Author Topic: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel  (Read 31527 times)

May 29, 2012, 10:45:00 am

flowmastergfunk

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Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« on: May 29, 2012, 10:45:00 am »
Hi there group! I have been a long time observer of the forum and just finally figured out what it takes to create a login! This being my first post here, I would like to take just a second to introduce myself, my project and a hint of our story.

Dub nasty, aptly named by my girlfriend and I after trying to keep a white diesel clean from diesel smoke, first came into my possession just over 5 years ago. It was my first VW, first front wheel drive car and my first diesel. I bought it from my best friends dad for a humble $1000 dollars. It didn't take long for me to completely fall in love. Living on top of a very steep hill at the time, it didn't take long before I followed advice from Mr. Vince Waldon on how to get a little more UUMPH out of the pump. Second was to completely revamp the suspension so that I wouldn't have to slow down on corners any more  ;D

Let's fast forward to the jetta's current state. I sold her to my girlfriend almost 3 years ago because I had lost my license for a period of time. She was also INSTANTLY in love with this car (Arguably more than myself!)! Somewhere down the line, fifth gear started falling out when you let off the accelerator. Then one day on the freeway, POOF! 5th gear left us completely! Late last year, I heard a strange noise when she pulled up to the house. I pulled of the timing belt cover only to discover the worn down belt hanging on by a thread! The intermediate pulley had decided to shake loose and the shaft was ruined! It took a while to find the parts and save up for the project, but after almost 300,000 miles, I figured that the engine and trans should get a complete rebuild while they were out. That is when I opened Pandora's box...

I will load some pictures shortly, but I have a plethora of parts strewn about, ready to be joined together in harmony. Although I have been a mechanic for 7 years, I never really had the spare time or a place to start this project until now. I left my shop about 3 months ago so that I can be with my father during the day, who has early onset dementia. I come over when is wife leaves for work and spend the whole day with him until she gets home. In turn, I have a full garage to keep my tools and work on projects while I am here. This project is very special to me because not only is this car my first love and I get to build it for the love of my life, but I also get to do my first FULL rebuild with my best friend.  :)

I find myself to be a competent mechanic and I certainly have most of the tools that I need to get the job done. I also have done a lot of research over the years and I know how to utilize resources such as the FAQ and the SEARCH feature  ;) I did order a Bentley manual a few weeks ago but it was a digital version, which proved to be worthless. My Bentley BOOK should be here in a few days but I may have some questions before then...

All that being said, it is a pleasure to finally be a part of such a wonderful forum and I look forward to all advice and constructive criticism. I also hope that my build will help fill in the blanks for any questions that other n00bs might have for years to come. Cheers gentlemen!
« Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 11:55:45 am by flowmastergfunk »



Reply #1May 29, 2012, 01:06:42 pm

flowmastergfunk

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2012, 01:06:42 pm »
Photobucket has been misbehaving all morning but I finally got access to some pictures!



This is pretty much how it was when I got it minus the big bumper and the american racing wheels. I then redid all the bushings and ball joints, put new Bilstien HD's and Neuspeed springs all the way around, added Autotech front and rear swaybars and a Neuspeed strut brace.

Somewhere down the line it started looking like this


Now it looks like a flea market threw up all over my garage floor!


The body is at my other house right now so I will post pictures of the sad little thing when I get home. Mind you, it has been sitting for a year and it had since been rattle canned black  :-\

Here is one of the goodies I found last weekend at the junk yard. I found some Eurosport headers on an 8v! I have heard a lot of mixed emotions about running headers on a diesel, but since they were $25 dollars instead of $400, I figured I would clean them up and give it a shot. I was just looking for a dual downpipe!

cut off the old flex pipe and wire wheeled them clean

also picked up a new flex pipe. The rest of the exhaust was already done on the car but it still had the toilet bowl collector. I can't remember if it is 2 inch piping or 2 1/4 but it is just straight pipe with a dynomax turbo muffler.



I also found a non ac model there so I got the alternator pulley for my A/C delete.


I got a head start cleaning and priming some parts. I want to keep the whole engine bay black so that it looks more clean cut.


I wire wheeled the block a bit before I sent it to the machine shop, but now it is REALLY clean! I still have to paint this beast.


