The NARFmobile, My 2001 Golf TDI

[NarfBLAST]

I started this thread because I ran out of room in my signature for "modifications".

[pics here, pics there, videos] / anti-traffic / DIY VAG-COM / ScanGaugeII + MAF xGauge / MAF twist / boost gauge / VNT actuator / PSI PowerBox / boostvalve / fuel sender mod / ventectomy + anti foam finger fuel mod / snow pre-screen / front 10mm lift / rear air lift / hitch / trailers / four marker light mod / glass headlight lenses / frostheater
window regulator clip replacement
stupid door switch $3 fix

push button ignition

thrustmaster shifter

Later I discovered that I needed a place to write about my experiences with this car, so that is what follows in this this thread.

 

[NarfBLAST]

How to repair drivers door lock cylinder housing

So a month ago I took it apart and found this:

I re-assembled it and it worked for a while but it was still kindof sticky.

Today my key almost got stuck in the door so I took it apart and fixed it properly:

With the cracked and broken retaining ring completely removed and replaced by the pin the key turns freely. The only difference from stock is that there is no automatic centering spring action. You have to center the key yourself before you pull it out.

edit: added more info and also an update: it has been a month and the key still turns freely.

 

[NarfBLAST]

New Bilstien TC struts and metal sway bar end links

Installed last weekend:

New_metal_sway_bar_end_links_and_Bilstien_TC_struts

The car feels brand new in the front. I have ordered the rears and after almost 400,000km I am sure they are completely worn out too. The air springs are probably the only thing keeping the rear from feeling even softer.

Also loaded my spare set of Avus rims into the trunk to go for new rubber this weekend. Going to finally get H rated tires agian! *excited*

 

[NarfBLAST]

4x8 Utility Trailer Project built around Volkswagen Avus Rims

My old 195/65R15 89S rated Goodyear Allegras will go on the utility trailer:



That I designed and built from mostly recycled materials.



It is finally painted:


The 5x100mm Avus rims are mounted on the 5x4.5" trailer axle hubs using these beautiful 2" thick machined aluminum adapters I orderd from http://adaptitusa.com/

The face is not clean it has anti-seize from where the wheel was mounted, sorry.

Here is what they look like from the inside:

AdaptitUSA.com provided the 1/2" lug nuts that mount the adapters to the studs on the trailer axle hubs...

BUT

To mount the Volkswagen Avus Wheels to the adapters I had to find my own lug nuts and nobody would be able to help me with that because the wheels normally mount to the car with M14x1.5 spherical seat lug BOLTS.

AdaptitUSA mounted metric M12x1.5 studs in the adapters (they have to be studs, you can not tap holes into the aluminum adapters and expect them to stand up to repeated abuse from steel bolts). I did not specify the studs so it great that they selected metric studs for me. edit: I should have specifically asked for M14x1.5 studs for a better fit. Either way I needed proper sized 13mm radius ball seat lug nuts to keep from damaging my alloy wheels which I plan to rotate between the car and the trailer depending on wear/seasons. After much searching I found these:

Manufacturer: ACS
SKU: M12.US.SPH
Thread Dia.: 12mm
Thread Pitch: 1.5
Height: 19mm
Width: 23mm
Wrench Head: 17mm
Ball Seat: R-13 (ø26)



at http://www.race-studs.com/servlet/the-Ball-Seat-Nuts/Categories

They had just exactly what I needed in nuts and cheap too! Who knew that spherical seat lug nuts were so rare? edit: And how cool is it that race-studs.com posts all the specifications for a $1.29 nut!

Amazingly the studs were exactly the right length and the nuts were short enough that the hub caps pop right over them without issues.

Pictures of the finished 4x8 Utility trailer to come when I finish the wood sides, reattach the lights, and hook it up to the car.

edits Sept 4th: added nut specs, added important note that I should have order M14x1.5 studs for a better fit

 

[nicklockard]

Nice thread, Narf! Keep up the great work. I love the trailer.

