Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 21:59:41 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Advice wanted (and maybe some sympathy) on what looks
somewhat major..
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuJwkcS=dDD5XXBR1b8fLUYc4K5bOFsnXY=cMtSU_2uCFg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
You can get a Milton leak down tester for ~$60. Worth every penny. 2
adjacent cylinders losing compression on the inline motors is often caused
by a head gasket failure. The gasket fails at the small section between the
cylinders. Sometimes it is just a fluke but most often it is due to a
lifting head or the case or head are distorted and no longer flat. The head
can be checked for straightness and if ok can be welded up and re-surfaced.
If twisted it needs to be straightened and the cam tunnel will need to be
align bored. If the block has a depression where the gasket failed a full
tear down is in order to have the block deck machined. Machining the block
and/or head will increase compression and effect cam timing. This is why
many Audi V6 and V8 engines use cam sprockets without keys. Do the
diagnostics. Then take it apart and fix what broke. Then figure out why it
broke. For all the good and improved fuel economy you get with the 5 speed
and tall gears the sustained load on the engine may just be too much.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 8:34 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fwd: Advice wanted (and maybe some sympathy) on what looks somewhat
major..
I'm sending this to the Big List too...While this doesn't concern a WBX
stock Vanagon, there are lots of inline-familiar Vanagon people who may not
read Neil's 'new' inline Vanagon-specific list. Sorry for the length, but
I wanted to give all the clues and specifics I could to help anyone who
wanted to help me... Thanks, Don Hanson
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 31, 2013 at 5:26 PM
Subject: Advice wanted (and maybe some sympathy) on what looks somewhat
major..
To: "Vanagons and VW Buses (Bays) with VW inline gas engines" <
vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines@googlegroups.com>
The problem is my 84 5sp inline (ABA with 1.8l 8 valve head and
digifant) I think I may have worn out something. Here's the story: I
am guessing there's about 150k on the ABA 2.0 liter block, It's been well
cared for by me and driven properly since I got it with said "97k miles".
The head came off my original inline motor, a 92 Jetta 1.8 lite 8-valve with
mostly vanagon digifant stock parts...all installed with 83 diesel van
parts and the VW van 5sp. Nothing was done to the block when I put it in
about 60k miles ago other than swapping on the diesel oil pan and using the
windage tray from the Jetta motor, as well as some inconsequential parts
changed to allow the head to bolt on...
The head was self-surfaced and properly torqued using the head gasket
suggested by Techtonics Tuning, pretty well respected VW performance
shop...This combo has been flawless for about 60k miles, but as expected,
old used stuff wears out and I couldn't afford to rebuild everything as I
did the motor...so most of it is original... I know the inline VWs are
hard on valve guides and those have never been touched, nor have any of the
valves, other than to have new guide seals installed when I changed
cams...way back (over 60k miles ago). I used new retainers too, but left
the springs and keepers stock (on advice again from TT) who said the stock
ones rarely need help...For the last maybe 20k miles I have been using some
oil and seeing some smoke at times...probably from the valve guides...I
hope...Remember, the valves and the head has been with me through two motors
without any work other than the mild cam change.
Today I noticed I was down on power and running rough. Pulled the
plugs and found them at about 3/16" gap! Almost 50k on NGK Irridium
plugs. Fingers crossed, I installed new ones, hoping for a fix...Nope.
So I pulled plug wires, one at a time...and the two at the mainshaft end,
the clutch end...they didn't change the running much off or on....Uh
Oh....Next came a compression test, sort of. I can't reach the tester to
wrench it tight down in the plug cavities with the way my cheapo tester is
made, but I screwed it in finger tight and tested anyhow...twice around on
all four cylinders....Each time the readings were quite close on each
cylinder....from the alternator end of the motor...(back of the van) I had
175, 170, 90 95 psi. Figures with the same two cylinders really low
that made little difference when the plug wires were removed...Also, the new
plugs....the two 'normal' reading cylinders showed a nice white burn after a
short run while the two on the low reading cylinders looked fresh out of the
boxes....
So I looks like I may have two bad cylinders for whatever reason(s)...
I know I will be at least pulling the head to work on the valves...is there
a way to know if the bottom of the motor is still ok? (without taking the
motor out?) I can get the head off in an afternoon probably and have it
reconditioned for about $400 with new valves and everything...or I can
probably find a junkyard head and just bolt that back on for ~$100-150, if I
don't have to pull the whole motor, I would rather not, since I work mostly
alone and that makes the motor removal more difficult...
I've been scraping by on part time work when I can find it, all spring
and summer...slim pickings in the building trade now for a while...... and
now this will use most of what cash I cleared....so "inexpensive" is more
important than proper and complete...Maybe next time it breaks I'll be in
better $hape to do a complete job, but for now I need the van working again,
ASAP and As Cheap As Possible....ACAP...
Advice on how to determine if I can get away with just pulling the head?
and if that is all that needs work, I can leave the motor alone for now,
hopefully. Ahhh, my "Golden Years"....
PS, I am not losing coolant at all, nor do I ever have to add any...I am
using about a quart of oil every 1200 miles now....consumption (and a slight
constant leak) has slowly been increasing over the 50-60k miles on
the "new" motor.. My O2 sensor is working, it is in the header pipe that
comes from the two 'low reading' cylinders and each time I start the van it
hunts around for the right mixture for a bit, then settles down to a rough
idle. I was still getting 21mpg, right up till today and the motor had
great power....then it went 'off' pretty suddenly. There are no alarming
sounds under the van using a tube on the block and head to listen...
