DG rebuild

[tonysbus]

As it say's after many a phone call about putting my tdi into my van i have decided, to completely strip my 1.9 dg engine and rebuild it myself. Now i know that some of you will say get a recon but i did that 3 years ago and i have had nothing but trouble since. The reason i 'm going down this route is because there is a knocking from what appears to be the crank and a lack of power So any tip's advice places to get any parts. We have had a really "pooh" year this year with my father inlaw being ill so we just want the van back on the road as just being able to go away for the night would of really made a difference to Cath & the kid's.

Thank's Tony

[billy739]

what probs have you had with your 'reco' engine?
before you start , make sure you can source all the bits , and are happy with prices.

as a minimum you should fit
gasket set
piston rings
main/small /cam bearings
oil pump
personally i would fit exhaust valves

to start

worth considering,
pushrod tubes
pistons/ liners
crank grind
heads
inlet / exhaust valves
valve guides
head studs
tuning mods ? balance , mild cam ect

as your doing it yourself no need to cut corners. rebuild with good quality parts isant cheep , but neither was a new engine from vw!

[ghost123uk]

This (long) thread ( viewtopic.php?f=37&t=52374 ) is all about the trials and tribulations of doing a DG re-build. It starts with a different fault, but the rest of it is applicable to your situation.



I too started down this road, but after a lot of time, mess and frustrations, ended up getting a very good used engine off Billy739. Never looked back.

Knowing what I know now, from starting (but not completing) a re-build, I would not consider that as an option in future. I have re-built a few "more normal" engines (Ford, BMC A series, Honda, etc) but these WBX engines have many pitfalls to fall in and spares can be hard to find. Plus if you mess it up some way and only find out when you fire it up (smoke or knocking etc) you will be really really sick.

Not to say it cannot be done successfully, as proved in the link above, but I reckon doing it is more of a hobby project rather than an "I need to get back on the road quickly and cheaply" project.

Just my thoughts, others may say different of course

[Ian Hulley]

http://www.vwheritage.com/vw_act_page.r ... try_GB.htm

Good luck Tony.

Ian

[Aidan]

Tony
I can get most of the engine bits from classic - genuine stuff, so can Baxter, prices aren't too eye watering and lot cheaper than heritage for same stuff so there's no reason why a decent wbx can't be done.

[kinnoir]

I did a complete rebuild of my DG engine last year. Started off because a hydraulic tappet was broken. When I got into it I found all sorts wrong: valve guides shot, two damaged pistons, camshaft cams damaged, end float shims missing.
In the end I ended up replacing everything that could wear out. It cost about £1000 in parts. I agree with Billy though, its doesn't make sense to cut corners.
Finding parts was a pain, but I kept a list of where I got them and prices. It's on a spread sheet which I can send if you want it.
The hardest part was getting the engine apart in the first place!
Happy to answer any questions you have as you progress. Good luck.
Neil

[tonysbus]

Thank's guy's i used the link when i took the piston's out last time very helpful, What i was after this time is tip's on splitting the case and a full rebuild. I might take up the offer of the copy of that spread sheet Neil ,

Thank's guy's Tony

[kinnoir]

Most of the difficulty getting the engine apart as mentioned in my post was getting the heads off and the pistons out, but I see you've done that before. Splitting the engine was very straightforward and according to Haynes. Couple of observations. It's not necessary to take out the distributor drive shaft - it's easily removed after the engine's apart. I also put it back before reassembly. I couldn't see how it would be possible afterwards. Maybe I missed something. Refitting the crankshaft drive pinion was vastly more difficult than Haynes suggests. I had to apply a LOT more heat.

Haynes mentions special sealants when re-assembling. My local VW man, who has rebuilt several engines, recommended Stag Wellseal as an alternative. It worked for me.

I tried to attach my spreadsheet, but this forum would not allow it. If you let me have your email address I'll send it to you. It's a good offer from Aidan, though, he might get the bits cheaper than I did.

Neil

[ricicles]

if you are rebuilding it it's worth putting a 2.1 crank in there and either a set of mv or dj pistons, a few people on here run these with the dg carb succesfully. also a full balance on the crank,flywheel,rods etc is not to expensive, worth a look at. the real pain is getting them apart. i used plenty of heat to get the gudgeon pins out and a home-made tool. this was used to refit the pins also (a fissure fixing on a rod). if you have a new crank then you will need to set the end float. use a dial guage for this. rod bolts i used were from a beetle engine. two different types of bearings(early and late) early has a one has a one piece end bearing(flywheel end). check all the stuff you buy for the rebuid and make sure it is what you ordered. in my experience avoid "cofap" end of the day i can confirm it is very satisfying to be heading out there with an engine you have built knowing it's all ok

[tonysbus]

Thank's guy's really appreciate all the advice, Neil i've pm'd you.

Tony