The past week in Car repair

Have you done so much to the car today that it just doesn't fit into one section, or are you too damn lazy to split it all up? Either way, this is the section for you.

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Calimus
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Calimus »

ok, got pics of the Jetta uploaded. Here's what I've been playing with. Sorry for the pic quality, these were all taken with my blackberry and the lighting does some odd things.

Pulling the Trans
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Body-work removed so the trans can come out.
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This is the timing chain area, looks yummy no?
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This is the destruction I found once I got the engine side off
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More damage - you would think this would have made a ton of noise, but you're wrong. Could hardly hear this being machined at all
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This is what cause the lower chain to break - It got in between the lower chain and the crankshaft gear.
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Destroyed chain.
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I'm currently in the process of pulling the head now. Will get some pics of that over the next few days. This is definitly a lesson in what you don't ever want to do, lol.
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Briano1234
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Briano1234 »

Just had that happen to a friends mercedes..... MB wanted 13K got a used engine and installed for 3400.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
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Calimus
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Calimus »

yea, I looked for a used VR, couldn't find one locally. Then just a used head, again, nothing. However, I think I'm going to come in just shy of a grand to fix it, so that really isn't so bad.
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CalAltaDubber
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by CalAltaDubber »

I haven't been that deep into my cars as you guys have.

Saturday I found two windshields, so I bought them both. The project needs one and the other is a spare. Or more towards applying O'Tooles Therom (Murphy was an optimist.) I figured I would get two chances to get some glass in the car.

First, installing a windshield into a MK I is supposed to be a two person job. Since I was doing this myself, it took three times longer than it should have, but I was successful on the first attempt. :D I'll post some pictures of the car's progress one of these days.

Next I had to check out the wipers on the Jetta. They have slowed down and do stop (and that's in hi speed) I took the wiper arms off and gave the shafts a good dousing of lubricant. put the arms back on and got them working much faster. When I went to replace the nuts that secure the arms in place, I find out that I had dropped one in the engine compartment and don't have a clue where it went.

The old aircraft tech in me decided to start removing components untill I find the nut, so next thing I know, half of the components from the engine compartment are nicly placed on the drivway.

At this point I take the opportunity to fix a few small issues that have been causing me issues and put the car back together.

Is there something else I could be doing on a nice Sunday afternoon? Probably, but if my murphy expierence is only a nut instead of breaking windshields, I'm happy.
Phil

'87 Cabriolet, "Topless Bunny"
'88 Cabriolet, "Posh Bunny"
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gull
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by gull »

I took most of the belts off my car, trying to track down a rattling noise that I thought might be an accessory bearing going south. Never did find the culprit, but when I put everything back together the rattle was gone, so I'm guessing it was a loose bracket somewhere.
VW fan who fell to the Honda side of the force
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Bugly
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Bugly »

(no front brakes for now, possibly in the future but it will require installing brake differential valve, and rear wheel cylinders in the front (currently have 24mm piston super beetle front wheel cylinders in the rear) However, on a lightweight buggy the front brakes aren't really useful, especially when you need to be steering.

Nick, no cutting brakes to help with steering? If going old school, go all the way 8)
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by vw_nick »

I might make mechanical cutting brakes using the parking brake cables and home-brew levers, but I haven't decided if it's worth the effort. A hydraulic cutting lever / valve runs about 100 bucks, and it's out of my budget.
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Calimus
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Calimus »

So this is what I found on the bottom side of the head

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Cyl 6
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Cyl 4
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Cyl2
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The really good news is, I found out that a buddy if mine has a complete set of new VR6 valves that he's willing to let me have for $150. Which is about half of what it would cost me to go buy them from every source I've found in the last week. So, this might not be so bad after all.
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Briano1234
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Briano1234 »

Dam William that is one bad valve.......

Last time I saw one that was worse was in the head of my diesel rabbit when the timing belt skipped a tooth.

But besides the bent exhaust valve, I had a broken intake valve fused to the piston and a 2 inch hole in the head.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
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Calimus
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Calimus »

It looks a lot wrose than it is. Hard to belive, but the head shows no sign of damage where the bent valves are and the pistons are fine (although 3 of them have a small clean spot on them now).

Hard to think that all that damage was caused because a piece of the chain guide rail broke and managed to get in just the right place to break the chain. Oh well, such as life right?

Brian, this is my first experience with this sort of damage on anything. I've always been nurotic about replacing timing belts and such and this just really blind-sided me. However, I've seen some pics of what happens to VR's that break a chain at high RPM, it's very ugly. Glad I was just sitting at the red light when this happened
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Bugly
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Bugly »

vw_nick wrote:I might make mechanical cutting brakes using the parking brake cables and home-brew levers, but I haven't decided if it's worth the effort. A hydraulic cutting lever / valve runs about 100 bucks, and it's out of my budget.
Home brew handles using e brake cables is the way to go. Hook everything to the e brake assembly, easy to reach and quicker response than the hydraulic. (And doesn't cost as much to fix when something happens, something ALWAYS happens or we wouldn't be in this forum :rolleyes: )
'89 cabby
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'92 F150 4X4 (VW rescue vhicle)
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Calimus
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Calimus »

So I got the jetta back up and on the road as of the 7th. I got the head back from new valves & cleaning on the 5th and had the motor running by 10pm on the 6th. Now after 2 weeks of driving back an forth to work, I'm starting to feel pretty confident that she's road worthy.

No I just need to find something I can do to the cabby so I can post up something relevant to the site :P
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Briano1234
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Briano1234 »

Calimus wrote:So I got the jetta back up and on the road as of the 7th. I got the head back from new valves & cleaning on the 5th and had the motor running by 10pm on the 6th. Now after 2 weeks of driving back an forth to work, I'm starting to feel pretty confident that she's road worthy.

No I just need to find something I can do to the cabby so I can post up something relevant to the site :P
Coooooooolnessssssssssssssssss

My spare Alternator shot craps, so I had to break down and buy a new one... So far it ain't thrown the belt yet...the bastich.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
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Briano1234
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by Briano1234 »

Saturday, I heard a click click pop on slow speed rolling turns from the drivers side....
Then It stopped and I didn't hear it until this morning, with a slight wheel stutter... Farging CV joints....

But on a bright note, it only took about a hour to R&R it.
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Re: The past week in Car repiar

Post by sixsracing »

Yeah, I can't keep right side axles in my cabby. Probably done
4 in six years and 90,000 miles. I'm reeeeaaaaal good at it now
though. :banghead:
91 Cabriolet, red w/white
86 Cabriolet white/white (oldest daughter)
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