The "What did you do to your B4 today" thread...

[Digital Corpus]

Put on new tires, Continental ProContact w/ EcoPlus. Very much curious as to if they'll have a benefit. The traction reviews put it as being slightly better than my previous set of Yokohama Avid Envigors. Granted the tires are breaking in, I'm running them at 40 psi but I kinda like the Yokos more. The steering response is better whereas the Continentals are a little more loose and likening to a small boat. They are quieter and not as harsh though. Once they're broken in, I'll see if a lower pressure improves this.

 

[john.jackson9213]

When Matt-98AHU resealed the injection pump on Halloween, he found two broken springs that keep the piston against the cam plate. We did not have spares, so the pump was put back together with the broken springs. And I worked just fine!

Saturday I took the car to Matt in Santa Maria to replace the springs and to install borrowed DLC 1019 nozzles in place of the Sprint 520 nozzles. (Both sets of injectors had been calibrated by the same vendor). Matt adjusted the IQ to 5.8 and we have some moderate smoke at full throttle. Plan is to run 2 or 3 tanks of fuel, then report impressions.

 

[rdkern]

drove it

Drove it for the first time since June. The hood didn't rust open.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Bought one! http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=4059054#post4059054

 

[Abacus]

Damn, I saw that at a CT GTG and it was sweet.

Just curious, what did you give for it?

 

[PeeWee]

Bought one! http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=4059054#post4059054

Sweet ride

 

[tdidieselbobny]

I wanted to do control arms and other misc things to it,but we're still waiting to ge my son's '00 Impreza RS back from dealer where we bought it-they're waiting on an oil pan from Subaru,so if I mess something up on the B4,I'd have a vehicle to drive.Sucks I couldn't do it-we had 60 degree weather this weekend-so I just added a quart of oil and some washer fluid.I was able to get my Kubota serviced instead,so I'm ready to go when the grass starts growing again......

 

[Windex]

In the middle of changing out the shifter mechanism to the later MK4 style, complete with TT short shifter. I have currently browsing massaging the tunnel to make the lever/box fit.

The shift weight hits my 8litre washer reservoir... I might have to go back to the 4litre version

 

[Abacus]

Take the shift weight off. I removed mine years ago and haven't missed it at all. Same thing with the brick...it's gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Selling the green wagon, for any interested.

 

[Sprocket]

Removed and opened the transmission to give it a refresh with all new syncro's. Found out the spring clip for 3rd gear was so worn that it became two pieces which was probably why I was having issues with 3rd. While the trans was out Whitbread installed a Wavetrac LSD.

Installed a Southbend stage II endurance clutch which is now silent compared to the old VR6 clutch I had.

Changed the shifter box to the MK4 style box.

Replaced the upper and lower gaskets on the vacuum pump and cleaned it out. There were hard chunks of some black carbonized crap in the nipple.

Replaced the injection pump with an 11mm from Jimbote. More power!!! Whitbread resealed it while it was on the bench before installation. My B4V is a pain in the butt to prime though. I'm definitely going to put in some sort of lift pump in the near future.

Replaced all of the return lines with viton.

Needless to say, it's been a busy couple of weeks working on the car. I'm thankful for Whitbread allowing me to store the car at his new shop and allowing me to work on it at my own pace. He was always willing to lend a hand when I needed him and to also give advice / direction too. I'm glad he also does great transmission work!

Now to get the front wheel bearings ordered and replaced.

 

[DasTeknoViking]

where did you get all the rebuild parts for your trans ? Was it a kit of some sort ? i would like to do that soon, my trans is a bit noisy after almost 450k miles and its very sloppy. I plan on adding a 6th gear and while its out might as well do a LSD, freshen it all up.

 

[Sprocket]

where did you get all the rebuild parts for your trans ? Was it a kit of some sort ? i would like to do that soon, my trans is a bit noisy after almost 450k miles and its very sloppy. I plan on adding a 6th gear and while its out might as well do a LSD, freshen it all up.

Whitbread ordered them for me through 1stvwparts.com (Zeb). It was basically just a full set of new syncros. I also purchased the Wavetrac through Whitbread as well.

 

[Windex]

Replaced the injection pump with an 11mm from Jimbote. More power!!! Whitbread resealed it while it was on the bench before installation. My B4V is a pain in the butt to prime though. I'm definitely going to put in some sort of lift pump in the near future.

Are you running the AHU style pump with 11mm innards, or are you running an ALH style pump with a modified AHU IP bracket and ALH IP sprocket?

 

[Sprocket]

Are you running the AHU style pump with 11mm innards, or are you running an ALH style pump with a modified AHU IP bracket and ALH IP sprocket?

ALH pump with ALH bracket and modified ALH sprocket.

 

[Growler]

Nice, See you this weekend.

Ill be staying at the Hotel with everyone else, but looking forward to seeing you and Sprockette at COBO.

 

[Abacus]

Washed my B4 today, and might have mixed the industrial soap a little too strong.

Yep, that's clearcoat peeing off in sheets. Never done that before.

Here is the pile when I was done washing the car.

The good news is that now it'll be easier to paint. I'm taking an autobody course in the evenings to learn to do the body work so I can paint all three B4's this summer. I can keep the mechanical systems going indefinitely, so it's the rust that's a killer up here. The nice salt air from the ocean doesn't help matters.

