226

Show off your projects here! / Re: Project Lucille -- EVW VR6 Manual Conversion

« on: June 20, 2015, 04:54:27 pm »

You'll also notice in that thread how sludged up that 24v AXK was with 152k on it and a lifetime of synthetic from the original owner.

Interesting. Do you think this is related to the tilt of the engine then --- building up more heat in areas or not getting properly supplied with oil? Or should we be looking at an external oil cooler?

One thing I noticed that is a bit different between the BDFs and the AXF - is the routing of the coolant lines. The AXF closes off using the center port off the block, where as the BDF's used that. The routing and positioning of the after run coolant pump is a bit different too. We need some thermal imaging here!

One other factor to consider, is the type/model of car that these engines were available in. 24v-vr6 BDF's were in GTI's and GLI's -- basically the top of the line MK4 Golf/Jetta. Perhaps new owners of these cars were more in "tune" with the needs/demands/maintenance of the engine than the average Eurovan owner was. Getting a 24v VR6 was an option/choice to those Mk4 owners -- where as with the Eurovan owner, it was their only choice. 

227

Show off your projects here! / Re: Project Lucille -- EVW VR6 Manual Conversion

« on: June 19, 2015, 08:11:48 pm »

My AXK had 147K miles on it which were put by his previous owner. He used to go to Pep Boy's to do his oil changes  I guess that contributed to sludge issue somewhat... 

-albertr

I was reading up through the 24v Timing Chain thread that Cole started and I was re-reading through your contributions there. That was awesome work, if not incredibly thorough. Makes me grateful that I have the engine out to do this. 

228

Show off your projects here! / Re: Project Lucille -- EVW VR6 Manual Conversion

« on: June 19, 2015, 10:29:18 am »

Here is a quick example of a critical oil passage -- and it has to do with one of our favourite subjects -- timing chain!

So here you can see the upper timing chain cover --where there is a small oil passage that feeds the chain tensioner bolt.

Upper Timing Chain Cover


And here on the tension bolt - is the oil inlet which not only takes in oil to lubricate the internal spring - but the oil is also needed to pressurize the tensioner to its final and correct tension! When this is installed correctly - the oil ports align. If this starts to clog up and restricted with sludge, then it seems very plausible that the chain is no longer tensioned correctly - thereby increasing the wear on timing chain components.

Timing Chain Tensioner

229

Show off your projects here! / Re: Project Lucille -- EVW VR6 Manual Conversion

« on: June 19, 2015, 10:18:14 am »

Great pictures! It's good to have multiple engines, make comparing and swapping parts much easier

However, my 2001 AXK had even worse sludge issue comparing to your "bad" AXK, so your synthetic oil might have done some cleaning job afterall ;-)

Below please see some horror pics of mine. After chain replacement it still continues to run fine (I keep my fingers crossed  ). Somebody (Cole perhaps?) was tossing idea that AXK sludge issues might be related to unusual mounting position on EuroVan (engine is tilted forward) which could attribute to oil starvation.

-albertr

Yes your engine looked worse. How many miles what that at?

Having multiple engines to work with helps a lot. The AXK is actually just "ugly" with rust and the sludge. The second BDF is totally shot -- and basically I got it for (1) the crack pipe and (2) to just learn from messing around with it.

I don't know if the angle has anything to do with the sludging - I wouldn't rule it out. I do know that from all the VW's I've owned from the era in which the van was (circa 2002) -- that none of them were specified to use synthetic oil (when they probably should have). So, with my 2002 2.0 Jetta (I'm the original owner) - I switched to synthetic after 6 years of regular oil - and then switched back to conventional after it developed an oil leak. All good on that front. My 1.8t on the other hand - needs synthetic or it will coke up fast due to the heat of the turbo.

And I agree with Kjeff -- that regular oil changes before the oil breaks down probably does a lot to circumvent any buildups. But from here on out on the van's  VR6 - its got to be synthetic from now on. 
 

230

Show off your projects here! / Project Lucille -- Oil System Comparison II

« on: June 18, 2015, 12:42:48 pm »

Lucille's oil system components were totally coated in sludge and coke -- I've owned her for 20k miles of pure synthetic oil changed every 7k. Evidently, the idea that running synthetic can help clean sludge out is not evident here. 

More....

Oil Pan and Pump


From L-R: Good BDF, Bad AXF, Ugly BDF


Good BDF: Note the crack/hole in the pan (bottom right) and aluminum chips (~centre).


Bad AXF


Ugly BDF: Looks good in comparison.


Ugly BDF: Metal fragments!

Oil Pump


Good BDF

This also nicely shows the difference in reach between the BDF and AXF oil pumps. FYI: there is a 3rd, shallower pump style used on some 3.2 VR6 -- about 0.75" shallower than the BDF's. 


Bad AXF


Ugly BDF


Ugly BDF -- Crunch!

