Stormy the B4V

d24tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Location
MT
TDI
BHW x3, BEW x2, ALH x2, AHU, 1Z, AFB, AKN, BCZ, BDH
You guys oughta take the questionable cultural commentary off to the side elsewhere rather than thread-jacking @JordanTr on his wagon build here. ;)
 

d24tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Location
MT
TDI
BHW x3, BEW x2, ALH x2, AHU, 1Z, AFB, AKN, BCZ, BDH
The 0A4 has 3.39 final drive compared to the 02A CTN 3.16. The gear ratios are different too so the overall ratios are still TDI friendly. 1st/second are lower than the TDI trans (~7%), 3rd is the same, and 4th/5th are taller by ~6%.
So 0A4 is like a 02S but 5spd instead of 6? Installs pretty much the same way into an older 02A/02J type car?

I actually think for mountain regions the factory CTN gearing is very nicely set up. 5th is tall enough to be a great highway cruising gear but not so tall that it requires a downshift to 4th except on the really steep grades or if you are heavily loaded. There are no big canyons between gears either, the spacing is good. Personally unless I moved out to the Great Plains I wouldn't want to make 5th any taller. If there were a 6th ratio in the box then I could see going a little taller on the top gear but otherwise, if this change results in similar overall gearing and spacing but adds a newer gen trans, better shift action, and a Wavetrac, it sounds like a big step up for a B4V!

Plus gives you another spare 02A for a rainy day.
 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
So 0A4 is like a 02S but 5spd instead of 6? Installs pretty much the same way into an older 02A/02J type car?

Plus gives you another spare 02A for a rainy day.
Yes X2, I have the fit kit from @caffeine and it looks awesome. I need to build my own mount off the one side for sure but I will have everything to make a jig and get everything bang on.

What’s better than 1 spare 02A boat anchor…. 2!!
Need a bigger barn!
 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
Time flies. Good news is that head gasket has been replaced successfully. I purchased class M12x1.75 x 160mm Class 12.9 SHCS from our local Fastenal and had a friendly local machinist make up some 4140 washers. 12.5mm x 23mm OD x ~49mm tall. This allows the bolt heads to just poke beyond the top surface but avoid fouling the valve cover. I ended up using Loctite nickel anti seize on the threads and under head and torqued them with the OEM sequence knowing that the extra lubricity would improve preload. After completing, I used a click type torque wrench and the bolts didn’t move at 130ft-lb so I think that they’re TTY which is what I wanted.

https://flic.kr/p/2qESNHG
https://flic.kr/p/2qETXg3
I am waiting on hoses for my frost heater install. Once they come in and the heater is in, the pink G12 will go in.

I installed a cheap, clear, 3/8” fuel filter on the coolant return line to catch filings and fuzzies from cleaning the head gasket surfaces. I’m very glad I did as it was quite dirty once it ran for a bit.
https://flic.kr/p/2qEUXY5
Changed the oil and filter after the head gasket job as well.
I mounted my spare front mud flaps but sadly don’t have rears to match.
I took some time and cleaned up the 5th injector hardware and added a resistor.

While it was all apart, I put a cleaned BHW/PD136 intake on. I had planned to weld up a flanged spud to bolt onto the manifold but there wasn’t enough room for that. I had some 2” 6061 tubing kicking around so I welded a barb onto it and had to do minimum clean up on the bore of the manifold before I could insert it and weld it into place. I’m pretty happy with it as it looks mostly factory and the factory piping fits on it as well although a little reluctantly since it’s moved ~3/4” and is at a slightly different angle. Interestingly, the threaded boss for mounting the turbo inlet pipe is still present on the BHW intake so that’s a plus.

https://flic.kr/p/2qEUY14
I was able to get the necessary cam sensor from the wreckers today (B6 30V) for the 0A4 speed sensor as well as a couple spare transmission plugs so I can adapt them to the kidney loop system for filtering and bench testing.

The 0A4 needs a modern shifter (YAY!) so I collected an 02J shifter box as well as heated black leather seats from a mk4 the other day as well. I routinely miss shifts with the stock setup and I’m sure the old trans with presumably tired shift collars isn’t helping much either.
I put the OEM B4 heated seat harness, switch, and swapped the old cloth MK4 seats from the purple car in but they don’t work yet. Some troubleshooting required still.

