"Clearance" meaning you can feel the rocker move with respects to the valves when you wiggle them along the axis of the valve stem. The straw is used to dectect TDC by holding it against the piston top as you rotate the engine by hand. When it stops, or pauses, axial movement you've reached the top of the piston travel. It's a little difficult with the plug hole location in a 1.7/1.8 cylinder head, but you need to determining TDC. Actually, thinking about it, you can use the TDC mark on the fan, as it's pinned to the crank. Too many water cooled 5 cylinder Audi engines floating through my mind! I suggest you adjust the valves, then check for TDC, then look at the clearance of the 2 valves on the cylinder to which the rotor points. Again, this assumes the distributor is installed correctly. Remember, one cylinder will have clearance on both rocker arms, the opposite one won't.

The Cap'n

You're way too late to this party Cap'n
The fat lady has already sung, lol.

She may have already sung, but I was invited this afternoon, so the problem obviously remains unsolved .......................... I do admit to not reading much of the previous 7 pages, however.

The Cap'n

Well I guess it is a party now that The Cap'n is here! I will keep reading and learn all I can.

Yes, I did it... I saw the Cap'n lurking some days back, but he never chimed in. and yes there are 7 pages of try, try again. He is the 1st to mention the pistons although I did try the straw trick some time back and he is correct, it is not easy.

I am just procrastinating about draining the oil and getting started. I mowed the grass and vacuumed the den, washed the dog, asked the Cap'n's opinion, you know, the regular stuff.

I did not make it down to see WFG and he has not called back. I am dropping this baby right now! WFG can help me put it back together!

2.5 hours and everything up top is loose. Exhaust is out, everthing below is loose.
1 problem. The cone set screw on the rear of the shift rod was tight. The allen wrench insert striped, then I broke an extractor off in the allen head. Wow. Done for now!

update
Holy Mackerel: I highly recommend that folks be aware that the conical set screws used on the shift shaft should NOT be over-tightened. And, best I could tell, the brand new ones that I just attempted to remove required a standard Allen wrench, not metric.

Long story short, I had to cut off the part Porsche calls a HEAD SHIFT ROD. It's on the rear of the shift rod and swivels to operate the shaft that enters the tranny. Very delicate operation.

The result is this engine is out, on the table and most of the accessories have been removed. I will have it open by Saturday and I hope to have an answer for the 40 PSI compression on all 4 cylinders.

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It required an sae hex wrench bcause it WAS overtightened.

The one on the other end came out and the SAE Allen was nice and snug. the metric wrench was loose. Maybe my inexpensive hex wrench set is not to specs.

I'll bet someone used Loctite. If it is too tight, add heat. It doesn't take a lot of heat to cause the Loctite to break down. It is best to use a new cone screw.

Running or not, that is a good looking engine.

How come the rear lights are on?

The front ones are on too.

Just kidding..... Must be the flash from the camera. Next time I'll use the RED EYE setting.

I am progressing along just fine. I have the case ready to split, but I need to get the pistons off. The clips I used for the pins are the spring type. How in the world do you get these things out?

I took the picture below when I was installing them. 2nd question, are these a 1 time use part...? I may find out that answer when I start digging them out.

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The wrist pins are held in with that? wild

I think spiral lock wrist pin retainers are more common than circlips, especially in american made engines.
I think they are also more common on race engines.

They are a PITA to install or remove on a Type 4 but are better at staying in place compared to wire retainers or circlips.

To answer Clark's question - they can be reused if not damaged during removal.

You learn something new everyday

Once I took a closer look at the pin keepers with a bright light, I figured it out...they screw in, they have to screw out.

On another note....Please don't EVERYONE agree, but, YES, I am an idiot. My cam was not 1 tooth off, it was 5.

At least I know.



The bad thing is I marked the dots with a sharpie, SO I WOULD NOT SCREW UP! Can I sue Sharpie?

Making me a Bloody Mary and fixing this damn!

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Great! So you'll have it all back together in the next 2 hours, so we can try starting it again?

Only if autozone sells oil pump gaskets. And a short list of other things I broke taking it apart.

"Autozone"? Surely you jest ......................

The Cap'n

Wow....5!! You did it up right on that one! At least you know now what's wrong!!

Wow that is impressive! Well at least you are moving forward.

I count 4 off not 5. Glad you found it Clark...you will never make that mistake again.

Darn it... they don't have it!

Yes it has been a while. Everyone knows it is much easier to take something apart than it is to put it back together. Anyway, I had to clean all the sealant off of everything, then re-apply. I would misplace parts and tools, then find them. I would watch parts of Jake's video, read thru the books, etc...

Big stuff going on at my paying job too. I'll post a picture in a minute.

Tonight I am re-routing the vacuum lines, etc.... So I am very close. I ran across something strange. I did not take the hoses off of the DECEL valve the 1st time around. But I did tonight to help route them. The PO had plugged the RED hose from the decel to the air intake. WHY would he have done that? Yes it probably fixed something, but what? What does the decel do?