 

[NarfBLAST]

Thanks Nick! Stay tuned for more pics!

 

[NarfBLAST]

4x8 Trailer Project Update



360 degree view:

 

[NarfBLAST]

400,000 km

The last four weekends in a row I have been preparing for this. Today it finally happened. Here is an excerpt from the maintenance log I keep on my blackberry. Dates are shown here in chronological order, but normally on my blackberry I have the "NEXT" items at the top so they are always visible and I note the latest event right above them...

Aug 21,10 at 396,000 km TIMING BELT done with Adam (Windex) also water pump, serp belt. May need serp tensioner one day as the shock absorber has leaked some fluid. Tried to change coolant temp sensor but would not come out, broke flange may need new coolant flange. Zip tied for now. Also pressed injection pump thingy back together. Timing is perfect but wavers up and down just a little (sign of injection pump wear which is to be expected). Injectors at -.40to plus .80 within spec of +/- 2. Also FUEL FILTER

Aug 28,10 at 397,000 km front struts, mounts and strut bearings and sway bar end links. Removed 10mm spacers that were stuck with corrosion on orig struts. Found the clunk was inside the strut so the strut bearings I removed with 50k on them are probly still good.

Sept 4,10 at 398,500km 4 NEW TIRES Goodyear Allegra Touring Fuel Max: no payments for 12months on deffered payment from Canadian Tire Options Mastercard: need to doublecheck next statement. Installed in driveway at night in the rain. Put old tires on utility trailer. Test drive car smooth all the way up to 160km/h

Sep 10,10 at 399,500km new rear shocks and flipped broken spring on the right so that the broken part is on the flat seat and the good part is pointing up and seats properly on the cup instead of missing the cup and sitting half an inch higher (right rear was half an inch too low for a few years now).

Also reconnected air bags trimming half inch of old hose for fresh leak free conneection.

Sept 14,10 hit 400,000km car is tight and smooth on new suspension and tires. Better than new. I am in love again.

NEXT oil change 404,000 km (every 16,000)
NEXT air filter 420,000 km (every 32,000)
NEXT fuel filter 426,400 km (every 32,000)
NEXT timing belt 556,000 km (every 160,000)

 

[nicklockard]

How did you break a spring? Replace that pronto, please! They're dirt cheap used. People throw them away.

 

[NarfBLAST]

How did you break a spring? Replace that pronto, please! They're dirt cheap used. People throw them away.

Thanks for the concern but I drove on the broken and miss-seated spring for 2 years...

Now that it is seated correctly (upside-down) I see no reason to change it. If a set of rear springs falls out of the sky I will drop them in, otherwise, no worries!

 

[NarfBLAST]

Recently celebrated 400,000km milestone.

New rear brakes, oil changed, new VNT actuator...

Today I had some fun on a dirt road. Picture after dirt road (maple leaf magically landed there. Fall is magical here)

 

[SilveR316]

Love the Tim Hortons coffee cup. So Canadian.

 

[rocketeer928]

Love the Tim Hortons coffee cup. So Canadian.

And, Western New York

I hope my car makes it to 400,000 miles or more. Considering that I drive about 10,000 miles per year, I won't hit that milestone until 2040. Lord willing, I'll still be alive and retired by then.

 

[mech644]

Rocket, he's at 400,000 Kilometers = 248,400 statute miles
2025 or thereabouts should see you in the 400,000km vicinity
But considering the care you lavish on your Jetta, 2040 is not out of the question.

 

[rocketeer928]

Oh, that's right. He's one of our friends from the Great White North.

The U.S. should be metric by now too, IMHO.

 

[NarfBLAST]

Repaired my Glow Plug Wire Harness: Soldered Plug #4

So I found out why P0380 kept coming up, there was a scorch hole in my #4 glow plug boot:

After testing all the glow plugs and finding them all to produce a healthy glow when pulled from the head and connected individually to a 12V source, I cleaded up all the connecting surfaces the best that I could and put everything back together. I still had the CEL within a couple of cold starts.

