View Full Version : Rolling with Pebbles
This is a thread to document the resurection of our beige beastie, Pebbels. Pebbles was found on a farm covered in moss and dog fur.
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go reno fwego wheels
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/04/IMG_5099-1.jpg
Filthy motor, but no oil in the intake!! Looks good
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/stuff146-1.jpg
Trying to save another golf, but she was too far gone
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/stuff105-1.jpg
The motor cleaned up nicely!
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/IMG_51631-1.jpg
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The evil combo struck, failed brake booster and diesel run on. WOOHOOO! That will teach you for tailgating. Big cloud, big power, no off switch and nnnnoo brakes!!!
This is me trying to revive the dead booster, no matter how hard i sucked, she just blew.
In with a spare booster to tame the beast.
We also replaced the oil and filter, bled the brakes, swapped the clocks for a working odo, replaced the thermo fan switch.
Along the way we have installed king springs and new dampers, windscreen and rear muffler.
16v_kid
06-06-2009, 07:04 PM
Looks like a very good base.
Engine bay looks mint.
Nice find.
Good luck with it.
cheers
roccodingo
06-06-2009, 07:20 PM
Hope you changed them strut mounts when you did the springs, those existing babies are well shot..:eek:
Have a look at the vacuum pump for the brake booster, they usually can do with a service or replacement to get the stoppers working better on an oiler.
Keep up the good work, nice to see it getting a new lease of life.:biggrin:
I have no idea what good strut mounts look like, thanks for pointing out that mine are shot! Any suggestions on where they might be sourced??
We installed a factory runon fix, but the cause of the problem, a faulty brake booster, has also been addressed.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/IMG_5240-1.jpg
The new instrument cluster has this little temperature warning light. The old instruments didnt have it. Does it need its own temperature sensor/switch? Also, the temperature reads much higher on this gauge than the old one and the fuel gauge doesnt work at all. Is this a compatibility issue or am I frying my motor???
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/IMG_5248-1.jpg
The wheels came with the car, new in box. I had the tyres swapped over. I think they look very tidy.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/IMG_5241-1.jpg
Water Boy
07-06-2009, 06:54 PM
Looking good mate :biggrin:
Preen59
07-06-2009, 06:59 PM
Looks the goods dude. Looks to me like Mk1 diesels are the new three door! :)
Thanks guys! Its a bit banged up, but original paint (mostly). We also gave the interior a good clean today but no matter how hard we scrubbed, we couldnt get rid of all of the brown.
Peter Jones
08-06-2009, 09:18 AM
The new instrument cluster has this little temperature warning light. The old instruments didnt have it. Does it need its own temperature sensor/switch? Also, the temperature reads much higher on this gauge than the old one and the fuel gauge doesnt work at all. Is this a compatibility issue or am I frying my motor???
The diesels dashes should al just plug and play. Sounds like the voltage reg in your new one might be shot. Swap it with the one from your old cluster.
It's a little black thing with three wires, held in by a single screw. It's on the back of the cluster.
Looks like a fun project. A wreck I have here has that anti run on pipe connected to the vacuum pump, not sure how that works.
Pete
Pete, you were right, one of the copper traces to the transistor was broken.
After replacing the brake booster/master cylinder, the brake warning light stays on. Any suggestions on how to fix this gremlin?
Jarred
08-06-2009, 04:16 PM
if it's the light that's near [above i tihnk?] the handbrake light, take the cables off the battery, [both] for 20-30 seconds, this discharges a capacitor that's behind there.
Thank Andrew Robinson for that gem.
I had the same issue a while back, i don't know what actually causes it to go off though. not a re-occouring issue for me, so i didn't worry about it.
Thanks Jarred I'll give it a go.
Tomorrow me and Leah are heading down to Wilsons Prom for a couple of days. I think the car is ready........ Going to take a tool kit just in case.
Nice one Jarred, your tip fixed it! Thanks. I also read Petes thread on boosters, im going to do that mod.
We just returned from a three day tour of Wilsons Prom. The car drove very nicely and only had a couple of minor issues. The car seems to want to run hot. I have a manual switch for the thermo fan, and basically have it on all the time. Temp goes up if theres a hill. Should the cooling system be this sensitive? I have considered the following possible issues:
Thermostat
Uneven valve clearances
blocked radiator
Any words of advice?
Also, the battery/alternator light is glowing dimly, like theres some demonic breakdown looming. I have checked the brushes and they seem fine. Also, i have charged the battery and the light goes out for a while (its a new battery). Could running the thermo fan all the time be flogging the battery/alternator?