Reusing the pistons and rods with new rings and bearings. This is uncharted territory for me! As terrified as I might be, I am anxious and excited to finally put together the bottom end of a motor. This is where I am going to need a lot of advice and that bentley! I haven't even tried to put rings onto a piston before! I am still not 100% sure if I need to replace the main bolts crank bolt or rod bolts. I debated on ordering a bunch of ARP hardware, but since this isn't some crazy boosted build, I figured it was not needed. Would it also be correct that I am NOT to use loctite on any of these bolts?


Furthermore, I had ordered a 0.71 5th gear syncro set off of ebay a while back with the intent of putting it into my ACN transmission that was with the car. Unfortunately, when I pulled off the 5th gear housing I found that someone had WELDED the gear onto the pinion shaft! The day that my 5th gear "disappeared" was the day that the weld spun free. Everything was FUBAR.

I then found this FF tranny on ebay for $125 shipped. I am not sure if it is any good yet but I figure it is worth a shot!


Well as you can see, I still have plenty of painting and parts cleaning to do until my bentley gets here. Back to the dirty drawing board!


« Last Edit: May 29, 2012, 01:10:51 pm by flowmastergfunk »

Reply #2May 29, 2012, 11:02:25 pm

Blocksmith

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2012, 11:02:25 pm »
Lookin' good :)

But, I have two words for you:   tur. bo.      ;D
It'll make it so much more fun to drive, especially in a mk2 chasis.
Green 83 Rabbit 4dr, 5 speed ACH trans swap, ported 1.6D mech lifter w/ vnt15, na pump w/ gov mod, gasser intake mani, 2.5" exhaust, bilstein sports and cut mk2 springs, ss brake lines, 14" vw bottlecaps

Reply #3May 30, 2012, 10:16:41 am

CRSMP5

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2012, 10:16:41 am »
just pissin on your ff tranny.. lacks the 3 bolt holes for the mk2 rear mount...

now if you wanna swap tranny cases... possible... but requires you to reshim the diff and pinion shaft bearings... this takes some skill/knowledge.. do it wrong and it will wipe out tranny..

you will also have to use the ff nose cone as its different for the different length pinion shft.. ff shorter.. the newer one has a added bearing that supposedly helps prevent the "weld mod" from being required.. but as you see/saw.. did not..

Reply #4May 30, 2012, 11:07:55 am

flowmastergfunk

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2012, 11:07:55 am »
But, I have two words for you:   tur. bo.      ;D

hahaha and my two word reply is "Wife's Car!" I have to save all the turbo fun for my own car when the time comes  ;D

just pissin on your ff tranny.. lacks the 3 bolt holes for the mk2 rear mount...

now if you wanna swap tranny cases... possible... but requires you to reshim the diff and pinion shaft bearings... this takes some skill/knowledge.. do it wrong and it will wipe out tranny..

you will also have to use the ff nose cone as its different for the different length pinion shft.. ff shorter.. the newer one has a added bearing that supposedly helps prevent the "weld mod" from being required.. but as you see/saw.. did not..

I should have known! I researched fitting a 4 speed into the car as I could have used a free one for temporary use. I then discovered the difference in cases and the lack of holes. Of course it is the same for the 5 speed. hahaha wonderful. I have had nothing but bad transmission luck with this car! When I first bought the car I had a wrecked grey market car for parts too. This was long before I knew any of the trans codes but it was an authentic german diesel transmission. I had it cleaned and ready to put in with my new clutch kit. The day before I went to swap it in, someone came through my back alley and stole the transmission and some other metal out of my yard for SCRAP! I hope he enjoyed that $30 dollars worth of booze or drugs that he bought as much as I have been enjoying the years of unsuccessfully hunting for another diesel trans >:(

Oh well. Looks like I have a MK1 trans for sale! Unless I want to keep it around for the turbo diesel cabriolet I have always wanted to build! ;)

I got some good parts cleaning done yesterday but I am still trying to find a place that carries engine primer so that I can get the block done. Bentley should come in the mail today!

Reply #5May 30, 2012, 12:27:30 pm

theman53

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2012, 12:27:30 pm »
I was wondering if you cannot drill the ff case to accept. I haven't looked at them personally, CRSMP5, what do you say? Is there enough room to make a bracket if you cannot?

Reply #6May 30, 2012, 12:30:53 pm

R.O.R-2.0

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2012, 12:30:53 pm »
I was wondering if you cannot drill the ff case to accept. I haven't looked at them personally, CRSMP5, what do you say? Is there enough room to make a bracket if you cannot?

not enough room to make a bracket. or enough room to build the mount strong enough..
92 Jetta GLI - Black, 1.6D w/ GT2056V turbo..
86 GTI - 4 Door, Med Twilight Gray, Tow Machine..
86 Audi Coupe GT - Tornado Red, All Stock.. WRECKED.
89 Toyota 4Runner - Dark Grey Metallic, LIFTED!

Turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.

Reply #7May 30, 2012, 01:02:58 pm

flowmastergfunk

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #7 on: May 30, 2012, 01:02:58 pm »
I just went down to dixiline to grab some more paint and ran into a guy with a rad MK1 rabbit that I have seen flying around for a good while! I ended up talking to him about it to see if he needed or knew anyone that needed a MK1 diesel trans. He actually told me first hand how he had tried to get a MK1 trans in a MK2 jetta. He said he got it to work temporarily but ended up dying from catastrophic failure eventually! Newer transmissions bolt into a MK1 easily though. He was running a 2.0 and 5 speed from a 97. Fortunately for me, he is going to check around in his clique to see if he can find a new home for the ff or find a MK2 trans for me. I love the way that dubbers like us instantly bond when out in the real world. We have an amazing family! Apparently, $125 is the going price for any transmission at ecology so if I sell this one for what I paid, I can pick up another from the wrecker. I would rather just find a working diesel trans but at least I have that 5th gear syncro to swap in if I find a decent gasser tranny.

Reply #8May 30, 2012, 01:09:40 pm

CRSMP5

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2012, 01:09:40 pm »
if it was that simple.. id not told him he needed to change the case halfs.. and the reshimming requirement to do so... :P if you know what your doing with proper lit.. thats say a newbie.. 8-10 hr job... 6 for person like me.. but hell 3-4hr is just cleaning/inspection..

so he has the info if he wants to try that...

ff was stock 78-80 all 5 speed... then came fn i think.. then 1.8 got close gear ratio.. rest fn.. then mk2....

yep all 020 fit mk1... just till 84 they lacked the casting for the mk2/mk3 mount..

wish 020 went that cheap here.. more like 450 and rebuild/inspection.. last one i got needed a diffpin that was bout to poke a hole, the 150$ small reverse gear and 120$ diff bolt kit as they fail too easily...

Reply #9May 30, 2012, 01:56:55 pm

R.O.R-2.0

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2012, 01:56:55 pm »
I just went down to dixiline to grab some more paint and ran into a guy with a rad MK1 rabbit that I have seen flying around for a good while! I ended up talking to him about it to see if he needed or knew anyone that needed a MK1 diesel trans. He actually told me first hand how he had tried to get a MK1 trans in a MK2 jetta. He said he got it to work temporarily but ended up dying from catastrophic failure eventually! Newer transmissions bolt into a MK1 easily though. He was running a 2.0 and 5 speed from a 97. Fortunately for me, he is going to check around in his clique to see if he can find a new home for the ff or find a MK2 trans for me. I love the way that dubbers like us instantly bond when out in the real world. We have an amazing family! Apparently, $125 is the going price for any transmission at ecology so if I sell this one for what I paid, I can pick up another from the wrecker. I would rather just find a working diesel trans but at least I have that 5th gear syncro to swap in if I find a decent gasser tranny.

theres alot of gasser trannies out there with even better ratios then most of the actual diesel trannies..

im more partial to the ACN style trannies.. theres about 4 in that group, all identical gearing.. 2600rpms @ 60mph.
92 Jetta GLI - Black, 1.6D w/ GT2056V turbo..
86 GTI - 4 Door, Med Twilight Gray, Tow Machine..
86 Audi Coupe GT - Tornado Red, All Stock.. WRECKED.
89 Toyota 4Runner - Dark Grey Metallic, LIFTED!

Turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.

Reply #10May 30, 2012, 02:55:15 pm

flowmastergfunk

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #10 on: May 30, 2012, 02:55:15 pm »
I didn't mind the ACN when I had it in working order. I felt like 4th gear could have been a bit taller for my taste. I would very much like to do a full rebuild on an 020 and "choose my own adventure" eventually, as far as gearing goes. It seams like the 3rd 4th and 5th from the FF (which is an '81 by the way) would have RIDICULOUSLY long legs with the 3.67 final drive. I am sure it would get a little slower under acceleration but millage would likely be glorious! Seems like I would be doing 80 at 3000rpm if the engine felt like supporting it. I am not as seasoned as many of you and I would have to really FEEL the differences in ratios to make a firm decision. It is a growing and learning process!

