Risking a fixed crack in a case

I had sent my case to Adrian at Headflow Masters to be checked and he found a crack behind #1.  That is not the normal location for cracks.  You would think behind #3.  I now understand more as to what the reasons are for the cracks behind #3 and other cracks, so this crack behind #1 does not make a lot of sense why it is there.  It is not a stressed area.

Adrian stated that he has fixed these before but not sure of the reliability of the fix.  He welded a plate (Al I believe) behind the #1 as seen below.

As you can see, this is the same modification that is done behind #3 to prevent cracks normally.  You can also notice that an align bore was done as the welding most likely moved things a bit.  The thrust surface was good and did not need machining.  So I have the case back and it is ready to be cleaned with soap and water and make sure all the oil passages are clear and clean.

Adrian showed me some other mods he is doing to cases to make them stronger.  They appear to be something I would like him to modify my case sometime in the future.

I also had the crank sent out for grinding and they communicated that it was cracked all over and was no good.  I obviously had to buy new.  Adrian was doing this leg work for me and had called me to tell me the bad news, I had to make a decision between a chinese crank, stock, counter weighted chinese or brazilian cranks.  I had the brazilian counter weighted before and choose it again.

There is a coating on the crank that I will have to clean off before any kind of assembly can happen.  Notice the eight dowels for the flywheel.  This is what I had before.

It did not break but I guess it was cracked.  I did not know how to do the ring test well until I received the new one a day ago.

Preparing case

I did a few things to the case such as threaded the oil galleys, removed some flashing and cleaned the case.

The pic below is the handy work of Adrian at Headflow Masters where he installed a plug to do his special full flow system.  You can also see where he installed a cylindrical (like a pipe) in the bottom hole (oil pressure by pass).  

In these next pics, you can see the saddle bearings.

This one which is #2, you can see the numbers from the bearing which indicates that it was being pounded by the crank.  Probably when I was have the trouble with the carbs and the engine ran unevenly.

I will be looking up Adrian again to have another align bore done to the case and cut the thrust bearing.  Not sure it the thrust is pounded out or not.

Chasing the infamous oil leak

As I have stated in previous posts, I have an oil leak that is coming from the flywheel area.  I am also having leaks from the rear of the engine.  That may be that the rings did not seat well and I have blow by now which is pushing oil out of the dip stick hole.

This pic is of the cam plug which I found to be leaking as it is wet with oil around the plug.  It is hard to see in the pic.

So, I split the case as I needed to get to the leak from the cam plug.

These are pics of the disassembled engine.  I will be taking out all plugs from the oil galleys to clean the case well.  I will then take the case to Adrian Audirac here in Vista to clean and inspect the case.

The lifters looked really good.

The bearings looked ok.  There were a few scratches on them but overall looked good.  The surfaces on the cam and crank looked good also.  Nothing a good polish won't fix.  The lobes on the cam looked good (not going flat so the breakin procedure worked).

Engine Speed Sensor R&R

Or it is also known as the crankshaft position sensor.  As stated in my last post, I needed to replace the engine speed sensor on the Touareg because it was not starting every time.  Anyway, here is a little write up on how to replace this sensor.

First of all, here is a bit from my manual which does not shed enough light on how to get this done. 

Volkswagen Touareg 

ENGINE PERFORMANCE 4.2 Liter V8 5V Generic Scan Tool, Engine Code(s): AXQ, BHX 

Engine speed (RPM) sensor, checking 

Function  

The Engine Speed (RPM) Sensor -G28- detects engine speed and reference marks. Without an engine speed 

signal, the engine will not start. If the engine speed signal fails while the engine is running, the engine will stop 

immediately. 

Recommended special tools and equipment  

 VAG1526 multimeter or VAG1715 multimeter  

 VAG1594 connector test kit  

 Wiring diagram  

Test requirements  

 Ground (GND) connections between engine and chassis must be OK.  

 Ignition switched off.  

Test sequence  

 Disconnect gray 3-pin harness connector (arrow) to Engine Speed (RPM) Sensor -G28-.  

 Measure sensor resistance between terminals 2+3 at connector to sensor.  

Specified value: 480 to 1000 ohms 

 Check sensor for short circuit between terminals 1+2 as well as 1+3.  

Specified value: infinity ohms 

If specified values are obtained: 

 Check wires according to wiring diagram. Refer to Checking wiring.  

If specified values are not obtained: 

 Replace Engine Speed (RPM) Sensor -G28-.  

 Erase DTC memory of Engine Control Module (ECM). Refer to Diagnostic mode 4: Reset/erase 

diagnostic data.  

 Generate readiness code. Refer to Generating readiness code.  

