The Demise of my diesel

[syncro]

The electric conversion is for economy in this case, it saves about $50,000 + over a 10 year lifespan. Ed.

How do you work that out

[brackie]

Fix it, Matt!

stop dreaming and fix the damn diesel. can you get it out here? although i have never pulled the head off a diesel. degreaser is $2 at supercheep, good investment

It's about time you got nice, black diesel engine oil into your pores, Loon
There's plenty of advice on this forum so for God's sake help the guy! Check out the number of notches on the head gasket. I have a selection here.

[Golf Loon]

Wont the head be rooted tho?
I`ll help him, but dont want to take tools across half of Sydney and then find that the one I need is at home.
If you bring the car here Edison, I`ll get into it with you and I know a good head reconditioner, who is cheap.
I just dont want another damn car here for ages, although the silver 16v is going today, leaving more room
I can bring my car trailer and collect the cursed beast if you like, but you`ll have to pay me petol money.

[Edison]

I just dont want another damn car here for ages, although the silver 16v is going today, leaving more room

It's registered, it can sit a few blocks away on the roadside. legally, just not outside someone silly's house. But it can't take long to know if it is screwed totally or not... Just opening it (the marking out of the timing belt is the tricky thing really)

I can bring my car trailer and collect the cursed beast if you like, but you`ll have to pay me petol money.

Argh!! no curses on my white car I told you Loon! (recalling "little red car of death")
Easy peasy, and when it comes to petrol money I don't barter, I use proper cash. surprising eh? I'd love that, when there is plenty of time for you, I'll clear my agenda completely, as **ANY** alternate energy car is my TOP priority.

Loon> Wont the head be rooted tho?
I reckon that'll be the thing thats gone... but to not know is worse than to know.

Check out the number of notches on the head gasket. I have a selection here.

*Drool* I can't believe it! how much would you want for one? they cost heaps like $100 up here,... I was looking at it thinking I could make one, and I later spoke to someone who has done that many a time but I think $100 is fine, but if a head gasket is all I need, I'll be happy to buy it. the genius told me and it rings true that I can reduce compression by putting in a four notch instead of a three (the vw place loon sent me to says you can get them up to 5 notch) and reduced compression will let me use the multiple strange oils with less risk to the head, at a cost of less power/economy ( a good tradeoff when fuel is free )

$50,000 in ten years ...How do you work that out

$50 a tank twice a week times ten years

Smithy, I was re-reading an old cancelled library book today that I have, about fuel economy it was written in the 70's fuel crisis, and is an american book, anyhow, the cars that were modified for the economy rally competitions you could just push the car with one finger on level ground, it made me think because the cars had to be like 2 tons or something minimum. Anyhow, you reduce all sorts of things like making the brakepads not drag when they aren't applied, using thinner oil in the drivetrain and bearings, different tires overinflated, anyhow, theres a heap of things, I figure I can do some of those. The batteries aren't lead ones, they are ones I'm getting cheap as, also you can get lead ones some places for the scrap value pretty much if you know how to test them out. I hate the lead one in my regular car, they ALWAYS fail on me, but I often get given them for free from people who i help. 7-10hp for cruising speed, I couldn't do that, I'd have to reduce it good and proper, make a skirt, whatever...

Oh and I resurrected a chucked out whipper snipper(petrol) today. I like resurrecting things, i did it at pastors house and now he has a new toy. I just get bored and depressed by myself is all...

[Golf Loon]

OK. How about this for a mission
I`ll bring everything I need and we`ll rip the head off at your place Edison, or wherever the car is.
Then it can sit there while we get the head etc sorted out and we can bring it back here with all the bits at a later date fror reassembly.

What I need from you diesel freaks is a list of all the tools I need to pull a head off. I`m assuming everything I need for a petrol golf + ????

Also Edison you need to work out the timing for the diesel pump and other such things. I`m a Petrol head, I dont know about Diesels.

I do know Golfs though.

How about Thursday or Friday? You might have to get up early in the arvo tho Mik

[syncro]

$50 a tank twice a week times ten years

What do you do, 1,000kms per week?

Matt let me know when your going there. If you forget something I am only 5 minutes away. I think you need a special tool to hold the cam or something from memory.

[Golf Loon]

Thats good Phil.
Are you at work in the arvos?
I`m thinking Thursday or Friday.
Depends whether the Mrs is having a baby or not tho.
If so, it`ll have to be next week.

[syncro]

Mostly arvos. Just call me when you know so that I will expect you.

Do you have a manual?

[smithy010]

Smithy, I was re-reading an old cancelled library book today that I have, about fuel economy it was written in the 70's fuel crisis, and is an american book, anyhow, the cars that were modified for the economy rally competitions you could just push the car with one finger on level ground, it made me think because the cars had to be like 2 tons or something minimum. Anyhow, you reduce all sorts of things like making the brakepads not drag when they aren't applied, using thinner oil in the drivetrain and bearings, different tires overinflated, anyhow, theres a heap of things, I figure I can do some of those. The batteries aren't lead ones, they are ones I'm getting cheap as, also you can get lead ones some places for the scrap value pretty much if you know how to test them out. I hate the lead one in my regular car, they ALWAYS fail on me, but I often get given them for free from people who i help. 7-10hp for cruising speed, I couldn't do that, I'd have to reduce it good and proper, make a skirt, whatever...