Reply #11May 31, 2012, 12:25:14 am

flowmastergfunk

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2012, 12:25:14 am »
Well, I have been staring at my Bentley for hours like a teenager catching wind of a hustler for the first time. I feel like I could put that motor together in my sleep now...and as much as I read it, I am sure it will carry on into my dreams.

The manual states to torque...
Main bearing caps down at 48ft. lb.
Rod caps at 22ft. lb.with an additional 1/4 turn
and the lubricated crank sprocket bolt at 111ft. lb.

It doesn't mention that any of these bolts need to be replaced (like the head bolts) so I am going to reuse them since nothing is going to see boost. Are there any bolts that should get some blue loctite?? I know I would like to put some on the bolt for the intermediate shaft because I never want to see that stupid thing come loose ever again! Just kinda curious if any of the other important bolts should get any.

Reply #12May 31, 2012, 01:58:15 pm

R.O.R-2.0

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2012, 01:58:15 pm »
Well, I have been staring at my Bentley for hours like a teenager catching wind of a hustler for the first time. I feel like I could put that motor together in my sleep now...and as much as I read it, I am sure it will carry on into my dreams.

The manual states to torque...
Main bearing caps down at 48ft. lb.
Rod caps at 22ft. lb.with an additional 1/4 turn
and the lubricated crank sprocket bolt at 111ft. lb.

It doesn't mention that any of these bolts need to be replaced (like the head bolts) so I am going to reuse them since nothing is going to see boost. Are there any bolts that should get some blue loctite?? I know I would like to put some on the bolt for the intermediate shaft because I never want to see that stupid thing come loose ever again! Just kinda curious if any of the other important bolts should get any.

if your engine is new enough to have stretch-type rod bolts, then they need replaced..

my rod bolts in all my engines are the non-stretch-type bolts, and they are torqued to 44 ft lbs..

i believe the HEADS of the bolts are also different looking, thats how you tell them apart..

someone with more info on the topic will chime in, im sure..

main bearing bolts are re-usable tho.

generally the crank bolt is NOT supposed to be re-used.. is it a 6pt, or 12pt bolt? re-torquing a 12pt is a NO NO..
92 Jetta GLI - Black, 1.6D w/ GT2056V turbo..
86 GTI - 4 Door, Med Twilight Gray, Tow Machine..
86 Audi Coupe GT - Tornado Red, All Stock.. WRECKED.
89 Toyota 4Runner - Dark Grey Metallic, LIFTED!

Turbo: exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster.

Reply #13May 31, 2012, 06:35:07 pm

flowmastergfunk

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #13 on: May 31, 2012, 06:35:07 pm »
The crank bolt is certainly a 6 point. The book has 3 different torque specs; one for the 12 point which is not to be reused, one for a 6 point bolt and one for a hex head bolt. Seems like a 6 point bolt and a hex head are the same to me ::)

I looked up the rod fasteners and saw the newer stretch type. Mine are studs, not bolts. I guess these will be ok to use.

I do have a lot more parts to order though! I ended up getting a Prothe gasket kit which was one of the stupidest things I have ever done in my life. I liked the idea that it was affordable and complete but I didn't expect it to be this bad! I had heard negative things about his products before but I figured I would give him a shot. The head gasket was damaged, there are two water pump gaskets, NEITHER of which are cut properly, there are no O rings included. The only reason I would ever buy anything from him again is so that ebay will allow me another 80 words worth of negative feedback.

I have started a new parts list. I already got a new headgasket but I am almost debating whether or not to use his headbolts. Last thing I want to do is sheer a bolt off on my final torque! At least while I am waiting for more parts I can finish my painting and figure out how to properly install pistons without breaking a ring...not like that already happened or anything.... :-X

Reply #14June 01, 2012, 12:22:39 pm

Blocksmith

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Re: Dub Nasty- The rebirth of the dirty diesel
« Reply #14 on: June 01, 2012, 12:22:39 pm »
http://www.gowestyautoparts.com/

Good stuff, cheap. It's where I'm gonna order from when I do my rebuild.
Green 83 Rabbit 4dr, 5 speed ACH trans swap, ported 1.6D mech lifter w/ vnt15, na pump w/ gov mod, gasser intake mani, 2.5" exhaust, bilstein sports and cut mk2 springs, ss brake lines, 14" vw bottlecaps

 

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