As a pre-caution, I thought I would get just about everything back on the engine, then I would mount the tranny and the starter and check the compression before she goes in. Just use a spare battery to crank the starter motor. No plugs, injectors, or brain, just pistons making pressure. Anyone have thoughts on that? Good idea, bad idea, another way to do it? Chime in please.

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I think you got it this time, go ahead and re-install. I have faith this time

That is how I checked the compression on mine. I think that seeing some good compression numbers would make you feel pretty good about putting it back in.

Delete

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As promised, pictures from my paying job that has kept me busy and engine work secondary. But we are on the home stretch now.
6 40-ton HVAC units done last Saturday, one pictured. New Roof in process, 6 8-ton units to install next week and 6 70-ton units in a couple weeks after that. That is a 400 ton crane. Not cheap, but pretty cool to watch.

Follow up question to checking compression with the engine on a table....

Tranny connected so the starter can be. Spare battery to turn the starter, but what about the tranny. I don't remember if it was in neutral.

Is that an issue? No axles, no resistance to the starting rotation of the engine. Will this or could this hurt the tranny?

Just going to run the starter long enough to check the compression in each cylinder.

Should not be an issue if it is in gear. Mine was but it was easy enough to take it out by hand. I could not tell it made a difference either way.

Would you put the car in gear to do a compression test if the engine was in the car?

NO, But without the shifter, how do I know? Can I attach the starter without the transmission?

Hey anyone know why the PO would have plugged up a vacuum line? The large line from the DECEL valve that goes to the intake boot. picture on post 178.

You can find neutral very easy with the tranny out of the car.
Is it a side or tail? It feels about the same either way.
Pull forward or back on the lever till you find the half way point (there are three positions).
That should be neutral now the lever should go in & out easy from the R/1 side to 4/5.

You cannot attach the starter without the tranny.

Stu

OK 2 successes. 1. I was able to properly connect and use my remote starter switch. 1st time I got to try it.

2. I have more than 30 psi compression!
RESULTS: #1 and #3 were 90 #2 and #4 were 100.

I know that is much better but is it still low? I read some posts about 120 to 140. I installed Jake's web cam 9550 for FI and he mandated 8 CR or less. I came in under that IIRC 7.8-ish.

Does that sound reasonable? Brand new everything, KB pistons, AA cylinders, new rings, re-done heads with 2.0 porting???

You won't get very good compression on a dry engine that hasn't been run to seat the rings yet.
You're giving up some power at 7.8 but that's not important now.
The fact that they're equal and way more than 30 is good.
Install it and prep it for running!

I can probably live with less power. I wanted a daily driver to get good mileage.....

Happy Friday.

I started the engine

It will not stay running on it's own. And seems to smoke alot. I got a beer and thought I would sit in the car and hold the revs at 2000, but only lasted 2 minutes. I need to get a pipe for the exhaust and run it outside.

But what is going on with the idle?

After it starts it spits and sputters as I pump the gas pedal. Then it will "catch" and I can control the revs with the pedal. But as soon as I take my foot off it dies.

Clark

AFM connector plugged in?

Great news!

Do you have an oil pressure gauge on it?

Stu

Yes, But I don't remember checking it while the engine was running. It is the VDO set-up with a connection for the light and one for the gauge. I use the OEM light and it goes off.

I am going to use some piping to send the exhaust out of the garage in the morning. Then I can check a few things.

AFM, is that the air flow meter? The wide connector at end of the FI harness that attaches into the top of the box? Yes, it is connected, seems secure.

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I used starting fluid initially and got some ignition, then assembled the box with the filter on it, connected the plug.

The engine fires right up, but stutters and lightly back-fires for a bit, but I can kinda force it to rev and it will rev up and I can hold it at 2k, but no idling on its own. I opened the idle by-pass screw a bit but that did not help or hurt.

Do you still have that inline fuel pressure gauge installed? If so, what is it reading at the lower rpm's? Double check for vacuum leaks/disconnected hoses.

I did not see the gauge during starting, but I can check that. After I shut it off, I still have 30+ psi on that gauge.

The only hoses I know are not connected are the ones for the charcoal filter. You think I should mock that up an hook up everything?

I do not have the tank mounted on top of the gas tank. I wanted to see the flow of fuel so I removed it and never put it back.

And I hear what I think is the fuel pump. It makes a strange sound during all this.

Great to hear it ran! With the in and out of the engine I bet it is a connection issue. Is the smoke seem to be oil or does it smell like gas from running rich. I had something similar and the cold start valve was putting excess fuel in.

I am guessing, oil. Every other time I start it, it smokes up. not every time.

I really need to find me a helper. Since I have to force the idle with the pedal, I can do much investigating.

Any suggestions on what to use for an exhaust pipe? I was thinking about using that black landscaping pipe. But I am worried about it melting and fully closing up the connection point, since that pipe is 5 to 6" in dia and the car's tail pipe is more like 2".