231

Show off your projects here! / Project Lucille -- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Oil System comparison

« on: June 18, 2015, 12:00:56 pm »

The difference in oil residue and condition is quite noticeable between the good BDF and Lucille's original AXF. I'm taking notes on this, and thought it might be interesting to share the findings from the 3 engines. If anything, it serves as good example of synthetic versus conventional oil.

Valve train/Cylinder head


Good BDF


Bad AXF


Ugly BDF

Crankcase


Good BDF


Bad AXF

Valve Cover

From L-R: Good BDF, Bad AXF, Ugly BDF

Here's a close up of the important detail -- found in the oil vapour filter mesh. Note that the filter on the AXF was so clogged and coked up that I had to adjust the exposure to get any sort of comparison.


Good BDF


Bad AXF

Lower Chain Tensioner


Good BDF


Bad AXF

Timing Chain Cover


From L-R: Good BDF, Bad AXF, Ugly BDF

232

VR6 Engine tech / Re: OBD Error Codes - Whatcha Got, Whatcha Know?

« on: June 16, 2015, 08:01:09 am »

There seems to be some consensus that VW used to use a blue-top coolant temp sensor that can be problematic -- and the solution for this has been to replace it with a "green-top" sensor. That might be the place to start troubleshooting -- verify the condition of the temp sensor.

http://www.vwforum.com/forums/f15/diy-easy-12v-mkiv-vr6-coolant-temp-sensor-diy-10-30-mins-50298/

233

Share your adventures! / Re: Official random Van pictures! Post a picture of stay out!

« on: June 15, 2015, 09:20:18 pm »

This beautiful picture comes from a classified ad on the Samba. Wow.

234

Show off your projects here! / Re: Project Lucille -- EVW VR6 Manual Conversion

« on: June 15, 2015, 08:08:47 pm »

Great project!

Rusted exhaust manifolds was a problem on my 2001 EVC too. When was doing chains past winter, I was not able to remove them and had to move engine forward with downpipe still connected. Luckly, there was sufficient clearance to do that.

As far as rusting on the back side of the crankcase, my original 2001 AXK wasn't that bad. There was some rust, but nothing nearly as dramatic as seen on your pictures! There must be something leaking there in your engine that caused such severe rusting.

Why the plug was blown off in your "good" BDF? With cracked oil pan, I would be very cautious to inspect all internals to make sure it was not ran dry by his previous owner…

-albertr

Thanks Albertr -- I was really surprised as well when I saw the condition on the back of the block. The front had some bubbling paint - but nowhere nere what was on the back.


The Bad AXK -- bubbling paint

As for the missing plug -- this enters the "air port"  --  further along the same channel in the head where to which the combi-valve feeds. I'm hoping that it has just fallen/blown out - rather than getting sucked in. I have no clue why this could or would have happened. When an engine is installed -- this is somewhat out of sight and covered up by the exhaust manifold heat shield. Neither of the other two engines have this port "opened" on purpose - so I don't think its intentional.

I do have some concerns with the engine having run dry -- but I am not sure what to look for. The history of the donor Jetta was that it ran up an ice bank in the middle of winter (i.e. -40C). The force of impact broke the driver side axle and control arm, punctured the transmission case and bell housing, and ripped that gash in the oil pan. Both air bags deployed -- but I don't know if that triggers the engine to shut off. So a good bet that the car may have been run afterwards to warm the occupants for probably 45-60min. Not sure what to look for - but it turns over by hand very smooth - and the crank case has no evidence of oil starvation. Any suggestions?

235

Show off your projects here! / Project Lucille -- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Pictures)

« on: June 14, 2015, 10:07:04 pm »

In pictures:

The Good BDF


Condition when pulled. Shown with 240mm DMF.


After cleaning up coolant leak mess/crud


Oil pan tear/hole


Showing missing/blown plug along top/back of engine.


Level of oil residue on cam/chain area.



The Bad AXK


Evidence of coolant leak mess/crud


Block condition - lots of peeling paint/rust on backside. Excessive heat/Moisture prone area?


Level of oil residue on cam/chain area.



The Ugly BDF


Aluminum crack pipe!


Exhaust headers -- is this what happens when they run super hot?


Blown block.


Level of oil residue on cam/chain area.

236

Show off your projects here! / Project Lucille -- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

« on: June 14, 2015, 09:18:45 pm »

So, with the low mileage BDF engine I pulled from the Jetta, and a pooched BDF that I traded the Jetta's bad trans for, and now Lucille's AXK engine out -- I have three 24v VR6 to play with.    Each has their strengths and purpose. I like to refer to the them as: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

From Left: Good BDF, Bad AXK from Lucille, Ugly BDF (junk parts)

The Good
Code BDF, Mileage ~80k (131k km), documented synthetic oil history, original chains/guides.
Outstanding issues: Torn oil pan, leaky thermostat housing, blown/missing plug
Silver lining: Pristine oil condition
Summary: Enthusiast owned and pampered.

