Monday
12Jun
Working on a Volkswagen: the Conclusion
June 12, 2006 at 08:18PM Well, it took longer, required more parts and money, and required more troubleshooting than expected, but Kieran’s ‘96 Volkswagen Golf is safely driving the streets of Whitehorse. Today we replaced the cooling fan switch, confirmed that the alternator is in good working order, and swapped the oil pressure sending unit (the oil pressure warning light was coming on sporadically).
A few more miles are needed before we know exactly how well this newer engine runs. In new computer controlled cars, the engine control computer needs time to adjust for the differences between the old and new engines before they will run their best. It seems to be running better by the minute, however, and is already more quiet and has more zip than it has had for some time. My initial impression of the new engine, now that I have driven the car, is that it has a lot of service left in it. Here’s hoping.
The final list of parts and materials:
Here is what the new engine looks like. Compare that with the old.
This is the sort of project that needs only a moderate amount of experience, lots of patience, some tenacity, and the right tools for the job. However, while you don’t need to be an expert to change an engine in a Volkswagen, I would suggest that you steer clear of this sort of project if you have little or no mechanical experience. Basic knowledge of how to work with heavy objects, how to use the appropriate tools, how an engine works, how to use a mulit-tester to diagnose electrical problems, and how to organise a job with numerous steps, are all essential to an engine swap on a relatively new car.
Given some experience and knowledge, however, it makes sense to do this sort of thing yourself unless you make a lot more money than I ever have. After all, we actually enjoyed this project and saved over $2000 for 3-4 days worth of work each. And just look at how happy Kieran is in his new smooth running car.
Technorati Tags: volkswagen, volkswagen golf, engine swap, mechanics
A few more miles are needed before we know exactly how well this newer engine runs. In new computer controlled cars, the engine control computer needs time to adjust for the differences between the old and new engines before they will run their best. It seems to be running better by the minute, however, and is already more quiet and has more zip than it has had for some time. My initial impression of the new engine, now that I have driven the car, is that it has a lot of service left in it. Here’s hoping.
The final list of parts and materials:
- engine with 10,000 km
- used distributor
- starter
- battery
- battery tie-down
- spark plugs
- cooling fan switch
- air filter
- oil filter
- antifreeze
- oil
- Snap-on 8mm triple-square driver
Here is what the new engine looks like. Compare that with the old.
This is the sort of project that needs only a moderate amount of experience, lots of patience, some tenacity, and the right tools for the job. However, while you don’t need to be an expert to change an engine in a Volkswagen, I would suggest that you steer clear of this sort of project if you have little or no mechanical experience. Basic knowledge of how to work with heavy objects, how to use the appropriate tools, how an engine works, how to use a mulit-tester to diagnose electrical problems, and how to organise a job with numerous steps, are all essential to an engine swap on a relatively new car.
Given some experience and knowledge, however, it makes sense to do this sort of thing yourself unless you make a lot more money than I ever have. After all, we actually enjoyed this project and saved over $2000 for 3-4 days worth of work each. And just look at how happy Kieran is in his new smooth running car.
Technorati Tags: volkswagen, volkswagen golf, engine swap, mechanics
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