Pierre's 2003 Golf TDI Build

OnePutt

Veteran Member
Joined
May 21, 2007
Location
The burbs of NorCal
TDI
2001 Golf (Silver) | 2005 Jetta Wagon (Spice Red)
And .... a fitting oil pan
Nice Pierre...Glad I'm reading through your build thread!

Edit: read the rest of your post. at first I thought you'd upgrade to a 2260. The good news is that you'll be able to sell your 17/22 down the road pretty easily and not have to take too much of a bath on it. Maybe a few hundred dollars.

Hope you can get her back on the road soon buddy...I know what a crotchety a$$ hole I am when my ride is down and out. I'll tell you what...you can put your motor in my car and I'll let you drive it around for a while :)
 
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blakjak

Member
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Jul 22, 2012
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Missouri
TDI
2015 Passat TDi SEL Prem, 2014 Jetta TDi, 2011 Golf TDi
Anyone with a CoC sticker on their cherry picker is good in my book.

Love the build thread. You went in whole hog for sure.
 

tothemax

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Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
Tnx...
Just picked up the head from the machine shop... planed and tested...

got the replacement 17/22...

Will start putting everything back together this weekend..




 

Farfromovin

Torque Addict
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Location
Ventura, CA
TDI
03 Golf 2dr- PD150 6m
Bet you're loving that stainless braided oil feed line for the turbo huh? You're cars bad luck has spread to mine :-( Fingers crossed I'll get my new tranny back by Friday so I can install it Saturday. Just hope my tranny doesn't end up ANYTHING like yours did :-(
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
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Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
It's been at Matt's since Thanksgiving getting put back together. Block I built up was cracked and all money and time spend building the engine, putting in and out of the car was a complete fockin waste. So I got a used PD engine and Matt is putting it in.

This last episode finally cured my modding TDI's addiction.. Must have reached rock bottom...... I will return this car to a daily driver that will hopefully not break down anymore. I will not track it or push it other than just normal driving. I will be able to spend my free time doing something else than stressing out over it, building, re-building and re-re-building engines and taking them in and out of the car....

For every hour of fun I had on the track with it, I must have spent over 100 fiddling and fokin around trying to fix all the $hite that breaks down on it. I also came within inches of divorce over all this TDI $hite, the $ and aggravation associated with it... so time to move on..

I just hope I can get the frickin car back on the frickin road some time soon. Maybe it will become just a nice looking 2 door Golf daily with a little more pep than stock.
 

kiva822

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Location
Chico, CA
TDI
'03 Wagon
Wow, Pierre. That really stinks. It sounds like the pd is going to be a good thing, in the long run, but what a path to have to take.

Looking forward to eating some good food with you at the next gtg.
 

OnePutt

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May 21, 2007
Location
The burbs of NorCal
TDI
2001 Golf (Silver) | 2005 Jetta Wagon (Spice Red)
Pierre - that is a terrible story buddy. Your story makes me second guess my next upgrades. With 2 small kids time is limited and I do kinda like my family (sometimes). I see it a slippery slope that I've been able to manage thus far for myself. Maybe it is time to go the opposite route and start eco-modding. LOL

You will have a decent setup with a stock PD w/ and that new 17/22 and nozzles. Plus you have a super clean 2 door. Glad you aren't getting out of the TDI world just yet.

I've thought about selling the Golf for a nice e36 for fun...new forum...new life...lots of D-bags.

Hopefully I will see you at the next GTG.
 
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tothemax

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Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
Tnx guys... you will see me at the next GTG for sure ... I may even be driving a white Golf w/ a PD if I am lucky....No injector upgrades, No 2260 kit or any $hite like that though..... I will reuse my 17/22 .. get a tune and done deal... I will remove the track suspension and rock hard springs and put in some Koni Yellows and Standard springs... maybe Shine springs.. That's all.

Then I can focus on putting a new coat of wax or some other cosmetic $hite ...I am soooooooooo done with the power mods.. ;)
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
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TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
Good news at last..... Got the word from Matt and she's coming out of sick bay mañana !!! Matt is driving it up to the bay area... Too bad I am in TX now and I will miss the long awaited home coming... She now has an ARL PD w/ 60,000 mi, new ecu, a PD harness and a vwmikel tune ... Farfromovin's set up in a white version :D ...
Matt did a yeomans' job over the last weeks to change out the engines, adapt the ARL, figure out the harness and ecu to make this all work together.

BONuS - Apparently she still pulls hard.. Can't wait to drive it....

There will be lotsa ALH performance engine parts for sale soon...
 

kiva822

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Location
Chico, CA
TDI
'03 Wagon
I can't wait to get a ride in this thing...me thinks it's going to make me wish I had just got an 04/05...though that's no ARL :D

dibs on ALH injectors :)

matt
 

OnePutt

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Joined
May 21, 2007
Location
The burbs of NorCal
TDI
2001 Golf (Silver) | 2005 Jetta Wagon (Spice Red)
Awesome! Jealous of the ARL. Nice!

Hey....did you buy that ARL from a guy in Vallejo? I was interested in that 4 months ago or so. I bought the PD150 IM from him.
 
