DIESEL~ME said:
The car is at Herm's shop in Richmond, ME. It appears that the pump is bad in addition to the jumped timing. He has a rebuilt Bosch unit in stock to replace it for around $700.
He sends the heads out to MO to Frank, he is on this forum, and estimates approx. $1000 for rebuild.
Then we have the cost of timing belt kit + labor to put it back together.
That is a good deal. The parts are top notch and Herm does good work, you won't go wrong. I think Herm said he uses DFIS for the pump rebuilds, and I know he doesn't cut corners on ANY parts or procedures.
Wow, I live in Nobleboro as well, on East Pond Road. I have seen a black B4 around, is it yours? Mine is the dark green one with the 16" wheels. It can't be the maroon one since I think they live in Waldoboro and have a greasecar kit installed, and Herm doesn't do greasecar kits.
I would have it rebuilt, and here is why.
You would be very hard pressed to find a car that gets 45-50 mpg and is comfortable to drive. The B4 is great in the snow, has a good history of longevity, and is relatively easy to work on (major mishaps like this notwithstanding). You would be especially hard pressed to find one for merely a few thousand dollars. I know, living in midcoast Maine, the term "merely" isn't often found in conjunction with "thousand dollars", but in the car realm, they are.
A regular car may also cost you a large amount of money to have repaired, and you know the history of yours, so after this repair is completed, what else would it need?
The B4 is a great car, some people hate them with a passion, but they really are nice once you know how they're put together (minus the heater core of course).
If you want to discuss anything further, please send me a PM or e-mail and we can get together for a local coffee.