Rabbit truck Stranded in Neport News .Big trouble.

[WorldA]

Hello forum old school veedubber here, im from Ohio traveling back home from norfolk. My rabbit truck head is junk and im stranded .i have all the tools to do the job myself just need a 1.6 11mm head thats half way decent . Im stranded at a storage lot in newport news. Is there any vw diesel guys near newport news . Im in so much trouble here .i need some help from one of my dubbers if there is anyone that can help bring me a good 1.6 used head i can get money .i have 2 of them up in ohio of course . I ordered a head gasket. Something went wrong in my oil.pressure .

[TylerDurden]

That sux.

I might have a usable one, but it's in the Toledo area, so shipping could be a 80 bux for ups blue, or 30ish if you can wait for ground.

I don't wanna quote you yet for price on the head, I gotta dig around, find it, and see what shape it's in.

[WorldA]

Hi again. I found a head near me about 1 hr so no worrys. I pulled the head off . The valves are opening and closing weird and i believe the springs are bad or the lifter is collapsed . Not sure what is going on although i was getting a low oil.pressure light . Im guessing the low oil pressure destroyed the lifters inside. Its a 82 1.6d ra bit truck . Im not sure how to remove the valve seats as i dont have a proper compressor to check. Anyway i appreciate the quick response just not sure what is going on . Maybe roasted intermediate shaft bearing or vacume pump seal . Not sure why the valves are acting weird but they dont appear bent

[TylerDurden]

Hope the head gets ya going... low oil pressure could be due to a wide range of issues.

[WorldA]

I found all the main bearings were roasted. The number 4 was spun. Looks like the crank and cap are not scored just roughed up a little. I have no choice but to try to put main bearings in it and try it. Im praying i will not spin another bearing but everything im reading says it will.

[WorldA]

Ok so the crank journals are smooth with no scoring unbelievably. The car ran with the spun bearing for less than 1 min so im praying i can stick main bearings in this thing and limp back home where i can remove the motor. Im at a motel 6 parking lot now. My question is . There are some horseshoe shaped clips that fit into the side of the main bearing cap on 1 of the cylinders. There is a groove on both sides of the cap for the horseshoe spacer to fit . But there is another spacer that cane out that doesnt have the retainer on the spacer it is just shaped like a horeshoe . Does this spacer go in above the cap

[Fatmobile]

Those horseshoes are thrust washers for the crank. They go on each side of the center bearing.

You don't have hydrolic lifters.
Check to see if the vacuum pump let go of the oil pump.
Look at the bushing in the bottom of the pump, see if the gear is wearing into it.
It shoves the vacuum pump gear upward up and it lets go of the oil pump.
Also take a look at the slot the oil pump slides into.

[WorldA]

Thank you so much for the info Mr.Fatmobile. I figured out those clips go on number 3 piston. Anyway the motor seized up as expected and after spinning the crank without the timing belt bottom cover I discovered a major issue and possible solution to many low oil pressure 1.6na vw mk1 problems. My timing belt was too loose and the internediate shaft pulley was slipping on the belt and not turning the oil pump properly . I put rings and rod bearings in earlier this summer and reading all the info about wearing out the intermediate shaft pulley by too tight a timing belt I decided foolishly to leave the timing belt too loose and my error was not buying a timing belt torque tool . I found a 1.6 12mm block locally and will be rebuilding it properly with a new intermediate shaft bearing as well as a vacume pump.seal. I will more than likely order some of the parts from this website but I would advise any low oil pressure light issues look at the timing belt tension first . I bought a set of 11 mm racewear studs il be putting up for sale .they fit a 12 mm head as well as a 11mm head and il.cut the price if anyone wants them let me know and make a offer .the motor only ran for 10 seconds so the studs are basically new .i had to turn a few of them in with needle nose vice grips but there is only a tiny bit of knurl on a non contact area of the stud.Inwould also trade them.for a.set of 12mm head studs even used for my new 12mm rebuild .So as far as my truck Im not going to give up.the rabbit truck will live again .its my kid.

[greg lousy]

Did you try spinning the Intermediate shaft pulley by hand? I'm wondering if the belt was tight enough but the intermediate shaft wasn't spinning right. There's a little woodruff key in the middle of the pulley. I once installed the pulley with this key seated incorrectly and the pulley got all wobbly. I lost oil flow and started to shred the timing belt. or the bushing going could cause similar stuff


I guess Its water under the bridge at this point, but I would hate to see you get paranoid, over tighten future belts, and pull the IP main shaft out of line... which is kind of easy to do.

good luck

[Fatmobile]

If you tighten the belt until it doesn't vibrate up against the timing belt cover between the crank and idler you should be good.
Any less and it will vibrate and you'll feel it while driving.
Even if the belt is loose, it's still pretty tight between the crank and I-shaft pully because it has to pull the pump. That's not where the looseness is.
Did you check the bushing in the bottom of the vacuum pump? Gear worn into it?

[WorldA]

Ok thanks for the info . Here is the update . I found a motor that was rebuilt . I then got the 12 mm head on this 11mm block . I accidentaly hit the key while the injection pump tool was in the sprocket. Now the motor doesnt turn and locks up . It did start and then stopped . I think i switched around one or 2 of the lifter caps that has the shims in it. Now number 2 cylinder and number 4 cylinder the valve hits the piston . I used a 3 notch gasket . The valves may be bent and preventing the turning over of the motor. The motor turns over when i loosn the head studs to basically not tight.i put feeler guages on the 1 piston a d got .028 feeler guage lined up about level. Is this a 3 notch gasket ? Thanks

[Fatmobile]

Probably just jumped timing.
Did you try to reset the belt so it's timed right?
Then throw the injection pump locking pin in the scrap pile,.. there is no use for it .
I've never owned one, never needed one,.. they just cause trouble.

[WorldA]

Yes I totally screwed up and left the pin in the ip . It bent number 2 cylinder valve 1 . So new plan . Move on no time to shed a tear. I contacted the guy who i bought the 12mm head from and he is going to let me trade back and use the original head as it was probably fine. So i did remove all the cam lifters and caps when I first was at the hotel trying to figure out wth was the problem .I thought the knock was coming from the head . So my question is. How do I put the proper size shim under each cam lobe starting from a mixed up pile . I have a feeler guage set .I know i need to put the feeler under the cam lobe at a particular point on the lobe not sure where and between the random picked lifter with shim from the pile. What is the clearence suppose to be and how do i check it. Then also the crown of the piston protrudes at tdc mark .032 feeler seems flush on number 1 . Do i need to check 234 as well? I got a number 3 head gasket . Is .032 ok for that notch ? Thanks a ton .hope i can get the shims situation figured out. I made a valve tool from a huge c clamp from harbor freight and a 02 sensor socket fit perfect on the spring.

[WorldA]

Yes mr Mobile I did reset the timing perfect and it bent the valve so little i can barely see it but it hits the piston on hand rotation both directions at the same point. I hope .032 is not a numb r 5 notch and that bent the valve. Not sure. The engine turned over and started. When i hit tge key it jammed the ip tool in the hole . And probably that shock bent the valve just enough when the head is torqued to 50 on the hesd stud nuts the rotation stops . When bolts hand tight the belt turns. Weird .the bend is barely noticable but def hitting the piston there was a mark on the piston crown .i wiped it off tho. Weird

[TylerDurden]

I'd get a cheap digital caliper at Harbor freight (if there is one close by) to measure the shims if they aren't marked.

I'd check all the cylinders to ensure the gasket can accommodate the tallest. The one measured would work with a two notcher. The three notcher will work, but lower the compression ratio slightly.