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Farfromovin

Torque Addict
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Location
Ventura, CA
TDI
03 Golf 2dr- PD150 6m
Nice Pierce, I'll talk to you tomorrow to see if you have any bugs that need squashed.

Sent from my GIANT internet thingy.
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
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TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
So finally the Golf has got her pep back..... After many months of ignoring the high RPM studder and low power problem & just keeping the golf in the Garage, I was finally able to focus and zero in on the issue. Thanks to Matt and Mike Lane's help, we were able to isolate the problem to some kind of restriction in fuel system... I changed out the fuel filter and not change... then the lift pump and all the problems we went away.... I saw this kinked hose on my modified lift pump which I assume was the cause of this fuel restriction and high RPM studder...

Now I have an amazing tune from Mike @ TD Tuning and I LOVE the smooth power of the PD...... :)

Next I will be removing the track suspension and putting something more suitable for the road. I will make this my daily driver.. .thinking of going with Koni yellows and the Shine springs ... trying to decide if I get the 2.0/1.8 springs or the VR6 springs... I will keep the RSB.





 
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brnsgrbr

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Location
Washington State
TDI
2002 GOLF GTI converted to GTD
I ran into this while modding my pump too. I just put the factory one back in place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 

kiva822

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Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Location
Chico, CA
TDI
'03 Wagon
So, did another problem cause the kinking or was it the hose material? I'm going to install one soon and need to do the fail safe mod...

glad to hear you're getting some solid enjoyment out of the car, Pierre...
 

oldpoopie

Vendor
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May 14, 2001
Location
Portland Oregon
TDI
2001 golf gl, 2006 jetta, 1981 ALH swapped rabbit pickup, 1998 beetle
I think there must be a sweet spot of how long the hose is. Though I now think its just not worth the troube to mod the pump. Just run them stock and replace as nessesary.
 

tothemax

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Location
Nevada
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TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
I think there must be a sweet spot of how long the hose is. Though I now think its just not worth the troube to mod the pump. Just run them stock and replace as nessesary.
This is certainly my new opinion as well...



So, did another problem cause the kinking or was it the hose material? I'm going to install one soon and need to do the fail safe mod...

glad to hear you're getting some solid enjoyment out of the car, Pierre...
I think maybe the tubing I used was either too thin, too short or not stiff enough... in any case, it worked fine for a long time. I did this a few years back and we remember how it pulled before. Over time, the material may have gotten weak and it buckled causing he kink.

DanG144 shows the tubing running much longer and it appears to be thicker and stiffer on his Lift pump mod DIY. That method would be much better IMO if you really want to do this mod. Otherwise stick with the OE design.

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FlyTDI Guy

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Nov 3, 2001
Location
PNW
TDI
'01 Jetta GLS
Wow... been following your saga and it's been quite the ride for sure. Really sux all that time and effort w/the ALH was all for not. Regarding the lift pump mod, obviously the choice of hose type should not be taken too casually. There's a million types available but finding one that's a combo of diesel resistant and collapse proof is pretty important. It's possible that your loop length was sufficient in the beginning but, over time, the material softened a bit and created the kink. Glad you've got it sorted and hope you stay happy with your new ARL... (yah, right...) :)
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
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Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
Tnx...

Bought a few things to return it more to a daily driver .. Hopefully will get a visit next weekend to take care of these and a few more things

Koni yellows and VR6 Shine springs..






 
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tothemax

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Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
Today Matt came over and he swapped out the front coilovers for the Koni yellows and also we tried to put in the rear shine springs but they did not seem to fit right so we installed the fronts only for now..







 
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FlyTDI Guy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 3, 2001
Location
PNW
TDI
'01 Jetta GLS
I see a couple camber plates there... did you use them for the new Koni's as well? Which one's are they and how much?? Do they work well for you?
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
I see a couple camber plates there... did you use them for the new Koni's as well? Which one's are they and how much?? Do they work well for you?
They are the MKIV ground control camber plates. and They were around $430 at the time but now they are on sale for $400 or so. They work very well for the track.. I got as much as I could out of them and my car cornered like it was on a rail........it's time for a daily driver and I did not put them back in... So now that you mention it.. .I must put them up for sale ;)
 

TDikook

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Location
Biloxi, Ms
TDI
'06 Golf Anthracite Blue
Bummer all things went wrong on that beautiful Golf. So, its a Daily driver now, But it is an Awesomely FUN daily Driver!!!
 

tothemax

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 7, 2006
Location
Nevada
TDI
TDIs: 2003 Jetta, 2016 Q5 3.0
Finished the jobs and changed our the rear springs tonight ... mannn those Shine springs are looooogn... had to use the widow maker on the one side, at the spot where the spring sits to jack it apart while my son pushed down on the wheel on the side I was trying to fit it in. Took everything we had to get the springs in... but we got them in...

Still way stiffer than stock but much nicer to drive than the Ground control suspension... totally lost the cornering capabilities it had before though....







 

TDikook

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Location
Biloxi, Ms
TDI
'06 Golf Anthracite Blue
were the ground control springs realy that much more stiffer than the Shine? I have shine, and I think they are fine, nothing too harsh. the GC must have been bone jarring!
 
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