Stealth TDI Still Kicking...

[Abacus]

The rust will just come off as you drive it. My sedan sat for over a year and had the same issue. The pads were rusted and had to break free from the rotor to turn. It caused no warping or flat spots and they're nice and shiny once again.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Not a lot accomplished despite some effort over the past few days. Naturally, the OEM coolant flange fits nice and tight. I don't expect to see any leaks. My expansion tank is slightly overfilled to account for when the bubbles burp their way out of the system when the heater set to max. The end of the day was near. So I opted to stop and resume the next day.

Wednesday, I poured four gallons of fuel into the tank. It was weird looking into the opening and seeing it BONE DRY for the first time ever. Since I removed the lift pump, I then had to use a vacuum tool to bring fuel into and through the filter.

I tried to start the car once all fuel connections were made. No luck! Even with a battery charger set to "50A/Start," all I got was the telltale clicking from the starter. My battery is so dead that it's probably trying to suck-in every free electron it can. I buttoned-up the car and made a plan to buy a battery the following day.

I got an OEM battery yesterday and went to install it. WHOA! Rust under the current battery and all over the tray...

I took a rotary wire brush to it, cleaned it up, and applied Ospho. I had planned to repaint it today without even removing from the car. BUT, I think that's kind of ghetto. Besides, the debris collected in nearby crevices has me wondering was kind of crap is hiding under the tray and all over the grounds that I cleaned up a few years ago. Today, I will remove the battery tray and do the job right, all while hoping there's not a rusty surprise awaiting me.

Note to self: "Always remember to put the camera away!" I found my relatively new camera (gift from wife) on the windshield this morning. It thunderstormed and poured last night. The camera is probably shot. I'm letting it air out in a hot car for a few days to see if it'll still work. Otherwise...

I'd say I might get the car started today. But that's a bit wishful since I want the paint to cure on the battery tray before I reinstall it. The rain forecast is not looking good this weekend. So I can only HOPE to get it all together and start 'er up this weekend.

Baby Steps,

Scott

 

[Stealth TDI]

On another note, a fellow forum member encouraged me to set up a FB page. Although I already have a full website at StealthTDI.com, it does not have a way for people to view progress or ask questions. Yes, this forum is great for that and I will continue to share the photos here. In fact, I value the interaction here more and will likely post more detail here. Hopefully, the FB page will reach a broader audience.

If you're into Facebook, my new StealthTDI page can be seen here. Feel free to check it out.

 

[Abacus]

Do not turn it on as you could short out the internals, remove the batteries, diassemble it as much as you can, and put it in a bag of rice. That'll suck the moisture out of it in a day or two. I use a drying dessicant we use at work that will do it in a few hours.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Thanks. I made no attempt to turn it on. Batteries are out. I forgot about the rice trick. I'll see if we have any.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Hello,

Here's my progress over the weekend. It's been slow because of afternoon showers:

While not an exact LC6U match for exterior panels, this paint is "close enough" for door jambs and other concealed areas...

I cleaned-up and painted the battery tray, too. Not photos yet. I was going to reinstall and start the car the next day. But I learned the paint takes about a week to properly cure. I'll exercise some patience since this part will have torqued bolts in it and has had rust before. In the mean time, I decided to finally clean the engine bay of leaves, pollen, dirt, and other crap...

It's good to see the engine clean again!

 

[Stealth TDI]

Got the battery installed and started the car today. But it ran for less than two minutes. I'm hoping this isn't an injection pump problem ($1300 for the part only). I think I have an air leak somewhere in the fuel system. I'll try to run the engine straight from a jug of fuel to isolate the fuel lines from the engine. Too much rain today. Try again tomorrow. Here are some photos from today:

Grounds reconnected... this is where to start if you have electrical gremlins...

Battery tray reinstalled...

New battery installed...

Closer look at new OEM battery part number, 000 915 105 DH...

Hopefully, I'll have better news tomorrow...

Scott

 

[Stealth TDI]

Hello,

Got it started! It was a combination of two air leaks. Here's a video that shows my progress:

https://youtu.be/np9uK3pEBIU

Here are some photos I took during my 10-mile drive:

Progress will stall for a week or two. I'm having a new roof installed and need to be able to move the car away from the house when the roofers come. I'll get back to work soon.

Scott

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

So how did it feel to drive after all the time you've spent in the MKVI?

 

[Stealth TDI]

Like a HEAP! HAHA! The Mk6 is smooth, smoke-free and the brakes are powerful... none of which applies to the Mk3.

 

[Abacus]

Then make it so, grasshopper.

But comparing new to 445,000 miles isn't really a fair comparison. I drove a Ford when new and it seemed great at the time, but after 75,000 miles it was ready for the scrap heap.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Like a HEAP! HAHA! The Mk6 is smooth, smoke-free and the brakes are powerful... none of which applies to the Mk3.