Checking wiring 

 Connect test box to control module wiring harness. Refer to Connecting test box for wiring test. 

 Check wires between test box and 3-pin connector for open circuit according to wiring diagram.  

Terminal 1 + socket 108 

Terminal 2 + socket 90 

Terminal 3 + socket 82 

Wire resistance: max. 1.5 ohms 

 Also check wires for short circuit to each other.  

Specified value: infinity ohms 

If no malfunctions are found in wires: 

 Remove sensor and check sensor wheel for secure fit, damage, and run-out.  

If nothing seems to be wrong with the sensor wheel: 

 Replace Motronic Engine Control Module (ECM) -J220-. Refer to Engine Control Module (ECM), 

replacing.  

NOTE: There is a larger-sized gap on the sensor wheel. This gap is the reference mark 

and does not mean that the sensor wheel is damaged. 

After reading that and looking at a couple of pictures, it was still not clear what it took to remove and replace this sensor.  I definitely knew how to test the sensor.  Here is the engine bay before I started.

Then I removed the plastic covers.

I had to buy spring clamp pliers to remove the spring clamps of the intake hose.

I then removed the intake hose.

Not very much room to work with behind the engine.  This is where the upper connection of the sensor is located.  As you can see in the second picture.

You can see the gray connector in the mirror.  Not an easy location to get your hands.   

I also removed the bottom plastic cover.

I also removed part of the hood support so that I had better access.

This process in total took me about 1.5 hours to complete.  Not too bad.  The part cost about $115 and the dealer would get about 2 hours of labor or about $200.  

Touareg Woes

The Touareg has been having its moments lately.  It has a bit over 80K miles and several items are needing replacing such as timing belt, water pump, thermostat and all the pulleys and tensioners that go with it.  However, while waiting for my appointment to replace my keyless entry unit by the dealer that was malfunctioning, the Touareg decided to overheat.  On the side of the road, I did all of the usual things such as check for leaks, check for water in the oil but nothing could be found.  So I called a tow truck to get it home.  After getting towed home, I checked the coolant level and found it to be a bit low.  I added water and it took only about two cups of water so not really low.  I then did some research and concluded that the thermostat was the culprit.  I called the dealer for a price and since the thermostat is behind the timing belt, and decided to get it all done while I was at it.

$1400 later, I was on my way home from the dealer and the Touareg overheated again.  I called the dealer back and they came and got the Egg and gave my another loaner.  The next couple of days and I got the Egg back working in regards to the overheating.  I forgot to check the keyless entry while at the dealer.  I checked when I got home it was not working.  So I called the dealer back.  I still need to bring it in to have them look at the keyless entry again.

Now, I have yet a new problem that just came about.  Now, the Egg is cranking over but not starting.  It has done this to me on three different occasions.  After about a dozen tries and waiting several minutes, it finally starts.  I did some investigation and have determined that the engine speed (RPM) sensor is going bad.  I worried that one of these times it will not start at all.  I will be testing the sensor this week if I can physically locate it.  If bad, I will replace it.  It appears to cost about $70 to $100 to buy online. More on this later.

In search of oil leaks

I have started the investigation of oil leaks of my bus engine.  At the same time, I have sent my dells to Air Cooled Engineering (ACE) for rebuilding.  They have had my carbs for a little over a week now.

ACE called and informed me that they are working on my carbs.  They will be bead blasting inside and out.  I had installed the Jet Doctor from CB but the people at ACE do not like the Jet Doctors due to tuning issues when using them.  So we are going to go back to stock jet holders.  Also, I had installed small vents (30mm) and found out that the air jets were 200s and not 180s as marked.  So, we are going to go back to the stock vents (34mm) and get 180 airs installed and test.  I have to send these (other  than the 180 airs) parts to ACE so they can install and test.

Right now, the motor is on the floor in the garage and I have removed the crank pulley to look behind it.  I do find some oil that seemingly is coming from the pulley hole.  This is probably due to blow by from the rings.  Next I will be removing more components from the engine.

4-30-10 camping trip

This is why I go to McCain Valley for camping and hiking.  You never know what you might find out there.  Jessieca and I went hiking for about an hour or so and were resting up high on a large rock when she asked me if anyone lived out here.  I said no way, we are too far out and there are no roads out here.  She said " what is that house over there then", and I said "what!?".  So I broke out the binoculars and looked at what she saw.  Here are a couple of pics of what we saw.  This pic was taken from the rock we were resting on.

This pic is a close up from the rock we were on.

