coming up on 300K miles.

TDikook · Oct 5, 2017

almost there and am planning a major maintenance schedule. if this was your car. what would you replace?

so far i plan on replacing cam,lifters,bolts
TB kit of course
tandem pump
suspension refresh(just the bushings, have Bilsteins and Shine springs)
control arm bushings tie rods
engine and transmission mounts(dogbone too)
glowplug harness(it is deteriorating)

anything I might be missing? it is a huge maintenance, and am starting on collecting parts now for next summer.

thanks

Eric B

TDI_Michael · Oct 5, 2017

Alot of people look to change out the oil pump and chain/tensioner after 300k. The tensioner is plastic and would be the weak link of these parts but once you are in there might as well change all 3.

red16vdub · Oct 5, 2017

If I remember correctly you gotta drop the tranny to gain access to the oil pump tensioner. There's a lot more involved than just doing a timing belt.
Many people on here don't even do that and is still rolling 5-6 hundred thousand and on.

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Dunno513 · Oct 5, 2017

grab a dipstick tube If it hasn't broken already.

oilhammer · Oct 5, 2017

red16vdub said:
If I remember correctly you gotta drop the tranny to gain access to the oil pump tensioner. There's a lot more involved than just doing a timing belt.
Many people on here don't even do that and is still rolling 5-6 hundred thousand and on.

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Huh? The oil pump drive chain is underneath the sealing flange at the front of the engine, under the timing belt. Just need a seal, a bolt, the chain, and the tensioner. Oil pan has to come off, but most of the time to do this above and beyond the timing belt that is already being done anyway is spent on cleaning the surface areas so the gray sealant works properly.

I'd skip the mounts unless the dogbone has been contaminated by oil or fuel at some point.

Genesis · Oct 5, 2017

Well, now to be fair unless you're doing the seal already you also need to pull the front crank pulley which can be a material pain in the butt since it requires a counterhold tool you may not have.

oilhammer · Oct 5, 2017

Yes, you will need some sort of counterhold tool. However by the sound of everything that he wants to do, and what he has already done, that tool is probably not a big deal to source and put in the toolbox. Costs a lot less than the camshaft holder tool, too.

TDikook · Oct 5, 2017

Jasontdi is doing the work.

The dipstick tube broke a few years ago and was replaced.

The mounts are on thier last leg. When we replaced the trans last time, the bolt stripped out on one of them. So when removed, it will be toast. It has served it's purpose and has done a good job. Time for a new one.

IndigoBlueWagon · Oct 5, 2017

You might want to have a new engine mount bracket handy. Threads on those tend to strip out, too.

How long have the Bilsteins been in your car? They don't last forever, you know.

TDikook · Oct 5, 2017

IBW, how long do bilstein HDs usually last? Ive had them. I don't know 6-7 years. It still rides great and handles good.

IndigoBlueWagon · Oct 5, 2017

If you have 200K on them IMO they're done. People keep them longer, but their performance deteriorates. Ride can get firmer, not softer.

UhOh · Oct 5, 2017

TDikook said:
IBW, how long do bilstein HDs usually last? Ive had them. I don't know 6-7 years. It still rides great and handles good.

All depends on one's roads. Wife's Mazda 5 had a failed strut after only 38k miles (since new), and everything else was basically getting beat up. That car was mostly run up in Vancouver, BC, which has crappy roads (from my vantage point).

Just replaced all the suspension bits on the wife's Golf at 200k miles: always a PNW/WA car. Original shocks/struts. Dampening on the struts was gone. The rear shocks, however, actually still seemed viable.

TDI_Michael · Oct 6, 2017

You can always make a counterhold tool out of flat bar which is what I did. Didn't cost much and not alot of work drilling and cutting the holes. I taped rags to the top where my hands would be while holding it. Crude but it works.

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mk3 · Oct 10, 2017

Fuel return lines on the injectors. I just replaced mine (2003, 285k miles). They were brittle near the injectors and cracked clean off when I tried tugging and twisting to remove.

at a certain age of vehicle, the rubber and plastic part failures are even more a nuisance than the rust

UhOh · Oct 10, 2017

mk3 said:
at a certain age of vehicle, the rubber and plastic part failures are even more a nuisance than the rust

Add wiring to the mix.

TDikook · Oct 11, 2017

would you recommend changing wheel bearings since everything else is getting done?

red16vdub · Oct 12, 2017

TDikook said:
would you recommend changing wheel bearings since everything else is getting done?

If it ain't broke, why fix it .

Bajan

scurvy · Oct 12, 2017

TDikook said:
would you recommend changing wheel bearings since everything else is getting done?

I would not. If they are quiet, let them be.

TDikook · Oct 12, 2017

good enough.

runonbeer · Oct 13, 2017

Put a doggie collar on it if it doesn't already have one. Maybe a new thermostat & housing. Don't mess with the oil pump.

I wouldn't get too preemptive here. Just let Jason find what he is going to find. Take his word for it and let him fix it.

Lots of people have brought me long lists of things they want me to do that wind up being completely unnecessary. I find half a dozen problems that they didn't anticipate and fix those instead.

We are beyond "maintenance schedules" with these mkiv cars.

coming up on 300K miles.

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