Maybe, but if you drove it for a few days you'd get reacquainted. The B4 feels old when I get in it but after a few miles it seems "right."

 

[goodmonkey]

Nice to see it running, and glad it wasn't the IP. Nice FB page too. Only problem is my name isn't hid there like it is here, therefore I must show some restraint.

Next time I'm having fuel issues I may have to make a "sight glass" like you to see the fuel easier, as my clear hard lines are almost too dark to see what is happening.

And about diesel prices, I'm surprised greatly that a couple stations here keep it competitive with gas while others don't. Also good to see prices like that there where you are.

 

[SamJammerTDi]

What did you use to clean the engine?

 

[Stealth TDI]

I put Dawn liquid in this chemical sprayer and set it to max foam: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Y190WE

It went on nice and heavy. Then I used a brush to scrub the areas I could reach. It needs more attention in some of the tight crevices. But it did a lot to clean that place up.

Scott

 

[BleachedBora]

Looking good Scott!
There are days I miss my Mk3 - great cars
-BB

 

[dremd]

I also swap back and forth between Jettas.

When I'm in the 2003 the squeaks and rattles drive me mad, I miss the rear suspension that doesn't come from a trailer, the DSG, and I wish that it was much lower smoke.

When I'm in the 2014 I miss the power, brakes, 6 speed manual, and features (climatronic, power seats, CarPlay, auto wipers, etc).

 

[aslspiderman]

Did you have it repainted? Paint looks nice in the pics. Who did it? Need to repaint mine after I replace doors that got crunched.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Repaint? Yes and No. Yes, it's a repaint. But that paint is 15 years old. It was repainted after a severe sandstorm in 2001. It hasn't been touched since then. That paint held up really well for ten years. Then the hood started to peel up into what it is today, with huge areas completely void paint. I think removing the hood liner years ago may have caused that. I had eventually avoided sharing front end photos, mostly favoring rear end shots, until I took this photo a few months ago:

My money seems to be flying in all different directions OTHER than the Mk3. So I'm really not sure if/when another repaint will happen. I LOVE my Mk6 and bicycling. That's where a bit of my money is going. My daughter will be eligible for a learner's permit in December. So I want to get the car safe for her to drive by then. I may strip the hood and hit it with some closely-matched spray paint so the car doesn't look quite as bad for her. I know she'll love the independence regardless of peeling paint. But the hood REALLY needs attention.

 

[benIV]

Clear coat it and let it look like that. Don't hide the grays.

 

[NarfBLAST]

Let your daughter pick the colour of the hood, it doesn't have to match the rest of the car, does it?

Also, have you heard of "Manga Bombing" or "Sticker Bombing"? She would have the coolest car in school: https://www.google.ca/search?q=mang...ChMI7f_IjrTSyAIVBXk-Ch0rHgbn&biw=1366&bih=641

 

[Stealth TDI]

I'll have to see what she thinks when the time comes. I told her about sticker bombing and Manga bombing. I don't think either appeals to her. For that, I must admit I'm glad.

 

[benIV]

I don't have anything against the stickers, and I'm not saying I don't like people who like manga, but I hope my kids don't. LOL.
On another note, I've seen a couple cars around here that looks like someone doodled all over the hood with a sharpie. Some look nice, others... eh.
Other options:

Or maybe get a family photo painted/stenciled/vinyled onto the hood.

 

[Abacus]

Ah, no. Just no. Please.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Ah, no. Just no. Please.

OMG. I doubt any self-respecting teen girl would want any of that.

 

[compu_85]

You could likely sand down the failed clear coat and re-clear the hood.

-J

 

[SuburbanTDI]

It's not likely that the hood failed from the missing liner. Gas engines throw off far more excess heat and don't come with the sound deadening liner we see in diesels. Your model may have been different, of course

Your best (cheapest) solution is to simply pull a nice one from a junkyard or unbolt it and drop it off sanded and primed at a paint shop. Painting it from a shake can is just not going to get you where you want to be.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Only a full respray will get me where I want to be. However, I don't think that will happen before December when she's ready to start driving. Therefore, the rattle can will at least look like a slight-mismatched hood instead of a shedding snake.

BTW, it's not just the clear coat. The base layer of paint is gone, too. All that remains is the factory black enamel(?) that protects the hood for rust prior to painting.

 

[_Dave]

sory for the bump but i just found stealthtdi.com/Performance and did some reading,

good work with the jetta engine man +1

-D.

 

[Stealth TDI]

Thanks for the note. I continue to hope to see this car back on the road. It'll be there this summer, with or without fresh paint. Probably without. I need to ensure my kid can drive it without wrecking it first.