I checked the price a of new glow plug wire harness and found they cost from $54 shipped from the USA to $84 Canadian plus 13% tax from my local VW dealer.

So I did some soul searching... for a few nights I lay awake, thinking about the spare working glow plug I had in the garage and wondering, what if?

What if I...

...soldered a lead to it?

That was so easy, I pulled the burnt harness out, cut the bad boot off, and came up with a plan to butt crimp my soldered glow plug in to the harness, with plenty of slack for future repairs:

I used the wire to "spin it in" and then it only took about a quarter turn to snug it up...

Engage butt crimps and voila!

I am also glad that I relocated the vacuum reservoir, made this repair so much easier. I used piece of 1/16 inch sheet metal and drilled two holes to mach the original holes in the original mounting bracket, I attached the bulb to the sheet metal using the original single bolt and plastic alignment nub, then I zip tied the new metal bracket to the battery cover by drilling four holes.

Its has been a few days and a few coldish starts that should have triggered the check engine light by now... I think we are good. I carved this pumpkin today to celebrate:

 

[Hatchet Ratchet]

nice pumkin! very clever.

 

[TornadoRed]

NARFman, is there anything different or unconventional about your fuel flap?

 

[NarfBLAST]

NARFman, is there anything different or unconventional about your fuel flap?

LOL! It is just a really nice sticker. I put it on about 6 years ago, it was on sale at Princess Auto, regular 9.99, it was on for 99 cents in a clearance bin and I was not sure if it would fit but I thought, what the hell... it fit perfectly, so it was meant to be. It is made of a thick plastic with aluminum foil and an embossed design so it looks real from a distance. Also very durable apparently. Some would say it is cheezey or ricey but really it was only supposed to be a temporary bit of fun until I found a real aluminum fuel flap, but then it sort of grew on me.

Here is a daylight photo from when I had the 205/75R15 tires on:

edit: updated picture link

 

[NarfBLAST]

Long Shifter + Short Shift Kit = Perfect Match!

The Thrustmaster Shifter is now enhanced with a DieselGeek TTX Short Shift Kit. It is like these two were made for each other!

Before and After in 5th gear notice how close the top had used to be to the cup holder:

Also cleaned the snow screen and changed the air filter while I had the air box out...

 

[NarfBLAST]

Utility Trailer Suspension Upgrade: Dampers!

After a few weekends of design and fitting I finally finish welded one lower shock mount. The shocks will be mounted at 45 degrees off the leaf spring mounting plate:

For VW content, the upper shock eyes were salvaged from the original equipment shocks on my Golf. They were welded to the top of the "found in Grandpa's barn" shocks after the threaded end was cut off. Also from Grandpa's barn: the steel tubing. Also re-used from VW suspension: top and bottom mounting hardware. Total cost so far, $3.49 per side for the leaf spring pads (the multi-curved bit welded in between the tube and the fingers in the above picture).

Here are the previous attempts,

Too Boring:

Too Long:

 

[NarfBLAST]

UPDATE to: Repaired my Glow Plug Wire Harness: Soldered Plug #4

Working great:

1:31
TDI Cold Start at -9 deg C

 

[NarfBLAST]

Utility trailer suspension finished:

 

[vdubguru]

Hey Paul, Spotted your Golf in the Timmies/Wendies parking lot at Walkers & Mainway in Burlington on wednesday. Congrats on passing 400K!

 

[NarfBLAST]

Thanks vdubguru!

 

[NarfBLAST]

1" or more lift in the future...

These parts arrived today: http://www.evolutionimport.com/1_LIFT_KIT_FOR_MKIV_GOLF_JETTA_AND_BEETLE_p/c-00113-001.htm

These parts are so beautiful that I could not bear the thought of re-using my old rear springs. Also, I have been annoyed by the stiffness of the Air Lift 1000 spring helpers, and also bothered by the fact that my right rear is half an inch lower than the rest of the car due to the "broken" spring, also, I would have to re-route the air lines up instead of down and also I have been haunted by nicklockard's words in post #9 ...

