Mk1 Diesel - couple of problems

[Brom]

Hi all,
I've spent a couple of months trying to find an early golf diesel. And got nearly nowhere. So when instead i managed to find a '80 model in melbourne two weekends back and picked it up for $700 off a vw mechanics who kept a couple mk1's at home for his own projects.

He had just done an engine reco and it drove home amazing! But the brakes are bad and the body has some surface rust and bad homejob paint. But no structural rust. Overall i think its a solid purchase.

I was intending on putting a years rego on it and then thinking about a body transplant into a two door or cabrio? But maybe I should do this sooner rather than wasting time on little niggles in this car. I've never done an engine swap, but i'd give it a go.

But today i got around to looking at the brakes. For some reason the front calipers are always tight on the disks making it a noisy 12 hour trip home. And there's very little power through the pedal. My manual indicates either master cylinder or servo problems, so i managed to pick up a brand new servo to start with. It was sold as a mk1 servo but as ive noticed now the old one (Right) is off, is that this new one (left) is quite larger (all the bolts have the same spacing) but worse is that the inlet for the vacuum line is female rather than male on the old one. Does anybody know of a solution or have i just been given the wrong part?

[Preen59]

Looks like you've been given a mk2 booster there dude.

You can use it but you'll have to get a fitting to put in with a male tail on it.

Where did you get it? Take it back to them and ask for the right one if you want.

Take a pic with that plug removed so we can see how the vac line is fitted.

[Peter Jones]

Just pop down to a wreckers and grab the pastic Barb hose fitting off a Camira or some thing. You might even find one with a one way valve in it , Commodores use this style from memory.

Pete

[Brom]

thanks for the help;
this is with the cap removed. There's a rubber grommit which i'm guessing the vac hose would have some attatchment to sit in. I bought this online so will try and sort out an exchange/refund, otherwise visit the wrecker.

Also i tried getting a replacement o-ring for the seal between the servo and the master from teh suppliers i used when i had the beetle, but was told its only sold with the master cylinder which is kind of ridiculous. Still it shouldn't take much to find something that will fit.

Thanks again

[Preen59]

thanks for the help;
this is with the cap removed. There's a rubber grommit which i'm guessing the vac hose would have some attatchment to sit in. I bought this online so will try and sort out an exchange/refund, otherwise visit the wrecker.

Also i tried getting a replacement o-ring for the seal between the servo and the master from teh suppliers i used when i had the beetle, but was told its only sold with the master cylinder which is kind of ridiculous. Still it shouldn't take much to find something that will fit.

Thanks again

Go to a bearing service shop or similar with the o-ring and ask them for one. it'll cost you like a buck.

[Peter Jones]

This fitting is off a Cordoba.


And so is the booster and master cylinder!

You might like to read a couple of my threads on the brake upgrades I did to my MK1s.

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=11595&highlight=red+brake

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=13700

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=11689

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/search.php?searchid=386353&pp=25&page=2

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=11595

The search function is your friend!

Pete

[Golf Loon]

Good advice there Pete.

What brake fluid bottle is that?

[Peter Jones]

What brake fluid bottle is that?

Nissan Pulsar. The spacing on the barbs at the bottom is the same as the VW ones. I got mine from a wreckers, but they're available new too, they're a PBR part.

Valver out me on to the idea originally.

Pete

[Brom]

Thanks for the help.
I've been offered a refund, so instead i think i will go and grab the booster and master cylinder out of a wreck in one piece to save some time.
This afternoon i took the calipers off with the front on stands as i figured as they were seriously tight on the disk, they would be the cause of the noise the whole way home. But in gear i took the car to the same revs with the wheels and brakes off and still get a huge winding noise in mid rev range. I'm thinking this would indicate either wheel or gearbox bearings or worse things within the gearbox/diff. Has anybody had similar problems and no what my next step should be. Or ignore it if its not a huge issue.
I really want to get this car back on the road after it drove back to sydney from melbourne so strong last week.

[jets]

Have you checked that the vacuum pump is working? If it isn't a new kit is quite cheap. I think you need to install new seals in your calipers, also cheap. I had to do both jobs on my '80 when I bought it.

[Brom]

I disconnected the vac hose at the servo and was definately getting some suction, though i have no idea how strong it should be.
Also with the caliper seals, would that be if they were leaking now? the only fluid coming out from underneath was a bit of diesel from a loose pipe fitting on the inlet hose which ive now fixed.

thanks for the advice

[jets]

My calipers weren't leaking, just sticking. New seals & cleaning pistons fixed that problem. A split diaphragm is a very common problem. This is the most likely cause of high pedal pressure.

[Brom]

Cheers. I'm going to have a look at a wrecked diesel this weekend and grab some parts. May end up taking the entire brake setup to save any hassles.

[dalderton]

Brom Funny about that noise,I have a 1980 GLD and it sounds like a jet engine winding up from about 75 kph which decreases somewhat when it gets over 90kph. It is not engine as when I put it out of gear at 80kph the noise does not alter. I have also thought that it may be in the transmission/diff but it has not got any worse since I got the car a couple of thousand k ago. If anyone susses it out I would be interested to hear what it is. Regards Dennis

[Brom]

That definately sounds the same. I've tried rolling down steep hills, both in and out of gear with the engine off so i can here. And still theres a loud grinding/whirling. I think part of it was that the brakes were so badly alligned, but theres something else and i dont think its just wheel bearings. And your right, it does seem to go away, for me at about 110km/h.

I know the beetles were known for winds in the gearbox, and maybe this is the same, though it seems far more intense. Hopefully it wouldn't affect it passing rego.