Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

There is not enough vertical clearance to drill holes and tap threads to the next size larger. Same with heli-coils. The sheetmetal is in the way. Maybe I could install self-threading bolts into these two stripped out holes.

To be a bit clearer, the threads that are stripped are in the aluminum part nearest the transmission.

I'm working on installing a replacement engine in my '89 Jetta. I found that two of the threaded holes on the bottom of the block have stripped out threads. The two holes are the hard to reach ones near the flywheel. Apparently the PO had some trouble installing these and wrecked them. I'd like to c...

Dropped it off at the rebuild shop on the way to work today. Thought I'd drop it at the back door and then call them about it when they open at 8AM. I was surprised to see the main repairman was there already before 7AM. He put it on the tester machine right away and saw it doing erratic voltage rea...

I cleaned all the ground wires I could find. Also cleaned the neg and pos at the battery. Nothing changed. I could connect my multimeter with the hood up and increase the RPM while in neutral and see what voltage reading I get. But I didn't read your post before I removed the alternator. I suspect t...

The battery alternator light on my '89 Jetta begins to flash rapidly. It comes on bright and steady when I start the engine. Kick the accelerator to excite the alternator and the light goes out. Now it has started to blink when driving down the road at most any cruising speed. The light goes back of...

I have a different 1.6l engine I want to install into my 89 Jetta. It is a mechanical one and the old one that is in the car now is a hydraulic. The old engine is tired with about 400,000 miles on it. The mechanical engine tests out with great compression numbers. Question is: will the current 5spd ...

I took everything back apart. Cleaned thoroughly again. Oiled everything again and re-assembled. Works well now. Next is to learn from the Bentley how to set the valve lash. Bought the two tools needed for this.

The head is removed from the block. I cleaned it up and lapped all the valves because a few were leaking. I re-assembled everything by following the instructions in my Bentley. Next, I'd like to do the valve lash adjustment with the head on the workbench in the warmth of my basement! Is this do-able...

First time posting a pic to this forum. Hope it works. It shows the leakdown tester I made. It also shows the plate I made from 1/4" steel. I inserted a cork gasket between the head and the plate. Used old head bolts with 3/8 x 3 pipe nipples slid onto them to take up the unneeded length. This ...

Cork gasket. Yup, one at a time.

I couldn't easily get to a lug nut/bolt. My Jetta is buried in snow drifts. But I did located an old 12mm headbolt left over from when I changed the head gasket on my engine #1. It will not thread into the block on engine #2. Too large. So apparently I'm dealing with 11mm head bolts on engine #2. So...

I'm trying to determine if the head bolts on my engine #2 are the typical 12mm or maybe the 11mm. I tested a 12m x 1.5 nut on one of them and it seems sloppy. Pitch seems right though. So are the 11mm head bolts M11 x 1.5?

Engine #1 got a new head gasket about a month ago. Time for me to give it the 1000 mile additional 1/4 turn on the head bolts. I dread doing this for fear of breaking off a head bolt.

Wish me luck!

I like leakdown tests. Engine #2 doesn't presently have a head installed. Can I install a steel plate and head gasket and tighten it to torque specs? If I provide a threaded hole centered over each cylinder could I thread in a fitting that would allow injecting air pressure and see how long each cyl...