Fuel consumption was good, 33L in somewhere between 600 and 700kms. I dont know exactly as the odo stopped at 450kms :( but thats pretty good anyway. I have mastered the fuel efficient driving style, like a nanna in a straight line, like a maniac in the bends! So much fun!!
Anyway, like any 30yo car, its got some problems, but we are fixing them slowly.
Jarred
12-06-2009, 02:41 PM
i had some almost similar problems when i went up to sydney. she got warm going up some of the big hills, and still kept at about 1/2 on the temp gauge for most of the trip up.
on the way back, temp was cooler, and seemed more powerful. i put this down to a sticky thermostat. unconfirmed if that was the issue or not.
WABIT
12-06-2009, 03:58 PM
i had some almost similar problems when i went up to sydney. she got warm going up some of the big hills, and still kept at about 1/2 on the temp gauge for most of the trip up.
on the way back, temp was cooler, and seemed more powerful. i put this down to a sticky thermostat. unconfirmed if that was the issue or not.
it was because on the way to sydney you are actually going uphill, going back to melbourne is all downhill, hence more power and cooler temps, not as much pressure on the motor, there was times where on the way home to melb, id actually let it roll for over 5klm in N!!
dom
Jarred
12-06-2009, 04:17 PM
dom, i'm talking about the hills specifically, not the whole journy. there were big hills going either way. but the difference was massive.
i went from struggling up hills foot flat, too actually accelerating up similarily large hills. Although there was about 2 hills in a row coming back that i struggled with, infact, i struggled accelerating on the flat bit after the 1st hill, and after the second, power was back and it was fine. another reason why i though sticky thermo.
Water Boy
12-06-2009, 04:24 PM
I do agree Jarred had more power on the way home :bowdown:
Today we replaced the alternator, no more demonic glow in the battery/alternator warning light!
We also found some hidden ponies when we adjusted the valve clearance on no.2 inlet valve. Revs like a champ!
Still no luck in the cooling/thermo fan department. We're on our third thermo switch now. I suspect that my configuration of the relay and thermo switch may not provide enough current draw through the switch to close the contacts. Any thoughts???
By the seaside, at the sleepy village of Walkerville
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/IMG_5378-2.jpg
Hone and rings?
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/IMG_5368-2.jpg
Maybe bearings too.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/06/IMG_5362-2.jpg
gtimk5
16-06-2009, 07:41 AM
Love the pics mate!!
Sidevalve motor there, maybe an old Ford or Landrover motor. Either way, I think an overhaul is in order! Been flooded at some stage?
Andrew :)
Thanks Andrew. The car is still going great. We've been towing a trailer around with it for the last couple of weekends and it pulls it like a champ but I am tempted to replace the head bolts with longer studs and stick a turbo on it....
gldgti
22-06-2009, 06:47 PM
I do agree Jarred had more power on the way home :bowdown:
for you jarred, and for you too hiho -
if you have a little air getting into the fuel lines before the injector pump, the internal pressure inside the pump is decreased as the air is bled out. this means that the dynamic timing advance mechanism will not advance the timing correctly (it works on internal pump pressure) and you will encounter retarded timing. retarded timing will cause lack of power and high EGT's, which will cause the symptoms you are describing. the main reason the engine gets hot is because you will inject a lot of fuel (using extra throttle because power is down) but its all too late because the timing is wrong.... lots of wasted heat.
air leak problems like this tend to be hard to track down and very intermittent, and often the easiest way to solve the problem is to replace all the inlet side lines with new rubber hose and new high quality hose clamps.
HTH :-)
Jarred
22-06-2009, 06:57 PM
Thanks for that. I'll add that to the holiday list!
Thanks Ayden, you're a champ! I will replace the fuel lines and filter this weekend. I might wack in a cheapo petrol filter pre diesel filter too just in case i encounter some biodiesel.
I also pulled apart the suspect demonic alternator to find a dry solder joint at one of the diodes. Why did i have the alternator apart? Well that another story for another time......
gldgti
26-06-2009, 06:57 PM
Why did i have the alternator apart? Well that another story for another time......
you better do a good writeup on your adding a 'W' terminal and then modding a petrol tach to work off the W terminal - then i will bestow upon you the great honour of having a thread stickied :-D ;-)
Im considering this little turbo for a 1.5TD. Its off a 1986 2.8L Jackaroo. Its complete with downpipe and oil feed/return lines and surprisingly small.