At 60kph, the aerodynamic drag alone for a VW golf is just under 3kW (4hp), and it increases with the square of the velocity. Add to this, rolling resistance (even if you can halve the rolling resistance), and you still have 7 or 8kW. Simply not possible to run the golf on a 2hp motor at any speed greater than two thirds of bugger all.
If you have a source of cheap nimh batteries, i'd like to know where you're finding so many at so cheap! A standard size battery pack for an EV in Ni-mh is about $15000. Lead acid is the only way to go in these times and economies.



Smithy

[Edison]

OK. How about this for a mission

Sounds fantastic, I think it may be possible to put it back together again in the same spot, I'd put in 120% effort to do that, cause I'd be rather excited to have it going together, and keeping the dust out, maybe it can be towed with the new head in place but not timed? I dunno...

so Edison you need to work out the timing for the diesel pump and other such things. I`m a Petrol head, I dont know about Diesels.

I'm a male model, so i know even less, but I expect paint, scratches and drawings of the positions of the three big cogs should be enough. Maybe it should be rotated into TDC first also? don't know..

How about Thursday or Friday? You might have to get up early in the arvo tho Mik

Perfect, as I said, whenever is ok for you is 100% for me I've moved everything I was even thinking of doing.
...when you say early in the arvo do you mean BEFORE 8pm?

[Edison]

What do you do, 1,000kms per week? I think you need a special tool to hold the cam or something from memory.

I don't have any special tools at all, but I have helped a friend change the waterpump on another kind of car, which required timing belt removal and replacement, it went fine,.
I'd love to do at least 1,000kms a week, it's 800 round trip from the country to sydney and if fuel is free I'll do more when there's not much to do. Smoking and midnight zoo are not as attractive to me as hobbies as is looking for stuff in council cleanups.

At 60kph, the aerodynamic drag alone for a VW golf is just under 3kW (4hp), ....Add to this, rolling resistance... and you still have 7 or 8kW. Simply not possible to run the golf on a 2hp motor at any speed greater than two thirds of bugger all.

I suspect you may be correct, although the dc motors are usually driven into overload on startup, about 10x power is the usual, I think i'll just go for double the rated voltage which should provide 4x the power, or maybe triple volts, and 9x the power.
However, yes, it will be modest. But the car would allow some suburban driving which is usually tame and full of red lights. A car that would allow me to get to the train station (same as shops) and back, or to pastors house and back would be of great benefit, saving in fuel and maintainance on the normal cars. after that, another motor would be in my sights.
It would be monumentally useful for all the short trips, and let me know just what the measured rolling resistance is, in kW's! and the power consumption, and I can make better estimates...

[mollins]

hey this is aydan (gld gti) not mollins - i have a broken internet atm.. hehe

ed, you need to give fred a ring at VSI Imports in SA. google in VSI Imports and you should find em. give em a ring, a head gasket in any size is less than $70 im sure, atm.

if your little golf of hope was running semi ok before, i can give you some hints as to what you'll find:

- badly blown head gasket (you already know)
- worn valve guides and seats
- maybe worn rings

what sort of km on the engine? if its less than 200k, dont worry too much. replace the head gasket. check for bad wear in the valvetrain, if you can afford some new head components do that.

on putting it back together, use a careful head bolt tightening sequence. dont be afraid to vary from the manual in putting in a few more steps - takes longer but is worth it

btw, you need 11hp to cruise at 100km in a mk1

[Edison]

I do think it will be very worn, and I'd be happy to spend the extra on fixing it up so long as I can save the money first of course, and so long as it looks like a goer. it's 265k now, but I *never* take that to mean dead as some people do, it's never the best indicator of wear and tear. Not nearly as good an indicator as actual wear and tear itself. I'll spend as much time and extra steps as I can, thats no problem at all, results today are more important than the few extra minutes you put in a year ago.
It's on the street and so for degreasing it I found a manual pressure sprayer I can use with the degreaser to wash it down 1st. not done yet...

Of the 11hp, how much is wind resistance and how much is drive train, tyres, etc ?

Also I almost never cruise at 110, not on the country roads. Though when I do an electric car, I probably will. Because if I am designing a computer or more for the car, I can include a simple driving aid for potholes and the like.

I think if the odometer was linked to a computer you could enter all the nasty little things you find like potholes into it so it can make a file of your common journeys and warn you when you are approaching a nasty item so you don't go over it and ruin your wheels. it would know speed of course from the odo link, it could also keep track of cameras and speed limits, possibly even take over the whole cruise control thing... but so easy cause it just needs one sensor and your occasional input.

[Golf Loon]

Right Edison, call me as your phone is not working mate.

I have a few ideas for your car, not all bad.

Talk to me man

[posscakes]

head gaskets

edison www.busdepot.com is a cheap place to order head gaskets. allow a week or 2 to get it cause they come from US. find out how many notches you require i have a 4notch u can have