Rebuilt engine not getting fuel

vwmilo

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Location
sacramento
TDI
81 vw caddy
Hello. I could use your expert advice! I've read through the related posts I could find and tried the suggestions that seemed relevant and no luck. here is my issue:
I recently rebuilt my jetta engine. It only had 90k on it but rings stuck on #4 cylinder and lost compression. (FYI dont run without a thermostat while running SVO. the low temps of the engine dont allow the oil blow by to burn off and cause the oil to gel. found out the hard way when a thermostat stuck on a long trip and I didn't get it changed for months. then winter came along and bam time for a rebuild. go ahead and call me a fool. I deserve it for that one). So, I did an in car rebuild. new rings, honed cylinders, new bearings, new lifters, etc. I put it mostly back together but then got busy and didn't touch it for 2 years. just last week, I put the rest together, timing belt, injectors, and the rest of the hoses and small stuff. I disconnected the fuel lines and put them in a jar of Lubromolly. I cranked it and nothing. I noticed no fuel was pumping through the lines so I tried putting 12v straight to the solenoid. nothing. I tried hooking up a funnel to the fuel line and ran diesel into it until it ran out the return line. I tried pulling the solenoid out to see if it was stuck (i could hear it click though). while it was out, fuel was seeping out the solenoid hole. I cracked the lines loose at the injectors and still get nothing.
There was nothing wrong with the IP when I started the rebuild and I didn't touch it during the rebuild so I dont see how it could have gone bad.
Do any of you have any other suggestions to try?

Thanks, Milo
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
My guess would be that the SVO that sat in the pump for two years has caused the QA to stick.
 

vwmilo

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Location
sacramento
TDI
81 vw caddy
Hmm... Ice never opened an IP up. This looks pretty easy though. I'll pull that cover off and look inside.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
The top cover comes off and goes right back on. The center section is another story. Disturbing that section will change the injection quantity. You cannot just pop it off and throw it back on. If you remove it, you will need to reset the IQ. To do this you will need to be able to read it with VCDS or equivalent.
 

vwmilo

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Location
sacramento
TDI
81 vw caddy
well, that triangle Bolt was a pain in the butt. Modified 7 millimeter socket did it though. I pulled off the cover this is what it looks like underneath. I don't see anything obviously wrong but then again this is the first one I've opened up.https://flic.kr/p/TLSScT
 

KLXD

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Location
Lompoc, CA
TDI
'98, '2 Jettas
Doesn't look so bad.

Have someone turn on the key while you watch it. You should see the armature go nearly full stroke and back to the starting point.

Hard to follow the original post with one big paragraph. I was thinking the inlet to the pump was gummed up but you say you had fuel flowing through the pump and out the return by gravity, correct?

The passages that feed the high pressure plunger are not that big so you could still be plugged there.

Maybe remove the solenoid and crank it and verify fuel comes out? This is the low pressure side and feeds the high pressure plunger.

Then maybe remove the small plug between the four delivery valves on the end of the pump, crank it and see if any fuel comes out? This sees full injection pressure so I'll leave it to your discretion whether you need a new copper gasket or not.

Have you verified fuel out the return line on the pump while cranking. It occurs to me that the vanes in the lift pump could be stuck at their retracted positions in the rotor. You could still get fuel through it but it wouldn't pump.
 
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KLXD

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Location
Lompoc, CA
TDI
'98, '2 Jettas
Just labored through the original post again ;) and I think my last suggestion is likely.

You get no flow when cranking it but fuel flows through via gravity. Normally the low pressure pump is pretty tight and doesn't allow much flow through it by gravity.

Maybe after sitting a while with the solvent in it it'll loosen up.
 

vwmilo

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Location
sacramento
TDI
81 vw caddy
Well, the armature didn't move when the key was turned. I moved it by hand and it felt gummy but loosened and would then move on its own when the key was turned.

I disconnected the injector lines from the injectors and put a tray under them. Now fuel squirts out when cranking the stater. Getting somewhere!

I cranked it for a minute to let some fuel run through the system then reconnected them. Still nothing.

I noticed that there wasn't much pressure. The fuel squirted out but I read that it should be very high pressure. Enough to cut you. This is not the case here. Does this point to an issue with the high side?

I assume that things in the pump are gummed up based in what I've seen so far and how the armeture was stuck.
At this point, I'd like to pull the next plate, the section under the top plate, and have s look. Having never opened I've of these, is there anything I should be aware of when removing this section? or pointers on opening and cleaning these?

Thanks.
 

KLXD

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 22, 2009
Location
Lompoc, CA
TDI
'98, '2 Jettas
Well, it's a positive displacement pump meaning it provides a fixed but small volume. If pushing that volume through a tiny orifice it can be dangerous; i`f through a loosened line, not so much.

So whitedog called it on the QA. Reread his post about what you need if you go any further in disassembly. Removing the QA will add another variable to the no start condition.

Nothing will fall out but there's a ring that must be positioned correctly the get the QA back on. Then it must be positioned close enough to get it running so it can be fine tuned with the software.

Now that the solvent is through the whole pump things will improve after some sitting.
 
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UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
You said that you put in the injectors. How were these stored? Injectors should be stored wet (either D2 or, I think, hydraulic fluid).
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Before pulling the center section, scribe a line on all four sides of the pump and center section so that you can locate in the proper position on reassembly.
 

vwmilo

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Location
sacramento
TDI
81 vw caddy
Thanks KLDX for you continued help. You seem to know these pumps well. And the rest of you for your help.

I did not store the injectors wet... I did soak them in Lubromoly for a few days and cleaned them.

After reading whitedogs post, I'm not sure I want to go any further into the pump or just pull it and send it to Hans Auto for a rebuild. Sure was hoping to avoid that. I do have an OBDII scanner but not sure if that is what is need to reset it after pulling the middle section.

I hope solvent does free it up. Is there a solvent stronger/beter than Lubromolly?

Thanks
 
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whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO O!
You have problems enough so DO NOT get a pump from Hans Auto. Do a search here in the vendor section for Prothe and you will know why.
 

vwmilo

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Location
sacramento
TDI
81 vw caddy
Yikes. Are they no good? I'll go search the threads for them. Crap they are rebuilding an IP from my 81 Caddy right now!
 
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