mk 1 diesel service/running Q's.

[Jarred]

Hi all.

Just after a bit of advice on my diesel I bought the other day.

I'm looking at doing a full service on it. so what should I do. I'm reasonably handy, but limited to basic tools and a backyard kinda thing.

So - timing belt? oil & diesel & air filters, engine and box oil? anything I should do with the injectors/injector pump?

anything else I've missed. What engine oil should I use?

Sorry for the basic questions, but it's my first ever diesel, hence I have alot of learning to do!

Two other things. Will my extractors and 2" exhaust from my petrol car a) fit up and b) have a positive effect? ie more power?

and has anyone here have experience with biodiesel? (chip oil etc)

also any other general tips/advice or things I should look out for/do?

I know it's alot of questions, but all help is appreciated!

Jarred

[posscakes]

a lot of people recommend penrite fully synthetic engine oil. so thats what i've always used in my passat (it has the same motor as yours). i'm not really that technical I leave most things to the mechanic.

biodiesel - you might want to check the source of it and the ratio of blend with mineral diesel ie b10 b20 b100 etc depending on the time of year. biodiesel thats made with tallow ( which is animal fat) will solidify at a higher temperature than biodiesel thats made with vegetable oil. not an issue in the middle of summer but something to think about in winter.

[mollins]

stick the extractors and exhaust on. it will help. (dunno if the 2dr system will fit???)

dont worry about the injector pump unless its leaking. it will most likely outlast your car.

be aware of the procedure in the timing belt change for a diesel, you are supposed to use locking tools for the pump and cam. If your handy you can make these easily (pm me and i'll send you some drawings).

Changing all the oil and filters is a good idea. Might as well flush your water while your there!

With biodiesel, if your buying it from the servo, just go hard. Should be able to handle B100 (or anything less) easily. The main thing is that rubber hoses don't like biodiesel that much, so just swap them for plastic ones. Also you may want to add some extra filters before the stock diesel filter. You can use 2 cheap plastic fuel filters from supercheap in parrallel to make sure you maintain flow.

you can see this setup at the bottom of this photo (sorry i couldn't link the full size photo)



you could add some kickarsse ducting for your intake too (thank aydan for the pic)

otherwise.. go for it!

cheers

Mike

[dalderton]

I have been running a Mk1 on self processed Cooking Oil for about 10 months now with very few problems.It is a bit harder to start in the winter than Distillate and it is probably a good idea to put one of the old CAV fuel filters on before the vw one as the bio tends to clean all of the fuel system and block the filter after using it for a while.The CAV filter is good because the elements are a lot cheaper than the Mann ones.
In the winter I put 30-40% distillate to prevent the bio from thickening and in the summer I put about 5% unleaded to up the bang rating of the fuel. It definately makes it go a bit better.As far as the commercial fuels with 5-10% bio I dont think they are worth the trouble.There was a lot of trouble in the Central West with a couple of garages selling it with some bad results.If you make it yourself(about 50c per litre) and do it properly you should have no worries.
Regards Dennis

[gldgti]

hey mate,

as mollins has said - timing belt is a good idea but be CAREFUL and do it right. buy a manual (the internet is your friend) and ensure you know what your doing (there is NO leeway for error in the cam/piston timing in the 1.5 diesel).

the 1.5 IDI will run on pretty much anything as long as its warmed up enough. i ran my old one successfully for over 6 months on some very poor quality bio (rejected from a council depot) and it never missed a beat. but as stated, install a couple of $4.00 filters before your big diesel fuel filter and always keep a couple of spares in the glove box.

use a good oil (i too use penrite) but DO NOT use anyhting lighter than 15W-40 since you'll probably just burn it up. Penrite make a non synthetic version of the HPR diesel range that is 20W-60 and works really really nicely in the early non-turbo vw diesels.

have fun with it, good luck.

BTW - dont baby it around too much, give the rings a work out and the engine will keep thanking you year after year.

Oh - and on your exhaust question - it will help (but its a little noisy ) and so will openeing up the intake. you should have no trouble mounting it up.

[Jarred]

Thanks for the help so far guys. Much appreciated.

I might look at getting someone else to do the timing belt. As I really don't feel like buggering up this engine!

Will defiantly look at adding a 'Bunnings' CAI and pop my exhaust on at some stage.

Also, is it possible to install a tacho on one of these 1.5's? Where would I hook it up too? I know I don't need it, but I'm curious.

[jets]

As Mollins said, no need to touch the pump or injectors. If there are no leaks & it runs ok leave well alone. If you experience any hard starting you will need to check your glow plugs.
Here's a link to a very good forum.
http://www.vwdieselparts.com/forum/
Here's another
http://www.vwdiesel.net/

[mollins]

I might look at getting someone else to do the timing belt. As I really don't feel like buggering up this engine!

As aydan said, get a manual, and follow the steps carefully. You can do it Jarred! just be careful and thorough.

Also, is it possible to install a tacho on one of these 1.5's? Where would I hook it up too? I know I don't need it, but I'm curious.

you can hook up a tacho to your alternator, see the forums above for details. otherwise i have seen sensors in the timing hole of the gearbox, and optical sensors on the injector pump pulley... all home made to fit up to the standard petrol tacho.

good luck!