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before i do this i wanna have the other car running and head studs installed (to help keep the head on!)
any comments on this turbos suitability for a 1.5?
Jarred
16-07-2009, 03:57 PM
I've heard they consistantly pop headgaskets when turbo'd. This is what I was told when I first bought my diesel at least.
twin eng, twin turbs
16-07-2009, 07:15 PM
That turbo is a cutie! Its a T2 and will boost up very quick but run out of flow at high rpms. Probably a good choice if you want drivabilty and instant boost.
Pebbles is now rolling with 5 speeds. Scored a cordoba gearbox with the right ratios, complete with flywheel and clutch. If anyone wants to do this swap, you will need to fab/source a gearbox mount, grab the 15 tooth (usually red) speedo drive gear (just pull it off the end of the cable) and the sandwich plate and covers. Also, either swap the 100mm drive shaft flanges for a set of 90mm flanges or else, mod your drive shafts to accept the 100mm inner cv joints off the cordoba (they are thicker than the 90mm cv joints so the shoulder on the mk1 drive shaft needs to have the difference machined off it). I had a set of 90mm flanges so i swapped them and replaced the seals while i was at it.
Oh, also, the cordoba flywheel doesnt have a TDC mark to suit the diesel. PITA
gldgti
30-07-2009, 06:06 PM
hey mate,
i reckon that turbo would be alright for a 1.5 - you wont be able to run too much boost anyway - but i thought you had a 1.6 with k14? or is that your other project?
either way, the t2 on the 1.5 will certainly be a viable option - most important thing will bne to run a decent intercooler setup and some head studs.
you can get an aftermarket vw 8V turbo exhaust manifold from ebay that suits the t3 bolt pattern - i'm not sure how different it is from the one you have there, but i reckon would be a good start :-)
thanks Ayden, Im going to see if the ebay vendors of 8v T2 turbo manifolds will ship one for less than $144, then it might be a great deal!
The k14 is for the 1.6TD build which is progressing slowly, oil squirters just arrived from Canada.
Last week the exhaust pipe broke just in front of the rear muffler. I liked the sound and the performance gain but Leah didnt. I decided to compromise and had a 2" pipe installed with a new 2" flexible join at the front. The car is pleasant again and really likes to rev! Big improvement
gldgti
12-08-2009, 06:28 PM
yes indeed, i found that my old 1.5 went much better after a bigger exhaust was put on - really opened up the upper rev range. best i got it was with a genuine GTi exhaust (front half, with 2 pipes to the shifter box) and 2" from there back. was a bit noisy though :-)
RhysQ
12-08-2009, 10:43 PM
Just had a read through this thread.... awesome work you are doing with the car to get it back to it's former glory (and more by the sounds of it). Will be watching this thread closely.
Best of luck mate,
Rhys
a split heater hose threatened to kill Pebbles last night. Im driving her 1000kms/week on average (and loving it!). On the way to Mt Beauty (where I've been working) I noticed the temp a bit high and the thermo fan light didnt come on. Having lost a rebuilt diesel to a split hose I watch the temp like a hawk. I pulled over and yep, coolant leaking out from the hose that connects the head to the water pump. This is the same hose that killed Hiho. (gimme a break, my girlfriend only lets me have old cars if she can name them). I got towed to benalla, stayed in a nice hotel and hacked a subaru leone top radiator hose to bits to make a replacement. Filled with antifreeze and was away!
Lesson 1 - connect a dashboard light to the radiator fan thermo switch that tells you when the fan is on. Better still, add a relay while you're at it (mmm relays.....)
Lesson 2 - if the temp is high and the radiator fan isnt on, pull over! You may have lost coolant, a stuck thermostat or a bung thermo switch. The former will kill your diesel VERY QUICKLY - overheating cracks the block on 1.5 diesels
Lesson 3 - diesel fuel attacks rubber. The hose that failed is directly under the injector pump. When adjusting/priming etc, always wash the diesel off the motor, with particular attention to the hoses at the rear of the water pump!
Lesson 4 - Girls love old cars so much they cant help but name them
Jarred
11-09-2010, 12:31 AM
hahah
Good to hear it's still kicking!
nothing a bit of road side inginuity can't fix!
Pebbles got turbo'd. Our daily driver is a 1.6TD! That is until my girl gets home tonight in her shiny new reliable quiet safe clean rust free red 2009 Polo TDI. Then it becomes a true project car!
I installed a factory TD motor and gearbox that I pinched from a car I brought over from adelaide late last year. It has been a bit of a headache since installing it and the long felt feeling of reliability disappeared....
