///// tracked down oil leak ... looks like vac pump /////

[Andyinchville1]

Hi

The other day I was thinking a drain plug was leaking fluid because a drip was forming on the bolt head ....

I had no idea what the drain plug was for because it was not the engine oil drain plug nor was it the transmission oil drain plug.

Turned out it was just a bolt with oil that was about to drop off of it.

Looking under the car and following the trail of dirty dried up oil it turns out that the oil leakage is around vacuum pump area.

I tried to take a paper towel to the area to see exactly where the leak is coming from but I suspect it must be coming from a gasket mounting the vacuum pump to the valve cover area.

I had inquired in the past as to how often the vacuum pump should be replaced and it seems to be one of those lifetime Parts almost like hoses until they go bad.

Anyways I'm thinking I need to replace at least the gasket causing the leak and I'm almost halfway inclined to just replacing the vacuum pump just because it has four hundred forty thousand miles while everything is apart.

What is involved with removing the vacuum pump and I'm guessing there's a gasket that needs to be replaced?

Anybody have the torque specs for the bolts or just basically tight until snug?


Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Andrew

 

[Rob Mayercik]

More o-rings than seals, really, but there are two - one between the two halves of the pump, and one between pump and head. If you're gonna replace one, do them both and be done with it for a while.

RKX Tech has a kit for this (https://www.rkxtech.com/products/vw-alh-tdi-vacuum-pump-reseal-kit), the seals fit perfectly and are reasonably priced.

Pulling the pump and doing the seals is pretty straightforward - 3 bolts hold it on the head, but there'll be a couple cable/hose holders that you'll need to undo as well for access. You might have more of that to do than I did, since you've got a manual with the coolant glow pugs (I've got the automatic). I found a writeup here somewhere on the basic steps, and it was pretty easy to do. Did it nearly 18 months ago, and not a drop of leak since.

Oh, one other thing - since coolant hoses pass right under the pump, check them carefully - the oil will attack the rubber of the hoses and eventually cause leaks (had this happen to me).

 

[Andyinchville1]

More o-rings than seals, really, but there are two - one between the two halves of the pump, and one between pump and head. If you're gonna replace one, do them both and be done with it for a while.

RKX Tech has a kit for this (https://www.rkxtech.com/products/vw-alh-tdi-vacuum-pump-reseal-kit), the seals fit perfectly and are reasonably priced.

Pulling the pump and doing the seals is pretty straightforward - 3 bolts hold it on the head, but there'll be a couple cable/hose holders that you'll need to undo as well for access. You might have more of that to do than I did, since you've got a manual with the coolant glow pugs (I've got the automatic). I found a writeup here somewhere on the basic steps, and it was pretty easy to do. Did it nearly 18 months ago, and not a drop of leak since.

Oh, one other thing - since coolant hoses pass right under the pump, check them carefully - the oil will attack the rubber of the hoses and eventually cause leaks (had this happen to me).

HI,

Thanks for the info .... I'll try to do the repair ASAP since the oil has also gotten on the dog bone rubber bushings.

I'll look at the hoses under there too .... I already had an upper hose section and plastic coupler in the upper radiator hose section have a very small at the joint (waiting for that piece to come in also).

Thanks

Andrew

 

[tdidieselbobny]

You might also want to consider getting a new vacuum booster hose, those tend to crack with age, and if yours is original, it'll probably crack when removing it to do the vacuum pump.