Otherwise the green B4V has been prepped for sale, it's nice and clean inside and out. I still need to do a few minor things to it, like replace the serpentine roller and weeping oil pressure sensors, and I'll do the blend doors if I still have it this weekend, but otherwise it's all set. I'll be listing it on Craigslist within a day or so.

 

[DasTeknoViking]

ALH pump with ALH bracket and modified ALH sprocket.

Does the 1Z alternator and P/S pump still attach ? I need to do a 11mm pump upgrade on my 1Z, shes out of fuel

 

[WINDSORB4TDI]

I repaired my boost gauge today. The needle had fallen off of the shaft when my windshield was replaced. So, I removed the face of it to access the needle.

To remove the lens from an Autometer gauge, you have to take a small flat screwdriver and slowly pry the bezel off the housing.

Then, I sanded the orange paint off the needle, since I never liked it.

I painted the needle white with a paint marker, the same one I use for timing marks:

And the finished product:

And finally, installed with a green LED light:

Not exactly the same color as the factory gauges, but I like it.

Vince

 

[john.jackson9213]

One item that has bothered me for years on my B4V is the fuel gauge, when I hit the first red mark, I am running on fumes. Several years ago I took a stab at fixing it. After half a day of bending, adjusting and what not I was right back where I started. So I just lived with it. Today, I took another try at it. This time I made a couple of bends in the float arm then put it back in the tank. Surprise surprise, the fuel gauge was now at the very bottom of the scale - I may have gone a bit too far. While the bung was open, I used a rod to see how much fuel I had in the tank. Only about 3/8 of an inch right below the bung. Also measured from the top of the fuel bung lip to the bottom of the tank 12.5 inches and checked to see if the fuel pick up really does drop to the bottom of the tank. It sure does.

Then it was off to fill up the tank, put 24.8 gallons into the tank (fully vented). So I will need to be very careful with the next couple of fuel tanks so I do not run out.

 

[Abacus]

Interesting, I thought the tanks were larger than that.

 

[JarheadBoom]

I repaired my boost gauge today. The needle had fallen off of the shaft when my windshield was replaced. So, I removed the face of it to access the needle.

To remove the lens from an Autometer gauge, you have to take a small flat screwdriver and slowly pry the bezel off the housing.

Then, I sanded the orange paint off the needle, since I never liked it.

I painted the needle white with a paint marker, the same one I use for timing marks:

And the finished product:

And finally, installed with a green LED light:

Not exactly the same color as the factory gauges, but I like it.

Vince

That looks great! Might have to steal that idea...

 

[john.jackson9213]

Interesting, I thought the tanks were larger than that.

Most fuel I have ever put in my wagon is 26.6 gallons and I have filled with 25+ many times. Know others have put in more. I just try to fill it right to the lower lip of the filler pipe, sometimes it runs over the lip. Also, I still had usable fuel in the tank - my guess just under 2 gallons.

 

[fastrabbit]

got some parts, ecodes, new fogs, turns and corners. I want to repaint bumper and grill before installing them.


i'm also going to joey mod the fogs and ecodes

I'll post pics

 

[Windex]

Mine will take just about 26 gallons and no more - from dead empty (or at least where fuel is below the ability of the strainer to pick it up).

I have run out a couple of times (one intentional) , and filled all the way to the vented brim. I have even gone so far as to shake my car to get it to settle or burp - to no avail. I suspect that mine may have more restrictive tank straps or a pickup strainer higher than most, restricting full capacity, as most in wagons seem to be able to get about 27 gallons / 100 litres.

 

[yakko]

I changed my fuel filter today and noticed a big difference in the size of my VW oem one. The one I took out was a Meyle. That one was smaller in size. After the filter change WOW what a change in performance. I will stick with the VW one.

Randy

 

[john.jackson9213]

I changed my fuel filter today and noticed a big difference in the size of my VW oem one. The one I took out was a Meyle. That one was smaller in size. After the filter change WOW what a change in performance. I will stick with the VW one.

Randy

Dirty filter right?

 

[JarheadBoom]

Ordered some 3mm silicone vacuum tubing from Amazon.

Oh... drove it's 199,000th mile.

 

[turbodieseldyke]

Stole the IP out of mine, to temporarily replace the leaker in my A3 daily driver. I was hoping for one of the "easy" gaskets, to do an in-car fix, but no luck. It looks like it might only be 1 or 2 of the little square ones at the bottom, not necessarily the head.

IQ with that pump was 4-5-ish in the B4, and now it's 2.0 in the A3. I was able to edit it up to 3.6 or so.

 

[tdidieselbobny]

Put the new Wal-Mart battery in-H8(Group 49). Should be a major improvement over the group 41 battery the PO put in the car. I used one of those "memory keepers" that you plug into the cigarette lighter-my radio stations were saved,but my trip meter reset,and the clock is 2 hrs. fast now.....I also installed plug-in LED bulbs for the license plate lamps-they look pretty nice in the garage-we'll see how they look at night.

 

[Windex]

Put a used A3 Evolution Odin Skid plate on my B4 - fit perfectly.

Notice while I was down there that the bottom bolt on my starter is missing

It's the long one that goes through the starter, transmission, block and into the engine mount bracket. I don't have another one that long.

Anyone have one kicking around?