...So I ordered a brand new set of Jetta Wagon Rear Springs (A4)

I also have a set of 10mm spacers that were rusted and stuck to my old struts that I have cleaned up and are going in the front on top of the 1" spaces pictured above.

edits: added links and details.

 

[VWBeamer]

Thanks for all the updates. Would like to build my own teardrop trailer and have matching rims. Would be one less spare tire to carry also....or use the stock spare tire well for extra fuel, and carry the spare on the trailer.

 

[NarfBLAST]

Adventures in Lifting a Mk4 Golf Day 1 of 3

Removed my old Golf springs, and compared them to the new Jetta Wagon springs I received from idparts.com. I lined all four springs up so that the start of the coils were lined up, you can see how much is missing from the broken one, about a quarter turn, in this picture:

Before installation, there is only about one inch of height difference. However, there is an extra coil in there, and when installed this adds over 2" of actual ride height (depending on the condition of the old springs)

Not knowing how much height I would get from the new wagon springs, I installed the new 1" lift blocks from evolutionimport.com at same time. They seated with a loud thud as I lowered the car, probably because the Jetta Wagon springs are so long that things don't really line up until the suspension is compressed. In this picture the spring is not seated on the aluminum block yet:

I also installed the 1" spacers plus OEM 10mm spacers for the front for a total lift of aprox 1 and 3/8 inches or 35.4mm in the front.

Here is the AFTER picture on the afternoon of Day 1:

Measurements from the ground thru the center of the hubcap to the fender:

Before:
26" in front with new but broken in Bilstien TC struts and strut mounts but no spacers
26.5" to 27" in rear with crapped out springs and stiff riding air spring helpers at 4 psi

After:
27+" in front with 1" spacers plus 10mm spacers stacked on top of eachother
29+" in rear with 1" lift blocks plus Jetta Wagon Springs providing 2" more

During the past week and 600km or so I think the rear springs settled in maybe half an inch if that is possible? Maybe I just got used to the rake. What I could not get used to was the loud CLUNK when the Bilstien TC stock replacement Golf rear shocks top out whenever a rear wheel drops in to a dip in the road.

I would spend a few days debating in my head the merits of

a) puchasing new Jetta Wagon longer rear shocks

vs:

b) fabricating an extension bracket to make my Golf shocks seem longer

combined possibly with:

c) replacing the 1" lifting blocks with new OEM VW 1mm lifting blocks

 

[NarfBLAST]

Adventures in Lifting a Mk4 Golf Day 2 of 3

I was able to accomplish c) replacing the 1" lifting blocks with new OEM VW 1mm lifting blocks today,

...and now the car sits almost perfectly level, only slightly higher in the rear that the front, aprox 27.5" to 28" to the center of the fenders.

Also the shock topping out clunking seems to be completely gone, but I suspect I am borderline and still need to fabricate those shock extension brackets or consider some pretty new orange Koni Jetta Wagon shocks (which are on sale at idparts!). I hate to spend money when I don't need to and I love to fabricate so I will try to fabricate some new lower shock mounts first.

Anyway, the ride is amazingly smooth with proper springs in the rear.

The air ride spring helpers were cheap, and adjustable, but choppy as hell compared to proper springs.

I think I want to put the 1" blocks in the back again once I fabricate 2" shock extensions. I think I want the back higher than the front because I prefer a positive rake to a negative rake when I throw a heavy load and trailer on the back, but then again, I don't know how these Jetta Wagon springs will react, so I am not sure what I will do next... but I have reserved day 3 to find out.

Here is a picture from her "good side":

 

[thevwkid53]

I can't wait until I can take pictures of my car beside yours this year. It looks like yours will drive over mine with out a problem.