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It doesnt start on cold mornings without a little help. I suspect a thicker than required head gasket has been installed..... Or the timing is off
THe flywheel has no TDC mark. I cant check the cam or injector timing......
Lots of minor water leaks
Huge gearbox oil leak.... Mangled seal carrier
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/f3e7a890-1.jpg
New seal carrier installed
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New seal installed
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Flange going back on
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I'll replace this box with an AMC Toledo box in a couple of weekends. It has the larger input shaft, 210mm clutch and 100mm flanges. Should be good for whatever i squeeze from the TD
I also got paranoid about the intermediate shaft bearing. The bearing usually never wears out on a petrol motor. But with the IP and cam to drive, and with some people overtightening the belt due to concern of piston/valve contact due to a skipped tooth, the bearing at the pulley end can wear prematurely in a diesel. I believe that it should be inspected when changing the timing belt. Mine was ok so i didnt replace it. Apparently you can tap the old one sideways with a punch (put a rag in there to catch it so it doesnt end up in the sump) and remove it then install the new bearing using the intermediate shaft as a guide.
With the new flywheel (complete with TDC marking), egt gauge and 2.5" exhaust I should be able to start tuning!!!
gldgti
10-08-2011, 01:10 PM
show us yer exhaust!
Preen59
10-08-2011, 01:59 PM
Nice work.
Just advance the injector timing dude. It won't hurt. :)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/8b4dff94-1.jpg
2.5 is the rusty sections top left
I am not worried about the ip timing so much as the cam timing. When i swap the gearbox i'll fit a 210mm flywheel with a TDC mark on it!
gldgti
12-08-2011, 02:24 PM
hehe, i spy a turbo outlet flange with a bit of 2.5" pipe on it.
have you been driving it around with no exhaust?
Nah, its got the stock downpipe and a fairly ordinary 2" system on it at present. Im eyeing off some mig welders on ebay - once in hand I will complete what you've started with the turbo flange and install the 2.5" system!
Loving the missus' Polo TDI!
I cant believe this car is still my daily driver.
Preen59
25-04-2012, 10:08 PM
Updates??
I pulled the carpets and soundproofing (PITA) to check the floors and brake lines. There was surface rust in the pockets formed by the body deadener. I brushed it off with a wire wheel and fish oiled the floors before putting the car back together.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/941892f3-1.jpg
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I also reinstalled the original springs as the king springs are too stiff for regular dirt road use. With the rear ARB it still turns in nicely but has a fair amount of roll. I think I'll reinstall the rear king springs with some sort of spacer to level the car with the front std springs. This should return the body roll to what I prefer....
Otherwise this car just gets me about. It has a sweet spot between 100 and 140km/h in 5th which makes overtaking a sinch.
GLDoldcoot
04-11-2012, 07:46 PM
Hey this looks like my daily! Its done 550 000km or so, and is called Gonzo [the colour is Mexico beige]. I drive it 100km/day on rough roads with standard springs, but I made the top rear spring cups deeper and installed rubber washers in them to pack up the rear suspension. I fitted a turbo to the original 1500 diesel about two years ago and it goes very well with the five speed gearbox. Needs new rings though.
Good luck with Pebbles
Who says you cant fit a turbo to a 1500!
Cheers
Rob:cookie:
Preen59
04-11-2012, 08:07 PM
Hey this looks like my daily! Its done 550 000km or so, and is called Gonzo [the colour is Mexico beige]. I drive it 100km/day on rough roads with standard springs, but I made the top rear spring cups deeper and installed rubber washers in them to pack up the rear suspension. I fitted a turbo to the original 1500 diesel about two years ago and it goes very well with the five speed gearbox. Needs new rings though.
Good luck with Pebbles
Who says you cant fit a turbo to a 1500!
Cheers
Rob:cookie:
You'd have to be Aydan's dad?
GLDoldcoot
04-11-2012, 08:24 PM
Yep. He's a bit of a fanatic. Don't know where he got that from.
I only run about up to 8 pounds boost. Pebbles looks a bit neater than gonzo. We have a lot of wallabies on the road. I try hard to miss them and drive slow where they hang about, but sometimes you cant avoid it.
You've done well raising your son, and turbing the 1.5D. Apparently they are divine to drive once turboed, more free revving than the 1.6 motor.
Pebs is having a break. I built up another car as my daily but had a good offer for it and sold it. Pebs will one day get a basic resto/freshen up but my energy is going into my white coupe
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