I ordered a clearance VR6 Luk 17-036 clutch kit which is rated to 270 ft-lb to toss in while the trans is off.

Now the less good news…
1. Fried the MFA cluster during first start after the head gasket job since I didn’t have a big battery in the car. Laziness pays the price 😢
2. CTS is dead so can’t properly time it but I think it’s pretty close. Ordered a CTS
3. Smoky starts (need to investigate glow plugs, CGPs, timing, injector balance (forgot to look at those fields the other day)
4. Heat is extremely poor despite forcing recirc/fresh air door to recirc. Some investigation required.
5. Rear suspension still very blown
6. Heated seats don’t work
7.The washer pump isn’t working. Time to troubleshoot and upgrade to the big tank that I collected.
8.Fighting with some poor connections on the orb of doom as well.


More to come. Feels good to be mobile again but a little disheartened as well. Hopefully get this list knocked off soon here.

https://flic.kr/p/2qEUXYL
 

d24tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Location
MT
TDI
BHW x3, BEW x2, ALH x2, AHU, 1Z, AFB, AKN, BCZ, BDH
Always a journey waking up a vehicle that spent a long time sitting. Fixing one thing then immediately finding something else. But great fixes and upgrades, and it looks sharp in the snow which helps too. All worth it for a clean example. :cool:

Looking forward to seeing the different trans go in and how that works. Whenever my Canadian B4V finally hits the road, changing to the 02J style shifter may need to go on the upgrade list. As much as I feel the sloppy shift action of the original 02A setup is right up there with failed door handles in terms of being a part of the essential B4 TDI driving experience (to me at least haha), having the more precise late type linkage would really be an improvement in every way.

Curious for educational purposes -- on the head hardware, what made you decide on the upgraded bolts you used, vs ARP studs?
 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
Honestly, the SHCS vs. ARP decision was just about value… SHCS = $28, ARP would be around CAD$350.

ARP2000 material is 220ksi tensile/200k yield and 12.9 is 180ksi tensile/160k yield. Keep in mind that the strength is only useful if you’re going to torque the fasteners to a stress that requires it. This is why I bolstered the OEM procedure with a generous thread lube when I torqued mine up. ARP is only torquing to 125 ft-lb and says that their studs are reusable so we have to presume that they aren’t torqued to yield. Their high strength material allows them to neck down the studs to reduce bolt stiffness to yield a more resilient joint. I was able to reduce bolt stiffness by increasing the length which reduces stiffness to about the same numbers as the ARP studs by my rough calculations.
If you look at PD150 head bolts vs standard SHCS, you’ll see extended threads and a reduced shank area on those bolts for the same reasons—they actually want to increase the stretch of the bolts by reducing their area.
To further increase performance of the 12.9s, one could neck them down to 10.5 or 11mm (budget option). Ordering high strength ARP studs or similar AND utilizing the spacers AND torquing them closer to yield would be a whole step up in performance again.

If I have to get back into this engine (hopefully not!), I would reuse these head bolts once but then replace them.

Now, I have upgraded head studs, and 3D printed 0A4 bits, and an 02J shifter, and an oil change/filter and $$ in my pocket still!;)
 

starrd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Location
Canada
TDI
1996 Passat
4. Heat is extremely poor despite forcing recirc/fresh air door to recirc. Some investigation required.
Most likely the standard problem with the foam blown off the blend doors. I used one of these - not the best solution but they work. Used a little RTV to hold them in place.

 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
Yep, I’m well aware of the blend door foam woes but I thought I could cheat by just stopping the ambient air coming into the HVAC box. Is that not the case?
I plan to fix the foam but it was more than I wanted to bite off on a week night last week.
 

prsa01

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2000
Location
mpls,mn usa
TDI
14 jsw 6m, 96 B4v, miss my a4 :(
Yep, I’m well aware of the blend door foam woes but I thought I could cheat by just stopping the ambient air coming into the HVAC box. Is that not the case?
I plan to fix the foam but it was more than I wanted to bite off on a week night last week.
If I'm understanding what you did, just forcing the door to the recirculate position, that's not going to help if the outside air is just going thru that door. That did make me think tho. Maybe blocking off the outside air source in the engine bay might be substantially easier than pulling the dash apart for the door fix. I say that having no idea where that air source is or how to access it. Just seeing how time consuming the alternative is.
 

d24tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Location
MT
TDI
BHW x3, BEW x2, ALH x2, AHU, 1Z, AFB, AKN, BCZ, BDH
Honestly, the SHCS vs. ARP decision was just about value… SHCS = $28, ARP would be around CAD$350.