So we decided to hike out to the house and check it out.  It was pretty scary at first like the movie The Hill Have Eyes.  Jess did not want to go in at first but I was determined.  The building is all shot out as you can see when you click on the pic and enlarge it.  Just look through the front windows and door and you can see through the house.  The red cylinder next to the house I believe is a water tank.  It is just a few rooms inside with not much drywall left.  It had some kind of running water and working bathroom at some time as there was a toilet inside (all broken up).  Also, as you can see, there is not really and access other than a small dirt road that we found when we got close.

One of our favorite spots at McCain.  This is in the cottonwood campground.

Actually first time camping with the Egg that did not involve a trailer (usually riding ATVs).  I have to learn how to pack it without a trailer.  I did not do so well this trip because I could not get everything we wanted in the Egg.

       

PDA Vag for Touareg

As I stated in my last post, I had been investigating a Palm PDA to scan my Touareg.  Go to this site to read what I purchased.  As stated in my last post, I bought the PDA from ebay for $30.  I downloaded the software from the above site and bought the cable from them also.  I have scanned my Touareg and cleared codes.  This unit will allow you to recode also.

I have not been able to connect to all of the ECUs that I think I should.  I have emailed the people at VAD to see if they have any suggestions to getting connected to more ECUs.

Here is some of the scans I have done so far.  You can see what the software will give you.

4.2L V8/5V      G    0010

DTCs: 0

P/N: 4D0 907 560 DB

Coding: 0007875, WSC: 31414

*P*

ESP ALLRAD MK25      0202

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L0 907 379 E

Coding: 0014594, WSC: 31414

*P*

CLIMAtronic R/L   X  3716

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L6 907 040 H

Coding: 0020020, WSC: 25799

*P*

KOMBIINSTRUMENT RB8  2935

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L6 920 980 M

Coding: 0007231, WSC: 22136

*P*

TRANSFERCASE         0122

DTCs: 0

P/N: 0AD 927 755 BE

Coding: 0000000, WSC: 00000

*P*

     Navigation      0628

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L6 919 887 D

Coding: 0000002, WSC: 31414

*P*

H6 HSG               0200

DTCs: 1

P/N: 7L0 959 933 E

Coding: 0000085, WSC: 31414

*P*

00486 103

Front Passenger's Outside Door Handle Central Locking Button -E370: Short circuit to Ground (GND) [static]

       Radio         0628

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L6 035 186 A

Coding: 0005055, WSC: 31414

*P*

Sitzverstellung      0701

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L0 959 760

Coding: 0000000, WSC: 00000

*P*

                     2703

DTCs: 1

P/N: 7L6 937 049 K

Coding: 0105695, WSC: 31414

*P*

01517 110

Control Module for towing sensor -J345: faulty [static]

Lenksäulenmodul      3301

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L6 953 549 D

Coding: 0000032, WSC: 31414

*P*

Gateway K<>CAN       0101

DTCs: 0

P/N: 6N0 909 901

Coding: 0000006, WSC: 31414

*P*

   Kessy             6400

DTCs: 4

P/N: 3D0 909 135 M

Coding: 0131304, WSC: 31414

*P*

00179 107

Left Access/Start Authorization Antenna -R134: Interruption [static]

00180 107

Right Access/Start Authorization Antenna -R135: Interruption [static]

00181 107

Access/Start Authorization Antenna (in rear bumper) -R136: Interruption [static]

00183 107

Interior Access/Start Authorization Antenna 1 -R138: Interruption [static]

Sitzverstellung      0701

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L0 959 760

Coding: 0000000, WSC: 00000

*P*

Front Wiper          2416

DTCs: 0

P/N: 7L0 955 119 F

Coding: 0000004, WSC: 31414

*P*

As you can see, the Touareg has some faults.  It actually has a few more ECUs scanned than are above that and at least one has another fault.  The problem I see so far with these scans is the title of what the ECU is for is not always listed.  I will continue to work with this tool to understand it.  I have been working with it now for about 8 hours.

Treg maintenance

I will be changing out the rear tires and changing oil and filter this weekend.  I will give an update this weekend.  I am doing this before I dig into the bus more to investigate a pretty bad oil leak.  I may be that I tear down the motor to fix (possible cracked case).  So I will do this Treg maintenance before I have my bus in the garage taking up all the space.

I changed the oil and filter on 3-1-10.  All went well.  I used Mobile One 0w-40 and bought the filter, o-rings and new washers for the drain plugs on line from ECS tuning.  Good prices and lots of parts for the Egg.

On 3-19-10, one of the ignition coil packs failed on the egg again.  First time was the #2 and this time was #5.  It cost about $150 at the dealer to get it replaced.

