My 1.7TD Rabbit GTI project.

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Fatmobile
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Post by Fatmobile »

There's a very old post over on the GTD forum that compares prechambers.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

Here's a pic of the crack:
Image
It's on the third main.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

The block is all bored.
He isn't happy with how flat the deck is.
He wants me to put some pistons in it (1 and 4), see how far they protrude from the block, before we decide how much to take off when surfacing the top.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

The deck is all surfaced,.. looks like it will need a 1 notch metal headgasket.
I took the rods in to be balanced,.. the bushing have already been changed and reamed, the ARP rod bolts installed.
I pressed in new intermediate shaft bushings. They were metal leve and wouldn't fit over the shaft,.. so they need to be sized. I've had them for awhile, had to use them eventually and figured this is a hydro block so I want to make sure they are plenty tight and not bleeding off oil pressure.
so the block got dropped off at a shop to have them line bored.
I still have to have the crank nose ground for the TDI timing belt sprocket, with the D-shaped keyway.
... and I forgot to post it on here but I broke an oil ring when it caught on my shirt sleeve.
The 1st oversize TDI/AZZ pistons are the same diameter so a guy is sending me a piece of used oil ring to see if I can use a TDI oil ring. Not sure where I'd look for 1.7 piston rings. That's probably my biggest worry.
I also still need to paint the block.
I am getting closer with this one and am also rebuilding another 1.6TD at the same time.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

The intermediate shaft bearings are reamed.
The dirty job of prepping for paint is next.
Should be a day coming soon when it will be warm enough to paint.

The crank is machined for the "D" sprocket,..
Image
upgrade from the lame key in the later 1.6s.
I also took it to the bearing shop and ordered speedy sleeves for both ends.

On the oil rings:
I contacted Total Seal and gave them some measurements.
they provided just the oil rings set, for all 4 pistons, for $20.
They are 3-piece. An upgrade from the 2-piece the pistons came with.

I haven't balanced the pistons yet.
Last edited by Fatmobile on Sat May 30, 2009 2:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

Block is painted, Ford blue was the can that needed to get used.

Pistons are all balanced, cleaned and on the rods.

Crank has been cleaned, plastigauged, then lubed/installed.


One decision to make;...
The total seal rings are 3-piece rings; 2 thin rings with a spacer in-between.
The end gap on the total seal rings was about .027,..
supposed to be 10 - 17 thous of an inch, not 27
wear limit is 39thou

Thing is the stock rings have a gap of about 16 thou, but that's one solid crack from bottom to top.
The total seal are 2 rings that can be offset,.. the oil doesn't have a straight path through with the gaps on opposite side of the piston.

I've decided to use the Total Seal.
Even though the gap is wider I think they will do a better job of scraping oil off the walls.

I know,.. I need to take some pics.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

The pistons are in,.. sort of.
The bottom of the piston skirt barely rubs on the piston squirter, actually the plate that bolts to the block and holds the squirter in.
I'll have to take them back out and remove 20 thou from a small area of the piston or shave the bracket.
Image
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

OK, head is on and engine is in the car.
Here's the car it's going into:
Image

Before I could put the injection pump on I wanted to:

do the glow plug mod, with seperate wires for each,..
(damn, took a pic of engine bay, saved it but can't find it to load)

Run the cold start lever.
I used an old-school Rabbit cold start lever that mounts to the left of the steering wheel,.. I might use the spot in the center of the dash for a manual boost controller,.. for when I VNT it later.

I am working on making the intercooler, oil cooler and radiator all fit behind the grill.
I had to trim some metal from the headlight mounts and rad support
I'll take more pics.
It's getting a stock Garret turbo and a 2.5" exhaust is planned.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

Fitting my first intercooler:
I got a starion conquest intercooler quite awhile ago,
with plans to fit it between the grill and radiator of a Rabbit.
I cut one pipe, made a cover plate,
and found a local place to weld the aluminum pipe in a new location.
Image


I had to cut the headlight supports to make room for both the intercooler and oil cooler to sit side-by-side.
Image

The radiator on an '84 doesn't leave any room to go around it next to the battery.
So I cut a hole downward through the rad support and came out under the radiator.
Image

I'll clean that hole up and reenforce it.
That should provide an easy path back to the intake.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

I heard it run for the first time.
Now I have to make it so I can start it from the driver's seat,
instead of standing in front with wires in the engine bay.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Post by Fatmobile »

Got it started, went to move it and found the CV jammed into the hub;
later CV in an early hub.
Some poeple run into this problem when buying rebuilt axles.
Pulled the ball joint bolt got access to the CV and put the grinder to it.
Then found out the trany didn't have reverse,.. wondering if I broke it trying to back up when it was froze to the ground,.. and had a bound-up axle.
Either way, the AGS is out, the ACH is in,.. need to find my 1/4" drive 9/32, 12 point to run the tap and remove the starter bushing.

