S3 E3. Will this abandoned 1985 Volkswagen 1.6L diesel run and drive again?. Let's find out !

[@goarfjeld6933]

As someone who daily drives a 1986 Volkwagen Golf with the same engine, I totally approve of this project!

[@miguelgameiro8063]

Can relate they last forever

[@cebunting]

Same here, so you turn off the a/c on interstate on ramps too 😂

[@thanks3150]

I totally approve of this project too the turbo version is for efficiency, not for performance you can get 56 mpg on it the 3 cylinder skoda and VW blue motion gives 80 mpgs when you drive at 40 mph

[@davidcatlin1970]

I have this engine out of a Golf, on a 2000 Exmark Lazer Z w/60" deck. I replaced the .725L 26hp efi Kohler, that burned 1.25 gal/hr. The Volkswagen 1.6L is governed at 2300rpms is quieter, and by observing its performance next to a 22hp 60" ZT its putting out nearly twice the hp, and burns just about half the fuel per/hr! I need to get it running again and post a video of it. Built it before I knew what KZbin was....

[@joeofloath]

I have a 2002 Skoda with an engine based on the same design. 190,000 miles and it still drives great, runs on vegetable oil and goes pretty well with a turbo too!

[@TheLoxxxton]

I'm 50 and I only wish I had taken the time to learn and understand about engines and mechanics. Then I too could spend lots of time just dicking about with cars like this!!

[@lonelycubone8072]

Previous owner of that car here. I can give you some more information on that car if wanted

[@300DBenz]

That Liquimoly Diesel Purge DEFINITELY works, your Mercedes just wasn’t dirty enough to have a noticeable effect, same issue with this VW. I’ve run it through engines that turned the returning purge fluid black immediately and required several cans to clean out the fuel system.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thank you for sharing your experience with this stuff. I reckon its worth using.

[@gregcrabb3497]

I rebuilt a 1.6 VW diesel Rabbit nearly 30 years ago. Only paid $150 for the whole car as the engine was shot. But I brought it back to life. that's where my love for diesels began.

[@ocdman202]

JIMBO, CONGRATULATIONS ON 115K SUBSCRIBERS!!😊😊

[@SpecialFX99]

Thanks for showing us the condition of the car. I saw the thumbnail and was holding my breath hoping you weren't about to butcher a classic VW. Seeing what you showed I'm now glad to see at least the engine gets to live. I had an 82 rabbit convertible (with an engine swap!) and never should have let it go!

[@robotcantina8957]

I figured the VW crowd would get upset so I made sure they knew this car was beyond repair.

[@somethingelsehere8089]

I'm very impressed with your caution and approach on the timing belt. You have (perhaps unwittingly) created the best how-to guide possible for timing belt replacement.

[@Me-zo8yc]

I love the little tips and tricks. Using a drill to prime the fuel pump rather than pointlessly spinning the whole engine over and wearing the starter is genius.

[@davidparrish1133]

My first Diesel car rebuild was an '84 VW Quantum turbo diesel that had been sitting under an oak for 9 years. Love how Diesels get up and go after sitting for years. Looks like you don't need it, but I have a non turbo 1.6 injector pump and a few new injectors. Since then, I've rebuilt 2 Diesel VW Jettas with the 1.9L ALH engine and three with the 2.0L CJAA engine. Great cars to drive. My next project is to put a CJAA from a wrecked Jetta into a VW CC with a bad engine. Diesel CCs were available in Europe, but as far as I know, none were available in the U.S. Can't wait to see more on both of the Diesel projects. (I've also rebuilt a 3 cylinder Kubota and have parts to rebuild atleast another one.)

[@ProDigit80]

These are prime examples for a turbo or supercharger. With a little intercooler you can increase hp by 50% easily.

[@IlluminatedPolitics]

I work nearly 20 years on these VW engines and your style to prime the diesel system is very genius!!! I’ll do the same in future. You’re a very very good mechanic 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@junktionfet]

I always thought those original 1.5 and 1.6 liter diesel engines from VW sounded so happy. Glad to see this one getting some attention

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Even with four adult passengers?

[@jackgray1402]

I have an old 87 diesel Jetta that I've been using for parts. I'm not sure if the engine will run, but now I really want to try my hand at getting it running. Thanks for the entertaining content.

[@crazyirishman2456]

Great score on the VW 1.6. They are decent little motors. Another good one is the Mazda 2.0 w/5-speed manual. They came in a few mid 80’s Ford Escorts and Rangers and the Mercury Lynx. Me and some buddies had a few of them. Would run them on used motor oil, transmission fluid and fryer grease. Any who, don’t feel bad for scrapping the Rabbit, that shell was gone. Not to mention getting rid of the very real hazardous risk of Hantavirus. Good job Jimbo!