So I started investigating a Vag-Com scan tool for the Egg.  Ross Tech is the one to get but it runs on windows and I have a Mac.  I don't want to run windows on the Mac.  In my investigation, I found a VAD system that uses a Palm pda.  You buy the software and cable from VAD for about $250 and download the software onto the Palm pda and then you can use this to scan your vehicle as the Ross Tech software.  I am going to go the VAD route.  I have bought a pda off of ebay for $30 and should have it in a few days.  I will be purchasing the VAD software once I get the pda in my hands.

If this pda works with the software and I can successfully scan and update the electronics on the Egg, I should be able to see what cylinder has a defective coil pack and replace if for $20 rather than the $150 at the dealer.  The coil pack puller cost about $20 and coil packs themselves are about $20 also.

Over nighter in McCain Valley

Since the bus is running ok, we are going to attempt a one night trip to McCain Valley.  McCain Valley is about an 80 mile trip one way.  Not really far but there are some mountains to get up to get there.  I will drive the bus every day to work this week and see how it does.  As long as no serious problems, we're going.

Well, we never went camping this past weekend.  I had foot surgery the day before and thought that it would be ok for camping the next day (doc said I could do whatever I wanted the next day).  But my feet were too sore for camping. Maybe in two weeks we will try again.  However, we will be taking the Treg rather than the bus.

Power loss investigation

10-24-09

For that past couple of years, I have been chasing a problem with my motor. My motor would run on three cylinders (at least it seemed like it) if I took the motor past 4000 rpms, especially in 3rd gear. I have changed everything from plugs, wires, rotor, cap and coil. Nothing would make it go away. I even changed distributors. I also cleaned and rechecked the carbs. Nothing would fix this problem. Finally, I was reading were you need to sand down the base of the rotor when using a pertronix ignition unit. I had never done this. I had pertronix units on both distributors that I used to try and fix this. I sanded down the rotor on the current distributor and now the problem seems to have gone away. I can not make happen now. I could put another rotor in and make come and go probably but it seems that may not be necessary as it is not happening now. So I learned something new and will not make this mistake again.

11-16-09

It did not take long for the problem to come back.  So I tried more adjustments and investigation.

I adjusted my carb floats from 5mm/12mm to 6mm/13mm. I also did find a piece of o-ring in the main jet stack for the 1/2 side. This seems to have killed my 2 year old gremlin. I will be continuing to drive the bus to make sure that the gremlin is dead. I may be able to concentrate on something else for a change on the bus.

11-19-09

The gremlin is still alive. I seemed to have affected it with the carb float adjustments. I will be taking the floats out on Friday and weighing them to see if they are starting to soak with gas and getting heavier. There is a weight spec on the side of the float. If I find that they are heavy, I will lower the float from 6mm to 7mm to try and compensate for the heavier float until I get new ones. Hopefully this is on the right track.

11-25-09

 It seems that I am not getting any where with this fix.  I sent an email to aircooled.net and asked the question of how to get at my gremlin that affects my bus. They responded to my pretty detailed question with that they think my gas tank has an obstruction or something. So I will be draining my tank next to see what comes out of it. This is about the only thing that I have not done so far.

12-5-09

I made sure that the tank outlet was flowing with no obstructions and still the gremlin exists. So I may switch my carbs back to my kadrons that I once had on the motor. They will need to be cleaned. Also one of the manifolds has a broken mounting tab. I will have to buy new manifolds and open them up to match the head intake runners. I will also have to modify the vacuum system for the power assist brake vacuum line that gets its vacuum from the intake manifolds. I had modified this from the kadron set up to the dell set up. So all of this will take me a couple of weeks to accomplish. I will be starting this weekend by removing the motor and ordering new manifolds. That's all for now.

1-31-10

I have now swapped from the dells to the kads.  It took a lot of work but it is done now.  I am still having some tuning and linkage issues.  However, it seems that changing out the carbs did the trick for eliminating my gremlin that was a loss of power when I hit high rpms.  Here is what I did to get the carbs installed.

I had to remove the old carbs, fanshroud, thermostat, cc breather and a few other things.

I then had to install a different fan shroud because the manifolds that I bought were shorter and did not clear my original shroud.  This shroud I had already but it is for fuel injection and did not have the hole in the correct location for the accelerator cable.  So I had to drill one.  I also had to clearance this shroud with a hammer for the carbs.

Here is the shroud installed.

Here is the coil installed in a different position than my original.

Here my cc breather is now installed and also you can see where I installed a new holley pressure regulator.

Here are the kads before installing.  New manifolds with the balance tube fittings.

Now the carbs are installed.

This linkage (Scat) is a good one.  However, it takes a bit to get it right.  It also has clearance issues with my breather hose you can see.

Much better linkage ends compared to the original kad linkage.  Much more adjustable.

Here is showing new copper nuts (12mm) I am using on the manifolds for more socket room.  These are self locking nuts.