The Bad
Code AXK/AMV?, Mileage 250k (~400k km), undocumented oil history, second set of chains/guides with 140k miles of wear.
Outstanding issues: Oil sludge throughout. 
Silver lining: Possible back up engine after a thorough cleaning/rebuild.
Summary: A well traveled engine -- but not as well cared for as it could have been.

The Ugly
Code BDF, Mileage ~108k (175k km), undocumented oil history
Outstanding issues: Blown block, thrown rod, bent valves, broken lifter, etc. 
Silver lining: Aluminum water pipe!
Summary: Tuner owned/serviced - turbo'd and driven hard till the day she died.

237

Show off your projects here! / Project Lucille -- Engine Removal

« on: June 14, 2015, 12:06:41 pm »

Pulled Lucille's engine out to replace it with the low mileage BDF that I got from the Jetta. The most daunting thing is the wiring and miles of hoses in there. I can really understand why people like to "delete" things with these engines - if just to makes things more manageable. I can look forward to losing a couple of coolant hoses without the transmission cooler -- but I may go for more deletes (SAI, EGR) along the way.

Engine Removed


Brittle Plastic Hoses

Things went ok -- I only wrecked a few things along the way. I damaged the passenger side motor mount (leaked fluid), a couple of terminal connections and breather hose that totally disintegrated. 

I took my time while removing the wiring harness and tried to label things along the way. The nice thing is the harness can all be disconnected and moved out of the way -- basically all to the drivers side. A lot of the labels have fallen off -- but I think the electrical actually is pretty straight forward to put back - because most of the connections are different or the length of the harness does not permit you to mix up certain plugs. We'll see.

After that I then disconnected the air intake and the accessories -- alternator, AC compressor, power steering pump -- to leave the lines intact. Before putting the van up - I broke the main axles bolts free. Once everything was ready - I went back in and removed the drives shafts. Nice way to get to know the suspension (and see all the little things there that need to be fixed).

Lucille's Engine & Trans out


The biggest pain in removal was with the exhaust manifold -- that took me a whole day to get it off. When I pulled the engine from the Jetta -- everything came off easy. On the van - I tried everything I could - but it was very tough. There is one bolt the exhaust manifold that is impossible to work on as the manifold swings out over top of it and there is no room to get it off. I have no tool or ability to reach it properly. I tried cutting it off while in the van - but I just couldn't get to it. Eventually I got myself a long extension and layed under the van and loosened off the downpipes. It took some prying to get them to seperate off the manifold.

Stubborn Exhaust Manifold

Notice the small bolt -- bottom side of the driver side exhaust manifold. Also, this side of the engine block was really ugly - bubbling paint, rust, another oil leak, etc.

The fussy electrical connectors, brittle pipes and some hard to reach bolts are the worst of it -- really not that bad if you are taking the engine and transmission out together.

238

Interior! / Re: Show us your stereo!

« on: June 13, 2015, 09:10:51 am »

From what i've read, possibly on the vortex, (but can't confirm) the VW VOLK-L OEM head unit should plug and play with our vans.
It's double-din at the face, but single-din behind so it will clear the knee bar.
Lights match the factory red/indigo and there's much less risk of a broken window.
Has built in CD player with mP3, Aux in, USB port and bluetooth. Even the mic for phone calls is built into the face.
Anyone want to risk the $500 to see if its compatible?

Maybe I'm just not coordinated - or have really bad eyesight - but I do prefer chunky button radios, physical dials. Tactile feedback devices are highly under rated.

239

Westfalia / Re: Yakima roof tracks on a Westfalia top.

« on: June 12, 2015, 10:25:50 am »

Nice set up Suthernvanman -- that looks awesome. I like the idea of some extra cross bars to spread out the weight.

I really like the Gary Lee setup - although it seems pretty pricey.

I did read post from the UK T4 forum -- whereby some Fiamma rear rack users upgraded the rear door struts to adjust for the extra weight. So its doable to find a fix that makes that easier to open when loaded.

240

VR6 Engine tech / Re: Chain Stretch

« on: June 12, 2015, 10:15:08 am »

It's certainly a slippery slope when you start putting in new parts just because "you're there". It doesn't take much to blow the budget -- especially if you're strictly using OEM or better parts only. If I add in gaskets, sprockets, bearings, etc -- it gets pretty darn close to just start looking at new crate engine. It's not so much the $100 (actually about $200 when your Canadian with no free shipping, 20% exchange and 10% duty) of savings -- I would prefer not to replace perfectly good OEM parts with lesser quality "selected" parts in a kit.

But, I'm glad to see that the chain measurement was made. Gives me some incentive to compare the 3 sets of chains -- and all other components as well.