I used my flat bar on it or now. I  usually do but I honestly can't remember doing it.

I just finished the hangers for the exhaust and finally sat the car back down off of jack stands. I'm going try and swap the dipsticks over, once I figure out how to get it out of the aba motor.

[Dakotakid]

Huh....an ABA. Well, the dipsticks I "swipped" were out of 1.8's, it is true. I had the oil pans off and simply gently reached up from the bottom with a long punch, etc., and tapped them out. I am not sure if the ABA is the same length and design or not. Those gas ones come out pretty hard.

You can see if gently grasping the tube toward the top with some "rounded" vise grips.....and, then tapping on the bottom of the vise grip (vertically) with a small mallet. Boy, don't collapse that tube though. I suppose you still have oil in that older engine?

If you successfully get the tube out and insert it into the new diesel engine, and you have the correct amount of oil in the new engine, see what the "oil level area" on the stick sez. If needed, scribe a line. I just always hated the original long-tubular-prone to leak and hard to read "wire" dip sticks. Plus, I always managed to have the tube catch my shirt sleeve and rip it every time I reached in the bay.

[bigbertha72]

I used the aba dipstick with some silicone to seal it to the block. Cleaned everything real good then let it set up (for a week). Dipstick seems not to be leaking atleast. Got the new coolant jug on, got the egt gauge wired up, oil pressure gauge mounted up. I only had water for the coolant until I made sure it wasn't leaking. So I'm going to go ahead and drain the water and put in the vw coolant. But I went to move the car and  and when i went to shift it into gear nothing worked. I know I need to adjust the shifter again because I'm only able to hit reverse, but even then the pedals going all the way up. Not sure what went wrong, I did knock the clutch cable off the pedal, but I put it back on.  I used the aba clutch and flywheel and its the stock aba trans.

[bigbertha72]

Well I was able to get the clutch cable to readjust enough to move it back up the drive. But I need to try and get it to click again because it still isn't right or just get a manually cable.

Well I have a bad feeling the head gasket leaking. There is not oil in the coolant or coolant in the oil. But the reservoir jug won't stay full. It rises and lowers as the engine runs and has large bubbles in it. Was hoping there was just an air pocket but after running it for 30min and topping off as needed, large bubbles are still in the reservoir. But its not overheating, sitting right at between 190-200 by factory guage and the fans kick on an off as needed. Though egt readings are sitting between 500-600 at idle which seems high to me. Exhuast is still pouring out white smoke, but its not sweet smelling at all.

Open to any ideas before I pull the head. But I have a feeling that is whats going to happen.

[burn_your_money]

With the engine stone cold, remove the coolant reservoir cap. Start the car. If the coolant is bubbling right away, then yes, it's pretty much a for sure thing you have a headgasket issue.

EDIT: Are you sure your new dipstick reads the proper oil level?