Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

Wow! Does no one else have Vanagon problems? They're all running well and no one comes to the forum?

Embarassing battery short episode, resulting in the lack of a full length dipstick... How long is the stock JX dipstick?

Thanks!

The bolts holding the water pump to the housing are aluminum

I haven't run into this one yet...

Another vote for removing the injection pump. Then it's all right there in the open.

Or get both and check the clicker (which is much more convenient to use...) against the beam. I think I got both at Harbor Freight. Inside the engine, a torque wrench is a necessity.

Head's off, I expected cracks between valves, but the prechambers look pretty beat and there's more pitting than would make me happy. In order, 1-4 with closeups of the prechambers: http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1174167.jpg http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/1174168.jpg http://ima...

OK: 35% leak all around, I could only hear leaks from the oil drain in the head. So it looks like re-ringing time. Also, the valve clearances were all very consistent: 0.005 and 0.015. Just not quite up to spec, but not bad... Overall pretty consistent, cylinder to cylinder. (This was from a leak-do...

No, I had the compressor set at 95psi for the LEAK-DOWN test, that much pressure makes the engine turn, not far but quickly. I thought higher pressure would make the leaks more noticeable. Tried again with lower pressure (~20pi) later and got 35% on #3 and 4 (and then it was dark and time to make di...

Started my leakdown test, but my adapter (Horbor Freight compression tester to leakdown tester) leaked more than the engine, so it was hard to tell anything. One prominent finding: the engine wants to turn A LOT MORE than I expected. Flinging the wrench off the nut on the crank was not in any of the...

I will look at timing when I take off the valve cover later, but I've had it a tooth off before: it runs horribly...as is it starts and idles normally with no compression so I think I've got all the easy adjustments in the right ballpark.

Started at 20*F, takes some cranking, though. It's been colder but I haven't tried it lately.

Timing set ~0.98 by clock, dammit I bought the tools so I'm gonna use 'em. (But very close to where it "sounded best".
AFAIK the valves have never been reset.

On this last trip around the state I had the occasion to tweak the pump fueling and so forth and confirmed what I have been fearing: I have less power, more oil consumption, worse mileage and harder starting. The mileage I might have attributed to the switch from Vanco 8s to Haka snow tires, but thi...

The top picture is of the LDA (as described), the lower picture is of the wastegate. On the JX injection pump the LDA is oriented toward the front of the vehicle, so it might be unfamiliar if you have not seen one. There are two nipples, one pointed up (there is a hose connected to the intake manifo...

No, the wastegate was connected with the hard line and banjo bolts to the high pressure side of the turbo. This was connected, as shown, to the LDA.

My engine (as supplied from Quality in California) had a hose connected to the adjuster bolt of the wastegate and LDA on the pump (true JX pump). I can't find any documentation on this, as it is distinctly different from the line connected to the intake manifold. I had to replace the turbo with one ...

Thanks! JX is the 1.6 turbo that was available in Germany, with the special aneroid on the pump to fit under the deck, and solid lifters.

Wow, not much traffic on this forum but worth asking... I'm seeing a lot of oil in the intake, but no noticeable dipstick blowing, so I'm thinking the stem seals are shot, more than the rings. I need to find a new compression tester to make sure, of course. If the bottom end is good, this should jus...