Hiho the phoenix

[hiho]

Rising from the ashes is Hiho with the original motor plus new rings, big end bearings and a reconditioned head.

The current motor was blowing too much blue smoke, and although it had got me out of alot of trouble, it just used too much oil for my likings. I removed it by removing the gearbox and then just plonking the motor onto some wood blocks. Then i jacked the car high enough to drag the motor clear.

The fresh motor i installed more or less as a bare long motor. I raised the motor up on wooden blocks, tilting it and sliding another in until it was high enough to insert the engine mount pin. Then, with the engine lower at the flywheel end it was easy to slide the gearbox up, bolt it on and raise the motor and gearbox up to install the gearbox mount.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/04/IMG_1568s-3.jpg

Next was the tedious reassembly of the exhaust, plumbing, wiring, inlet manifold, waterpump, injector pump, drive shafts etc. This was a great opportunity to replace some suspect parts like a inner CV joint and glow plugs.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2007/04/IMG_1570s-3.jpg

Tomorrow i will time the cam and pump, install the oil drain plug (must not forget!!!) and fill it with fluids. Any last words of advice or encouragment are welcome

[GoLfMan]

looking the goods mate :)

[gldgti]

well done.... though its easier do remove the bonnet and find a mate with an enginer crane ;-)

well done on fixing up another diesel

[brackie]

Looking good! Don't forget to exceed the workshop manual's torque recommendation for the camshaft gear. It's on a taper fit and can slip (I know :( it cost me an engine). I would give it another 20%.

[hiho]

Bloody tight plus 20%, thanks Brackie. Im putting a new shaft seal in the injector pump and using a set of injectors that have been tested. I want this car to be mechanically sound (even if the body is a bit wonky). Ill be finishing the installation this week and it should be on the road this weekend!!!!

[hiho]

I tried to get oil pressure/flow at the cylinder head today before a test run and couldnt. I checked that the auxiliary shaft was turning and that there was pressure at the filter. It then occured to me that the head gasket could be on the wrong way around.
I checked a spare motor and the tab with the notches is towards no. 3 cyl and on my freshly built motor it is towards no.2 cyl
This means the oil gallery to the head is blocked by the gasket and no oil pressure to the head, and that the head must come off!!! I am a bit ****ty about this as i want to drive the car NOW! Fortunately im not the one that will be doing the head gasket replacement as I paid for the motor to be assembled by a workshop to avoid these kinds of stuffups.

[smithy010]

Dirty bastards! It's lucky you checked that.

It just goes to show that there is only one person to trust when working with your beloved diesel.... Yourself.

Then again, that means no fingering the blame on someone else when things go awry..

[brackie]

Tough, mate... but unfortunately these thigs happen. I hope it ain't crushed too much!

http://www.mathomfarm.com.au/images/hgasket.jpg

[gldgti]

HSY autoparts in sydney and SA have pretty good HG prices if you need a new one.

[hiho]

Ive negotiated with the workshop who built the motor that i would remove and refit the head and bill them for the time, unfortunately i had the head off in exactly 60 minutes, thats starting from everything connected and ready to run (with the exception of oil supply to the head of course).

The method was to remove the intake manifold (made easy with a socket 6mm hex i borrowed from the workshop), loosen the exhaust manifold brace and undo the manifold to head nuts and push it clear of the studs, remove the belt cover, remove the cam cover, remove the cam sprocket, remove the injector pipes and glow plug wire, remove the radiator and heater hoses to the head, undo the head bolts as per the manual and off she comes!!

The replacement gasket should arrive tommorrow. So in the end it hasnt cost me too much time, however, i did pay for the motor to be built professionally because i didnt want to stuff around with it and now thats exactly what ive had to do. I did of course have a good look at the innards and everything looks great!! Fresh hash pattern in the bores and the pistons look brand new! Cant wait to have the old girl back on the road......

[hiho]

It turns out that they didnt order a head gasket and now that they are actually trying, they tell me that the earliest that they will have one is mid June JUNE!!! Stuff that!
Does anyone here have a 5 notch 1.5 diesel head gasket i could purchase?

Cheers
Matt
Patients running thin

[hiho]

I have reassembled the diesel motor with a new head gasket and gave it a run in session. The motor started as soon as the fuel hit the injectors. It doesnt blow smoke and it doesnt run on either. All good news!!! Bout bloody time......
Now ive got to recover my costs from the workshop, wish me luck.

[evorobin]

they tell me that the earliest that they will have one is mid June JUNE!!!

What was the reason given for this?

[brackie]

I have reassembled the diesel motor with a new head gasket and gave it a run in session. The motor started as soon as the fuel hit the injectors. It doesnt blow smoke and it doesnt run on either. All good news!!! Bout bloody time......
Now ive got to recover my costs from the workshop, wish me luck.
Good that all of the dramas are over. Don't forget to run it in properly ;)

[hiho]

Thanks brackie,

The reason was that their supplier was out and they didnt want to buy it off anyone else. In the end they had one sent overnight.

Now im gonna start on all the little niggly things that i should have been working on instead of R&R the head.

[hiho]

Hi Dieselers

The motor that ive just had rebuilt had piston clearances of 0.003", 0.0025" 0.0025" and 0.004" after 230,000kms. The wear limit in the manual is 0.0025" (the ovality and taper was acceptable). The motor was re ringed and had new big end bearings and the head rebuilt and runs great!
My experience so far is that the factory wear limit is conservative Bore taper, ovality and piston condition are probably more important than maintaining factory recommended bore clearance.
So if your diesel is low on compression and buring oil, whip off the head and sump, remove the pistons and hone the bores, replace the rings, lap the valves and fit valve stem seals and reassemble! (note the head gasket notches, valve clearance and cam/injector timing of course)