Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

I've had my 85 n/a golf for about a year now and I love it. I think it's got me hooked on diesel. I have always wanted a Vanagon and I finally decided that that's what my next project will be.

I picked up a 1.6 TD off the list. It allegidley came from a quantum. It's rough on the outside but everything is unbolting nicely and I think I have a good engine to work with. I'll find out when I get he head off.

This will be my first 4 cyl rebuild. I have done small engines and dirtbikes, and I am eager to learn about a more complex engine.

I want to have the engine close to completed by springtime then I could find the van that will work well with the 1.6.

Pictures and more info on the engine soon to follow

I just recently began to tear into this dirty old engine. With no previous experience I have been taking my time and pulling the pieces off slowly. There was a family of some kind of rodents living in the intake tube.

I was able to get everything apart so far.

I snapped one exhaust manifold stud, but still have the stud sticking out far enough that I can get some vice-grips or a stud extractor on it, so I'm not worried.

The one I am worried about is the 12 point turbo flange bolt, I got it out but snapped the tip. Are these available? Or will I have to try to find some equivalent.

I am wondering what I should try to tackle myself and what I should have done by a professional.

- hydraulic head
-turbo
-injection pump


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Trying to post pictures will do soon once I figure it out.

My biggest question: how does the dipstick come out of the block?

You'll probably have to find a used 12point bolt but that shouldn't be hard,.

There are a couple ways dipsticks enter the block.

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac64 ... cfa471.jpg

Here is the Dipstick that I am having trouble with, my guess is that there is a snap ring in there holding it in but it's far too corroded to see. I couldn't find anything in the benty manual either.

I think it might just be corrosion holding it in.

I saw some stuff at NAPA that I haven't had a chance to try yet.
I think it was called freeze all.

If you sprayed it down the dipstick it might shrink it and break it loose from the block.

Coleslaw wrote:
Here is the Dipstick that I am having trouble with, my guess is that there is a snap ring in there holding it in but it's far too corroded to see. I couldn't find anything in the benty manual either.

After cleaning off the grease and gunk, a little judicious oxy-acetylene torch-work, works wonders in removing rusted-in bolts and such.

I wouldn't pull too hard on the bracket on the dipstick -- you're likely to tear it right off at the spot weld. I would get a rod or maybe a drill bit that slides snugly inside the tube, and then grab the tube and rod with a pair of vise-grips. With the rod inside, you're not flattening out the tube (too much), and can get a good grip. That plus, the heating and/or spraying with a penetrating oil. If you can get the rod in from below and grab the tube near the base, so much the better.

One more possibility is to tap it out from below (oil pan side), if there's a small ridge from the bottom of the tube that you can catch.

Good luck.

Glow plugs and injectors are out, and unfortunately so is the dipstick tube

What are my options for replacement when the time comes?

I noticed that the reman engines that are sold on this site have another type of dipstick tube maybe that is a option

Finally got the XZN I needed and removed the head.

I'm throwing a lot at you guys, no rush, i appreciate the help, thanks

How does the head look?



The worst cylinder



Some crud buildup under the intake (or exhaust?) valves



All of the pistons look broken right here is this normal

That's not normal to have carbon buildup like that on the valve stems.

Cracks between the valves is normal but a couple of those look borderline.
Better check to see if it's straight.

That's where the prechambers send fuel into the cylinders, I've seen it burnt away like that before,.. it isn't normally that bad but it doesn't look too bad from that angle.

What about that last cylinder? Is all that oxidization from water or something else that found its way in there?

How about the cracks on the prechamber discs. Is this a big deal? Do these need to be replaced or can they be welded like the cracks between the valves?

The oxidation on that one cylinder was most likely due to a blown headgasket on that cylinder.

If the prechambers are cracked, you will need to replace them.

Looks like a full head job. Regarding the corrosion on the one cylinder: that can happen if a motor sits for a long time too. If the valves were open on that one. He said there was a rats' nest in there. Dribbling pee can do that. So, maybe not a blown HG, but a full resurface and valve job should be on the TO-DO list.

I've cleaned up worse heads than that, so it should be fine.

I never realized how much I hated rust until I moved to the south. I pulled apart the 1.6TD out of my 1982 Quantum and the texture was still on the exhaust manifold casting. Every bolt came out with ease.

Regarding dipstick: If this is going into a Vanagon, any MK1/MK2 or B-platform dipstick will be useless. The reading will be completely off due to the high angle of how the engine is mounted. As such, the dipstick is acessed through the license plate flap. You'll need that Vanagon-diesel specific filler tube and dipstick. Also, GreaseWorks out in in the Pacific Northwest sells a nice aluminum dipstick to replace the flimsy plastic one.

I hadn't even thought about the different dipstick in the vanagon, now I dont feel so bad. Will I need a different oil pump as well?

I pulled the pistons last night and everything looks good.


When i was cleaning up I noticed my camshaft is broken, bummer. The picture is a bit out of focus. Should I try to find a new one or use this one?

Hmmm. I've heard of people running camshafts that looked like that. I've never done it myself.
That happens when people lock the camshaft and then either 1) forget to remove the locking plate when turning the motor over, 2) use the locking plate to counter hold the cam when tightening or (more-likely) loosening the camshaft sprocket bolt. I almost did that to my dad's 1997 Passat TDI. The bolt was on so goddammned tight, I had to counter-hold the sprocket and use a 3-foot extension on my ratchet on the bolt. Before that, I tried an impact wrench. No dice.

So, bottom line: don't overtorque the camshaft bolt (35 ft-lbs: no more), and use a counter-hold on the sprocket when loosening.


As for the oil pump and pickup. I think they may interchange, but I'm not sure. Either way, you'll want to put in a new oil pump. New FEBI pumps run about $120-150. I've seen em on ebay in that range.