Doin's at Dan's

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
Zeb and I cleaned up his intake and exhaust - exhaust full of gelled balls (of coolant?) and the intake ports in the head were SEVERELY gunked up. This BRM looked as bad as any ALH I had ever seen for intake gunk in the head. There was some build up in the intake itself, but the severe restriction was in the head.

This is the engine on the project car, the one that had liquid coolant in #3 and #4 holes, hydrolocked. It was obvious that #3 piston had been steam cleaned by water intake from some source (head gasket was blown, but may be effect, not cause.)

We got the head, intake, exhaust and cam reinstalled today.

While I had the turbo and exhaust off, I went ahead and turned the vane stop screw down 1.5 turns. This took the turbo maximum travel from 101.6% to 92.4% (measuring block 43 field 2). This was just in case this car had the turbo overtravel issue that some of the 2005.5 have. I hope this was not a mistake. We have never heard this engine run, so we do not know if it was needed or not.

Willylumplump (Paul) came buy and changed his oil and fuel filter.

The full metal jacket got left here today, and the owner picked up the money. Dieselfueler bought it.

Zeb (Hitek Redneck) has to go to a wedding tomorrow, so DidJettarun (Bruce) and I will try to finish the cam/injector rocker/TB install tomorrow.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
We got it all back together today, primed the fuel system by cycling the key 20 times for 2 seconds each. Discussed the expected response and cam break in routine.

Then no start, or even click. Jumped to the solenoid no start or even click. Quick teardown of the starter. Solenoid was working (not sure why we did not hear it.) Two open brush leads on the starter motor. Apparently the previous owner burned them up while stretching the head bolts on the hydrolocked engine.

What a letdown. We will have to wait until tomorrow to see if it will run or not.
 

Ski in NC

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Location
Wilmington, NC USA
TDI
2001 Jetta ALH 5sp stock
Dan- amazing how many marine engines full of water I get...with brand new starters attached. Burn up the starter. Hmm, starter must be bad. Put new one on. Hmm, something else going on. I get called and first thing I see is shiny new starter. Hmm, could there be water in engine???? Yep.
 

willylumplump

Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2010
Location
sc
TDI
98
dan thanks for the guidance on sat. being able to do that has helped my ability and confidence to keep up with my mk 3. thanks again:)
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
No problem, Paul.

Zeb (Hitek Redneck) put a starter in his 2005.5 project car tonight, we cranked it up and did the 30 minute cam break in. Seems to run fine. He headed off down the road in it, so I will finish checking it over some other day.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
The owner said he was told it needed a cam, and kept on driving it, but when we got it only one lifter had a tiny hole in it. He said then that it started losing coolant, and he kept on driving it, adding coolant. Then it started sputtering.

These early BRMs are prone to EGR cooler leaks, perhaps that was the loss of coolant (I have not checked the cooler for leaks - it is still on the shop floor.) Maybe the EGR cooler put enough into the intake to hydrolock it. Maybe it overheated and blew the head gasket, then hydrolocked. There were some signs of overheating - the rubber coolant hoses were really sticking to the pipes. But the head was flat, there were no cuts from cylinder to cylinder, the rings were free in the pistons, the cylinders were in fair shape.

Since we knew nothing else about the car, it seemed prudent (to my just-out-of-college-student-loan-broke son) to simply put it back together and gamble $100 worth of head bolts and gaskets (and 20 hours of our labor) to see if that was all that was wrong, or if it needed a lot more work.

We should know the verdict by the end of the week.

I was afraid that injectors #3 and #4 might have issues from sitting in a coolant bath for 90 days; but they balanced well after break in.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
Zeb's project car does need a DMF replacement (no surprise there, on this year model - we almost ordered one when ordering the cam kit, without even checking it, and a left headlight.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
On the 2005.5 project car, I checked the turbo controls using BASIC SETTINGS test 011, and it still has 150 mbar differential between min and max turbo at 1400 rpm. The minimum is 80 mbar, so it does not look as if turning the set screw down 1.5 turns (taking travel from 102 to 92%) will impede performance.
 

whitedog

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2004
Location
Bend, Oregon
TDI
2004 Jetta that I fill by myself
Dan, something you may want to add to your list of ToDos is clearing some room in your PM folder. :D
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
Sorry, the DieselGeek FMJ skidplate is long gone.

I just cleared out several hundred PMs.

I did not have enough trouble so I just drove 380 miles to drag a totaled 05 Jetta to the shop. Hopefully the interior will supply some parts for Zeb's wagon, and the rest will be parted out - by Zeb, I hope, to pay for the interior.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
I removed some of the debris from the wrecked 05 Jetta sedan.
I then used a hydraulic ram from an engine hoist to put between the front frame rail extensions (or whatever you call them - the sturdy projections going out the front of the car that support the motor and transmission mounts - to force the left frame rail extension back into an approximation of its original position.

This was just so I could prepare to remove the engine, and I also wanted to run the engine in place. I had to tape up the exit plumbing pipe from the rather warped and beat up radiator, but that appeared to be the only place it was leaking.

I had to use my portable diesel purge/fuel supply rig, as the PO had removed the lift pump.