ARP2000 material is 220ksi tensile/200k yield and 12.9 is 180ksi tensile/160k yield. Keep in mind that the strength is only useful if you’re going to torque the fasteners to a stress that requires it. This is why I bolstered the OEM procedure with a generous thread lube when I torqued mine up. ARP is only torquing to 125 ft-lb and says that their studs are reusable so we have to presume that they aren’t torqued to yield. Their high strength material allows them to neck down the studs to reduce bolt stiffness to yield a more resilient joint. I was able to reduce bolt stiffness by increasing the length which reduces stiffness to about the same numbers as the ARP studs by my rough calculations.
If you look at PD150 head bolts vs standard SHCS, you’ll see extended threads and a reduced shank area on those bolts for the same reasons—they actually want to increase the stretch of the bolts by reducing their area.
To further increase performance of the 12.9s, one could neck them down to 10.5 or 11mm (budget option). Ordering high strength ARP studs or similar AND utilizing the spacers AND torquing them closer to yield would be a whole step up in performance again.

If I have to get back into this engine (hopefully not!), I would reuse these head bolts once but then replace them.

Now, I have upgraded head studs, and 3D printed 0A4 bits, and an 02J shifter, and an oil change/filter and $$ in my pocket still!;)
Ah, an actual engineering explanation, cheers! :cool:

Makes sense all the way around, including the reason why you went with the long bolt length and the spacers. Nice inventive solution, maybe you ought to offer a kit. Achieving equal or better results for 1/10th the cost..... That's kind of the whole idea of what these cars are about, no?

I have noticed some of CAT and Cummins' larger engines use somewhat similar sleeve spacers and long bolts for the exhaust manifold hardware. Always wondered if it was some kind of idea like this. Seems like the logic is probably the same, getting a little more resilient installation while retaining the needed strength.

Anyway, good news you got an upgrade out of the unplanned head R&R.
 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
Stormy has 4 fresh glow plugs and a half installed frost heater I scavenged from a parts car down in Idaho. I need to make up the 1” to 5/8” reducing tee still and finish up the install. Kind of a miserable job actually but I’m sure looking forward to easy starting mornings.

I troubleshot the washer fluid pump and found 3 issues. It seems the pump was flaky and the pump housing discharge had a crack and the hatch washer nozzle was broken so it robbed all the flow. I swapped the pump for a spare and bypassed the hatch piping and all is well up front. Once the frost heater install is done then I’ll put the big kahuna tank in and swap the good pump back into it.

I also pulled the inspection cover off of the 0A4 trans and saw that the selector sleeve clip? (Not sure exactly what it’s called) was loose in the cover. I reinstalled it but it looks like the retaining spring may be a little mangled too. I have to take a peek at my spare 02A. Maybe it will have a good donor spring for me?

It didn’t seem to impede shifter operation but perhaps the reported noise came from the selector sleeve vibrating around in there?
Loaded faces of the gears look to be in great shape so that’s good.

https://flic.kr/p/2qFAwYD
 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
Made some more progress this weekend...
Got the frost heater install complete and it's working well! Preheat with the frost heater + working glow plugs makes for a much happier cold start. I harvested the frost heater from a B4 I stripped in Idaho but it didn't come with the 1" to 5/8" tee so I buzzed one up from some scrap SS pipe I had around. The first coolant fill showed me pretty quickly that I had wrecked the lower rad hose O ring on installation. Once that was replaced, it proceeded nicely. Once the heater was in, I installed the 8.5L tank and poured 2 gallons of washer juice in.

I cleaned up the oil pan cover and the engine under tray as they were really oily and grimy and then installed those. I'm hoping they will help preserve some precious TDI heat during these cold days! I also put the top engine cover back on but had to build a bracket to relocate the mount off of the PD136 intake. The bracket moves that mount point over ~30mm and up ~20mm.