One other problem; I put coolant in the resevoir but it doesn't go anywhere.
Even with the engine running it won't leave the resevoir.
Poured some in the upper rad hose
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Re: My 1.7TD Rabbit GTI project.

Post by Fatmobile »

Alternator setup is a 90amp MK2 alternator and bracket, with a custom pully.
Part # for the pully is:
Part # 24-2106, for the 1/2" belt
or 24-2105 for the 10mm belt.
Image

Glow plug setup is over in front of the windshield washer resevoir,.. well there is supposed to be a resevoir there, that's one thing that still needs done.
It comes right off the battery,
notice the MK3 battery cables, with the extra posts/holes for supplying 12volts.
Image
I had some scrap stainless 2.5" that I welded together for exhaust.
Looks like I tried to tuck it up too high, I might try removing that corner coming off the body, but will probably have to reweld it a little longer.
Image

Engine bay shot, not the final routing.
No crankcase vent setup.

Image
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Quantum TD
Turbo Charger
Posts: 613
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: The Dirty South

Re:

Post by Quantum TD »

Fatmobile wrote: One other problem; I put coolant in the resevoir but it doesn't go anywhere.
Even with the engine running it won't leave the resevoir.
Poured some in the upper rad hose
That usually means the return hose (or nipple) is blocked. I had that happen on a customers car that blew a heater core. Thankfully, she was smart enough to turn off the car immediately.

I replaced the core, and went to fill it up through the coolant tank. It wouldn't go anywhere. I pulled the return hose and found a gob of silicone jammed into the return nipple on the tank. I removed the goo and then drilled out the nipple a few sizes. After that, it filled up with coolant just fine.

Looks good!
Fatmobile
Global Moderator
Posts: 7564
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2002 10:28 pm
Location: north central Iowa

Re: My 1.7TD Rabbit GTI project.

Post by Fatmobile »

Yep, that's what I usually suspect.
I drilled it out to 1/8".
When I rev it I get a spurt in the resevoir through that line, but just a small spurt.
The waterpump pully was junk, edges worn down sharp and bent.
I swapped a good one in but don't think it will change much, the old one was spinning.

I've always liked the way the coolant resevoir works.
This time I pulled the upper rad hose and filled it, shouldn't have to do that.
With the cap off the resevoir, that should have caused it to drain.

Hose from head to waterpump gets hot, heater hose leaked so coolant is finding it's way around.
I don't want to get it too warm if there's a bubble in the head.

I don't think there is enough flow from the pump so I'm doing an internal pressure test.

I've taken it around the block a couple times, it feels great,.. but is a little loud.
I put a mid muffler/resonator to see how it was knowing I could add a muffler later, easier than I could add a mid muffler.
'91 Golf gasser converted to a 12mm pump, M-TDI.
'84 1.6TD Rabbit with a VNT-15 turbo, still setup to run on vegetable oil.
'84 GTI with 1.7TD pistons and intercooled.
2003 TDI wagon
2000 TDI Jetta.
Quantum TD
Turbo Charger
Posts: 613
Joined: Sat Feb 16, 2008 7:27 pm
Location: The Dirty South

Re: My 1.7TD Rabbit GTI project.

Post by Quantum TD »

One last thing. If you're using the MK2 upper radiator hose (the kind with the "T" fitting to the overflow), those have a restrictor in the hose near the overflow tank. You'll see a bulge in the hose that looks like a snake digesting a mouse. They can (and will) clog. I usually drill them out, crack what's left in there, and pull it out.

Finally, you could check the nipple at the radiator. I can't recall if you said the block and head (that had the silicone floating through it) was ever connected to this radiator. But it's a good place to check as well

Otherwise, I'd be slightly nervous unless the thing is pushing coolant through that overflow at all times.
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