Quantum TD Motor Mounts

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:11 pm

Is it worth reringing?

H'mm...
Does it burn much oil?
Have you got any economy figures?
Does it start OK?

Methanolab · Post by **Methanolab** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:26 pm

To me its worth it, I want to keep driving it or put it in my vanagon. Its got 214k miles on it. It starts perfectly, might be getting a little smokier or I might be forgetting to pull the cold start lever more often since the weather has warmed up. I think it runs pretty nice. I put 80 miles on it a day and get about 43 mpg. When I got it 30k miles ago, I lost about 1/2 quart per 400 miles. Now, and all of the sudden since one week this winter, I loose about 1 quart per 400 miles. I guess that means blow-by is the problem?

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:13 am

Methanolab wrote:To me its worth it, I want to keep driving it or put it in my vanagon. Its got 214k miles on it. It starts perfectly, might be getting a little smokier or I might be forgetting to pull the cold start lever more often since the weather has warmed up. I think it runs pretty nice. I put 80 miles on it a day and get about 43 mpg. When I got it 30k miles ago, I lost about 1/2 quart per 400 miles. Now, and all of the sudden since one week this winter, I loose about 1 quart per 400 miles. I guess that means blow-by is the problem?

Just to clarify the internation of 'Is it worth reringing'. It was defininitely not in the context of ... "or should you throw it away"

So generally it runs well I'd say. Economy good
At least your oil stays fresh

To be honest in my economic 'Q' I might use a pint every 500 miles and I'm happy to use Walmart multigrade in it. I really must go over to the farm and compression test it. I know its lower than the other one because of the differences in hand cranking. I use better oil in the low mileage one that doesn't burn much oil.
A compression test would help you. It's possible that 'hardened' stem seals are the culprit[s].

Does anyone know what happens to the economy of an otherwise good engine that gets reringed? Does the extra pressure aggravate other aged things also?

A1-2-A3 · Post by **A1-2-A3** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 9:08 am

A litre every 500 miles is not bad. I would use a litre every 250 miles and it still got great mileage. Mileage will get better with a stronger running engine. Mine would run on three cylinders and take a couple of minutes to go on all four and the people next door hated it when the wind was not blowing the right way. I just did a total rebuild on it in the end. I personally would never just throw some rings on anything, its a farmer rebuild. But many people rering these motors and many other types of engines for that matter. They all still burn oil after that. From what I have found it is the valve guides are the weak point esp. VW diesel and thats where you get your oil burning from. I think you guys have low mileage on the clock to have worn out rings I would think with your oil being changed regularly the rings/cylinders would be fine. Maybe you want to do rings like a manitence thing, just like how guys do bearing rolls on large diesels at certain intervals. I changed valve seals on my car in the driveway one morning and it didnt help at all. The guides were completely shot, after the head was off you could grab a valve and move them side to side by hand and it would slap around. The machine shop had to replace all the valves and guides.

Methanolab · Post by **Methanolab** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 10:43 am

The people I have talked to about it so far have indicated that it is most likely the rings if there is a blow-by problem which it seems like there is. But they also seemed to think I ought to be able to push it to 250k before I do anything. It isn't too big of a deal to me I would just rather not be dumping out oil all over the place even though monitarily it is not real expensive. I am looking for a cheap efficient daily driver at which point I will be able to think about rebuilding this motor. I really hope to put it in a vanagon but that is a bigger project than I have ever tackled. I guess no one has a recomendation for the dipstick tube seal?
--Chris

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:42 am

Dip stick. do as previous post. If o rinr is still soft but a little small then if you don't have another to hand pack the recess with cotton thread and then replace. It won't increase any losses through the valve cover vent.

This blowby test I gave you with the paper...
Held over the oil filler area does it flap back and forth on idle or just try and blow away? Revved up does it become a test strip in an air tunnel?
Maybe blowby isn't that bad and if you stop the dipstick leak the engine will last as little longer before rebuild

A1-2-A3 · Post by **A1-2-A3** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:47 am

Is it pushing lots of oil into the air cleaner, take the air cleaner out there should be oil behind it. If not then your valve cover breather is plugged.
Is your Vac pump working correctly? I wonder if this was failing it would not give the block any help with vacuum.( if yours is designed that way)
If not replace the o-ring on the dipstiick I guess and try that.

A1-2-A3 · Post by **A1-2-A3** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:49 am

Also try one of those plastic cam oil baffles. You can get them on any 8v VW even gas, and they sell for 8 dollars new in Canada.

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 1:58 pm

A1-2-A3 wrote:Is it pushing lots of oil into the air cleaner, take the air cleaner out there should be oil behind it. If not then your valve cover breather is plugged.
.

... If there is a lot of oil in the air cleaner then it may be almost plugged...
Either way just stop the oil leak on the dip stick and the engine will out last the car

Methanolab · Post by **Methanolab** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 8:42 pm

Well... I tried the paper test. It looked to me at first like there was more paper movement at idle than at higher revs but it also might have been that at higher revs it was like a humming bird wing, moving so fast you can't see it just hear it. In both cases there was a lot of air comming out of the oil fill hole. The breather hoses look pretty clean and dry, I didn't look under the air filter yet. The holes I could see in the oil screen under the valve cover looked unclogged but I will have to check that the next time I have it open. Even if it is not clogged are the plastic ones better? I guess I will change the dip stick seal. Worst case scenario is oil shots out the tube all over the wheel well : )
On the other hand I just got an '85 jetta diesel which will soon become my daily driver so sadly this car may be seeing its last days. I am thinking about rebuilding the motor and putting it in my air-cooled vanagon. I am sorry I know your passion for the Q's.
--Chris

Quantum-man · Post by **Quantum-man** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 9:37 pm

If the breather hose is not moist with oil then relax you do not have a partially clogged gauze or even excessive blowby... I suppose if the gauze is totally blocked then you'd get no flow either.

We are talking about that 3/4" pipe from rocker cover to air intake? Yes? If the gauze was totally blocked then that would create the dipstick problem. With oilfiller cap on and end of breather pipe near air intake unclipped try running and feel for airflow out of cylinder head. It's possible there is a blockage in that plastic lump on top of the rocker cover or does your engine not have that?
Get one of those plastic oil deflectors they do help. They just sit on top of the cam bearing nuts and act like a bike mudguard

They are in addition to the gauze not a substitute.

If at idle the piece of paper test shows the paper going back and forth then although it loksbad it is just (mostly) the result of the pumping of the sump air by the up and down movement of the pistons... relax some more

Methanolab · Post by **Methanolab** » Wed May 02, 2007 9:37 pm

Yea I think that breather hose is clean and I pretty dry. The plastic cap on the valve cover is clean as a wistle. IIRC smoke and oil flies out of the valve cover when the filler cap is removed. I don't know if I would call it gale force like a wind tunnel, I need to test it with a strip of paper not a sheet. I will check again.

By the way, I picked up my 85 jetta diesel 1.6NA today. The body is in terrible shape, the brakes are bad, and it needs tail pipe work. The motor is great. Is it possible to do a simple swap (longblock+pump) to put the NA in the Quantum? That way I could keep the registration on my Quantum, keep the better more luxurious wagon, and not have to get the Jetta past inspection. Meanwhile I rebuild the TD for the vanagon and part out the Jetta body.