The engine ran fine, sounded normal. So far so good.
The AC compressor clutch took a hit, but I think the compressor may be ok. If I have not given away all my spare AC clutches, perhaps it will live again.

My next effort will be to try to get the front left tire back on. In order to do this I will have to bend the Lower Control Arm back into some semblance of its original place; right now it is shoved back so the tire will not fit - it hits the lower side frame rail just in front of the jacking point. The temporary repair of this is not mandatory, but it will roll much easier with a tire on it rather than just the rim. Then I could pull it into the shop to tear it down.

I am on the lookout for a Quad cab or Xtra cab 4X4 Tacoma to put this engine in. At least I am toying with the idea. Maybe a full sized diesel pickup is in my future.

My '89 HD F250 4x4 (bought new) is a bit long in the tooth - and it is a 351 CI gasser - no torque. It still gets around, but that is about all you can say for it.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
Put in a used lower control arm today (in the 05 wreck). I could not straighten the old one enough, and Richard 55 had left one on the shop floor. It is just bolted in loosely, good enough to push the car around.

Reed (son) and David (father) came by today and we worked on their 05 Passat. Replaced the tandem pump, all four injectors, and some other minor tasks. I sure hope this fixes them up. I think there is a very good chance that it will. At 82k miles his cam is slightly worn, still a bit of chamfer left on the lobe tips. I hope it will last to the TB at 160 kmiles.

The tandem pump on that longitudinal engine was not as bad a job as I had feared, even with one stripped bolt head - the IRWIN Bolt-Out worked a treat.
 

bowelder

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2011
Location
south carolina
TDI
2013 VW golf TDI with tech package
I removed some of the debris from the wrecked 05 Jetta sedan.
I then used a hydraulic ram from an engine hoist to put between the front frame rail extensions (or whatever you call them - the sturdy projections going out the front of the car that support the motor and transmission mounts - to force the left frame rail extension back into an approximation of its original position.

This was just so I could prepare to remove the engine, and I also wanted to run the engine in place. I had to tape up the exit plumbing pipe from the rather warped and beat up radiator, but that appeared to be the only place it was leaking.

I had to use my portable diesel purge/fuel supply rig, as the PO had removed the lift pump.

The engine ran fine, sounded normal. So far so good.
The AC compressor clutch took a hit, but I think the compressor may be ok. If I have not given away all my spare AC clutches, perhaps it will live again.

My next effort will be to try to get the front left tire back on. In order to do this I will have to bend the Lower Control Arm back into some semblance of its original place; right now it is shoved back so the tire will not fit - it hits the lower side frame rail just in front of the jacking point. The temporary repair of this is not mandatory, but it will roll much easier with a tire on it rather than just the rim. Then I could pull it into the shop to tear it down.

I am on the lookout for a Quad cab or Xtra cab 4X4 Tacoma to put this engine in. At least I am toying with the idea. Maybe a full sized diesel pickup is in my future.

My '89 HD F250 4x4 (bought new) is a bit long in the tooth - and it is a 351 CI gasser - no torque. It still gets around, but that is about all you can say for it.




Now you told me you've killed 13 deer with that truck. that truck deserves a place of prominence
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
The 13 deer total was what I hit; I killed 8 for sure, only counting the one's I could find the body for. At least 5 more were hit during the truck's daily use span and could not be found. The nice part is that it never had to go to the body shop - it would still drive. It is fairly beat up.

I leave the key in it all the time, have done so for at least 15 years. No one has bothered to steal it yet; though it has disappeared for a day or two at a time, when some friend would borrow it without having time to contact me. Sometimes I even noticed it was gone before they brought it back...
 
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BioBob

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Location
Raleigh NC
TDI
2001 Jetta (G3F Donor), 2003 Bora
G3F Update

Hey Dan:

The "Kit Car" project is finally underway!

I stripped out the '01 a couple of weeks ago (parts everywhere) , and last Saturday it was moved to Greensboro where the conversion work will be done.

The cut manual is nearly done, and the "beheading" should begin any day now.

Hoping to have it on the road sometime in the spring.

I'll send some pics after the beheading.

Bob
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
Glad to hear it, Bob.
I really want to see it. I guess it will have to wait for the spring Asheville GTG, or the Summer one at Winnsboro, SC.

You will not have it done by the end of January for my Winter GTG it seems.

Well, bring all your parts and let the vultures pick over them.
 

AndyBees

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2003
Location
Southeast Kentucky
TDI
Silver 2003 Jetta TDI, Silver 2000 Jetta TDI (sold), '84 Vanagon with '02 ALH engine
Dan, my conversion project may not be showing much progress in the Thread, but I am moving along with it. It would be great to make the trip down to your winter GTG.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
A neighbor came by from Little Mountain, SC the other evening, we put some replacement injector fuel return hoses on his car; he had puddling fuel around two of his injectors - I hope the original hoses were the problem.

A BRM is coming in next week for a tandem pump replacement, maybe some other work.
 

DanG144

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Location
Chapin, South Carolina, USA
TDI
2005 A4 Jetta 5spd
I have been working lately to get some data for use in a project to adapt the Garrett Smart Actuator to really work on BRM and BEW platforms. Early information seems to show it will then work properly on the CJAA and CBEAA common rail engines as well. It would be nice to have an affordable replacement option.
 
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