VW Rabbit Diesel

[rickilou]

I found a VW rabbit '82 (140K) that has sat for the last ten years. I know VWs well, but not as familiar with diesels. Can you tell me about any concerns you might have in getting this car to run sufficiently? Also, how many miles can I get out of the diesel engine until I need a rebuild?

[againdays]

Originally Posted by rickilou

I found a VW rabbit '82 (140K) that has sat for the last ten years. I know VWs well, but not as familiar with diesels. Can you tell me about any concerns you might have in getting this car to run sufficiently? Also, how many miles can I get out of the diesel engine until I need a rebuild?

Depending on how it was stored id check for integrity of the frame ,fuel lines,brake lines and brakes. Drop me an email i might be interested in it myself if only for parts.

[zagrot]

my first concern would be why the car was parked origionaly. in rare cases it is because the owner bought a better car, but more often than not that is a sign of past trouble.

lots of people report over 150,000 miles (and a few in excess of 300,000 mi., it seems that the chassis fall apart rather than engines fail) on their engines lifespan with the engine still running fine, expect that or more for a rebuilt and well maintained engine. start by replaceing all of the belts, hoses, fluids, and filters (though you may find the hoses and accessory drive belts are in good enough condition to run a while). syphon the fuel tank and add a partial tank of fresh diesel then change the fuel filter after it has run for a while, that should catch any debris that may be in the fuel lines. one concern is that the iron parts inside the engine may have rusted, if the engine still turns over i'd change the oil and filter, remove the valve cover and dump the last quart over the cam shaft, prime the oil pump and see if it starts, then you can go about replacing high priority parts from there (anything that is obviously broken or questionable: motor mounts, thermostat, coolant cap, ect...). the timing belt and idler would be the first thing on my hit list if the plan were to drive it immediately, failures here will usually send these cars to the junkyard, these are interference engines. after that i'd change the oil again after one or two hundred miles to rid the engine of all of the junk that shook loose. if after seeing the engine run your intent is to drive it asap allow me to offer a bit of advice: bite the bullet and replace all of the leaking seals and gaskets that you can access, once it is your daily car the opportunity is fleeting.

the early vw diesels are simple to rebuild (except for the cash part) and maintain. except for the glow plug system and fuel shutoff relay signal, everything nessecary to make the engine run is straight mechanical, either it is right or not. if you intend to do all of your own maintenance, plan to acquire a few diesel specific tools, in the long run the initial outlay of cash will make the car much easier to live with. if you do not want to hassle with schedualed maintenance find the nearest mechanic that can tell you the most about the maintenance procedures without staring at the engine forever (read up first so you can spot a smooth talker), a lot of people regard the diesel engine as a voodoo box; you don't want your mechanic to be one of them.

the engine is easy, the body is usually a whole different ball game.