So-Ill Rabbit Build - 1982 Convertible

[Doc1982]

I know I SHOULD just be able to swap them out, but on the Audi TB that I have there is just a short unthreaded hole there. Either I was sold a broken part, or I'm missing something here. There was a 90 degree elbow that appears to be a vacuum line in the hole where the idle screw should be when I received it.

[Doc1982]

OK I got some better pictures of the TB. The top hole in the pic below goes nowhere, it's not very deep and is full of something (JB weld?) The bottom hole has no threads, and is much shorter than the idle adjustment on my other 2 throttle bodies. The last pic is the line that came in it when I first received it.

Any ideas?

[Doc1982]

Starting to get somewhere

All I'm really waiting on right now is to get my mounts back from being pressed in. All that's left after that is to do the clutch, bolt it all together and put it back in the car. I'm going to have to use the smaller TB untill I can figure out what's going on with the Audi one. I really don't think it'd make much of a difference anyways.

[Doc1982]

Progress! I decided that I would work nonstop on the Rabbit this weekend, weather permitting. Started by laying out most of the things that need to get put on:

Decided not to paint the engine bay. It's just not in my budget anymore, I just cleaned the bay the best I could. I'm not going for a show car type look anyways. It's fairly clean though, good enough for me.

Starting to look like an engine again! Took a big breath and started the task of putting it back in. I picked the wrong time to try and stop drinking!

SUCCESS! I took this pic before I got all the mounts sorted out due to quickly fading light outside, but they're all in loosely now.

tomorrow more reassembly, and maybe I'll get to hear it run. If I work quick enough, I should have the car running again by the end of the weekend. Either that or I'll find I just put a lot of work into a bad motor. Either way I've learned a lot and feel damn good about myself.

Modified by Doc1982 at 6:13 PM 4-11-2009

[Doc1982]

Damn it! Got everything put back together again. Now I've got four major problems:

1 - Alternator pulley rubs on the inside of the timing belt cover. Just a little bending should fix this - I hope.

2 - One of the lines to the CPR seems to be leaking no matter how much I tighten it. I have a spare CPR and line, so this shouldn't be to big of a deal.

3 - There almost no noticable resistance in the clutch pedal. I just did the clutch, PP, resurfaced flywheel, throwout bearing and seals. What could be going on here?

4 - Slow cranking along with a pretty nasty grinding noise. This really has me worried. I have no idea what could be going on here and I really could use some advice. HELP!

Pics for views

I really can't afford for this car not to be running any longer. Any ideas?

[Doc1982]

I realize that this isn't the most exciting thread in the world, but I could really use some feedback. I have no idea where to go from here or what the grinding/squeaking is. I've never heard a sound quite like it. I'll post audio if it'll help, but I'm afraid to sink any more money into this before I figure it out. I'm not even sure where to begin looking. Like I said this is my first time doing major engine work, so I'm quite a noob when it comes to this. Anyone?

[Doc1982]

Well, it's been a long time since I've worked on this! I had to let this poor car sit for 3 years. But now... it's time to at least get it going again. Those other two have taken most of my time and money, but I couldn't look at this guy sitting one day longer. The interior was bad - I mean REALLY bad after 3 years sitting with a very leaky top. Got it halfway clean, at least to the point that i was willing to get in it again. When i started the radiator, fan, an entire second HVAC housing and other random parts were stored in the front seats too. Found a nice big wasps nest in the HVAC box. Not too bad for now. I'll clean stuff as it gets taken out.




What, where to you keep your old trans?



That odd noise i wondered about? Well I ended up pulling the motor and trans again, and pulling them apart. When I had gotten the flywheel machined i never got around to ordering the dowel pins, forgot about them, and thus the flywheel was a little off. Oops. This time around i get it together, and notice that there are only about 5 bolts holding the oil pan on. I was told this was "running when he pulled it." Yikes, I'm glad I didn't try to hard to start it before!!! What's missing here?



Finally got to dig into the big box of parts I've been slowly building up though. Yesterday and today it got new: CV shafts, throttle cable, clutch cable, speedo cable, rubber brake lines, heater core, valve cover gaskets, wheel cylinders. Hooked the exhaust back up and installed the proper bracing on after i took the picture. I like the old school downpipe, beefy!



Even through my parts store, it's going to be middle of the week untill i get a pickup in. I said screw it and ordered the whole pump. Currently putting the dash back together after the new heater core just got slid in. Thats when i called it a day, lol. Cheers!

[Doc1982]

Finally starting to look like a car again!



Getting some of the wiring all sorted out, there were so many horrible corroded ring terminals I decided to just chop them all and solder them to one connection.






I'll add more ground points later if I end up needing them.

Finally got it to run, at least for a bit. I seem to not be getting fuel when i should be. I can get it to run for a few seconds by manually lifting the plate in the fuel distributor and then starting it but it dies as soon as that gas is gone. I'm checking fuel pressure this way:



I'm getting close to 80 psi pressure with the valve close and at the fuel filter, so it's getting gas just fine. With the valve open it started at 30 psi and built slowly to 50-55 after a few min. That seems much too high since it was only about 50 out this morning and it had been sitting all night. According to my book it should have only been about 10-15psi to start. I've pulled the warm up regulator / control pressure regulator and cleaned the screen, but now it's leaking gas through 1 of the 4 holes in the front of the unit. I'm fairly sure everything went back together just as it came apart. I'm thinking the screw holding the diaphram may not be tight enough, has this ever happened to anyone before? I'll take it back apart after I get another car I'm working on done.

What I'm really wondering is if I'm barking up the right tree here? As I understand it that reading meant that i was dumping fuel that should have been going to the injectors, correct? But would that be enough to cause the engine to stop so quickly? I'd think it'd run with a little convincing but unless i spray fuel in manually it just won't run. Thanks!

[Doc1982]

A tiny bit of rtv on the threads and a little more tightening cured the leak, but cold pressure started at 25 and rose very quickly to about 55psi. Same story, will run for a few seconds if I lift the plunger and manually give it gas, but won't run on its own. Still I'd think it'd at least attempt to run. It seems like the engine stops pretty abruptly after it runs for a few seconds, and sometimes it seems to rev quite a bit right before it dies.

I've looked everywhere I can think of for an air leak, I'm sure not seeing anything. What else could the problem be here? This car sat for a very long time, and the motor that's in it even longer, but it seems to me I just have to be overlooking something. I know this thread isn't exactly groundbreaking but I could really use a second opinion on this one. I'm kinda stumped after a few days of fiddling with this and testing that.

[Doc1982]

Found one huge mistake today. I went to swap out the fuel dizzy with another larger one I've had sitting around. This one was gummed up and stuck a bit from sitting so long, and as soon as i turned the key began dumping fuel into the engine. It took me a few seconds to hear the injectors singing. That's when i noticed gas leaking down the back of my block.

When I put the intake and exhaust manifolds on i included a bracket that tied the two together. Turns out it was just off enough to keep the intake from sealing properly on the bottom lip. Engine sounded much better and ran maybe a few seconds longer, but still won't stay going.

Any ideas?

[Doc1982]

Played with the timing a bit, setting it just advanced of 0 statically and replaced the throttle body gasket and idle screw o-ring. Got her running! Still a long way to go, but at least I can get it in and out of the shop now.