Today, I went after the orb of doom and discovered that one of the CGP male ends was folded over and impeding the connector from going together. I bent it back into shape and coaxed the connector back into being fully seated which was more than 1/8" past where it was before! I took the car for a spin and there were no more random stalls from losing the connection to the fuel solenoid at the orb.

I plugged in VCDS and cleared codes and the only remaining code was the temp sensor (it was unplugged) but once the sensor was plugged back in and the orb fully mated, the CTS came back! With the VCDS plugged in, I figured I would go for a little drive to keep an eye on the vitals since the cluster was still down. While monkeying on the computer in the driveway, the cluster came back to life!! What a relief there! I had tried all 3 of my clusters but none of them seemed to work. Maybe the pesky ground from the bad orb messed with the cluster too?

I did a timing and boost log to see how the car was doing and it validated that the turbo is at least in good shape and it can do a good job of achieving desired timing. Finally an indication that this is a better unit than the crusty purple one!! I forgot to look at the injector balance again but one day I'll remember to!





I ordered the majority of the parts to refresh my plus front subframe, new hubs/wheel bearings, TT rear bushings, ball joints, outer tie rods, and boots for a pair of CV axles to mate with the GLX spindles. I'm thinking that the right time to do all this work will be during the transmission swap since all those bits will be apart anyways. I pulled my spare 02A from storage and it's sitting beside the 0A4 so I can do some brainstorming on the mount situation. I have some ideas floating around that hopefully won't be too difficult to accomplish. Ideally I'll be able to use the OEM B4 mounts with supplemental adapters between those mounts and the 0A4.

I'm short a CV joint on my spare axles so I'm off to try to find a spare axle at the yard tomorrow. When I rebuild the axles, I'll swap all the joints side for side so that the more worn zones are on the unloaded side.

Finally, things are starting to look up for the old girl!
 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
I finished the frost heater install last week and plugged it in overnight and it started up great at -15*C so that was nice. Plugged it in all day at work and a shuddery/smoky start ensued. At home I checked resistance and found it open circuited. I pulled open the cover and found that a lead had blown off of the thermoswitch. I bypassed it for now so it gobbles 1000W when plugged in. It looks like there was old corrosion on the connection and some fresh current probably overloaded what was left. I’m very happy now that it’s working.

It was -15*C last night and I was getting really sick of cold commutes and fogged windows so I dove into the heater box to repair the blend door holes. I used the silver foil HVAC tape and it worked pretty well I think. When I opened it up, there was not a scrap of foam or residue of any kind left so that made cleaning easy.
I had wonderful heat today and I can’t believe I spent this long procrastinating that job!
Tackling the heated seats next. They worked in the other car so they ought to work here!
 

starrd

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Location
Canada
TDI
1996 Passat
Tackling the heated seats next. They worked in the other car so they ought to work here!
Just be aware that the original seat heater elements were recalled because they burned through the seat upholstery and to people as well. Be carefull to check for hot spots when the power is first applied so you don't burn through the seats.
 

JordanTr

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Location
Kimberley, BC
TDI
1996 B4V x2, 2006 Dmax, 2005 Allroad, 2005 BHW
Not too much to report lately. I’ve been piling some miles on it and it’s been quite cold. Below -20C this morning and she starts like a champ with the frost heater treatment!
I ordered and received some capacitors but I haven’t gone after cluster repairs yet. Thanks to some smart people on the forum that have helped pave the way for these repair procedures!
Help 1
Help 2

The heated seats seem to be intermittent. They began to work yesterday after driving on some rough gravel roads although I did check a few things at home against the print. The switch power feed was not getting power so I changed it to another location on the fuse box that had power. This morning, the heated seats didn’t work but after work I wiggled the ground wires under the dash and the heated seats came to life. Hoping for heated seats and good heat tomorrow as it will be -20C in the am.

I finished rebuilding one CV axle and cleaning and painting the other while I wait for reassembly. The CVs with the fine thread are part of the plus front end plan which I’d like to do all at once with the trans swap.

Took it for a little rural drive to a lake in the Rockies last night.
https://flic.kr/p/2qKnUGs
 

d24tdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Location
MT
TDI
BHW x3, BEW x2, ALH x2, AHU, 1Z, AFB, AKN, BCZ, BDH
Sounds like it's starting to pay you back nicely for your debugging efforts! :D
 
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