[@utuber478]

Another tone to consider is dohc zetec 2.0 with 5 speed. Non-interference, simple, pulls like tractor (

[@modelnutty6503]

shoehorned that Ford/Mazda 2.0 in place of the 1500 of my '79 GLC sport. it was a very quick little yellow-jacket.

[@MrPJunior12]

ea827, just like this deasel, you can combine parts of different ea827, ant make for example 2,04L petrol engine with diesel crank. USA has ABA engine, i got it the hard way, but it is perfect engine for projects. you can put a 16V head on it, diesel crank, and you basically have a racecar

[@bobalex6323]

Had one of these Mazda 2.0 Turbo Diesel engine in my 2001 Kia Sportage. They're prone to overheating due to relatively small radiator and small fan. Only had to change to an 1" wider fan (from a 2.8 Mitsubishi) never thought about this again.

[@patrickm3534]

my parents had a Mercury lynx diesel with that 2 liter. It was a really reliable car. 4 kids learned to drive and got their driver's license in that car. I remember that I didn't drive it too easy. I would redline every time while getting it up to speed. I remember getting mileage 40-45. My dad says he remembers 55 mpg . It was in the family for a really long time. My dad gave it away to a neighbor who drove it back and forth to college about 200 miles a day. A connecting rod finally broke on it and punched through the side of the block. Not sure of the exact mileage but I know it was over 300,000. I often wonder how long it would have gone If hadn't ragged the hell out of it.

[@heathfiedler]

Once you drop the diesel in the insight might as well just keep it in there and turbo charge it. You can always use that 670 on something else. Anyways im enjoying the projects!

[@eljaibas16]

You should try efficiency tests on different kind of fuels, like used (and filtered) veggie oil, new veggie oil, motor oil, hydrodiesel, biodiesel, kerosene. Anyway I'm stocked about this project.

[@johnhershey4010]

Good luck with that

[@enolastraight577]

You can also try ATF: make sure you centrifuge out the clutch material first...then, cut it with some gas to thin out the viscosity enough to flow through the injectors.

[@eljaibas16]

@@enolastraight577 damn, I wish I had an old diesel engine to play with

[@altinourstars696]

sometimes the newer diesel fuel tends to eat the seals on the injection pump head and the injection pump will loose some pressure, just something to keep in mind. I also hear that a lot of people have been running a small amount of 2 stroke oil mixed with the diesel to give it more lubricity and to stop the diesel from eating the older style seals in the fuel system

[@hewfil1]

For anyone wondering what those pieces of mud are along the timing belt. Yes, it is in fact mud. What those are is mud dauber (mud wasp) nests. Insanely common here in PA where I live. When a vehicle sits for awhile they tend to nest in the weirdest of places. I've found them on air cleaners, in carb barrels, and I've even found them beneath the rocker cover on a small block.

[@eriklarson9137]

Mud dauber nests are extremely distinctive. I saw zero on this car. Strike 1.

[@cncpaul]

Back in 1998 this was my 1st car. But 2 door. 85 was the 1st year of the golf name in North America(MK2). Before that they used rabbit. (MK1) Mine had a 5 speed. There also should be a handle to the left of the steering wheel to advance timing to help with cold starts. This needs to be pushed in when setting timing with a dial indicator. Can’t wait to see more.

[@johnvender]

That little diesel sounds great. Wonder how long before it gets a turbo :)

[@americansmark]

That clitter-clatter sound is so soothing. I wish modern diesels sounded like that.

[@dustcommander100]

Cool video! You'll find that there is a spring-loaded piston under the forward-facing cover at the bottom of the injection pump. Kind of a football-shaped cover with 2 screws, maybe partly under the corner of the bracket for the compressor. There is a vane-type transfer pump built into the injector pump housing, and it moves more fuel than is needed. The excess fuel builds pressure in the housing, and acts on that piston to rotate a part that changes the injection pump timing. The banjo bolt for the return line has a built-in orifice, and this allows the transfer pump to build the pressure in the housing (or at least mine did - but it did not have that hex-shaped extension that yours does). Anyways, if your banjo bolt has the tiny hole in it that mine had, you can drill the head of the bolt and tap into it to measure the pressure inside the pump housing - and this represents the timing change! You can change the hole size or use a bypass valve to reduce the pressure and retard the timing, or change the spring to advance the timing earlier. This is where my experimentation ended, as my car was completely totaled through no fault of mine. I am looking forward to what you do, and I'm sure you'll do a much better job than I would have. I can't wait!!

[@robotcantina8957]

Cool, thanks for sharing that. I copied you info into my notes and will do some experiments.

[@lanceyeakel7674]

weaker spring results in faster full timing advance. I believe the green painted one is one of the weakest, got mine out of a pump from an older 1.5 engine. it was a major major difference in pep once i did that change. i also added a chinese turbo that is supposed to be for a 2.0 kia diesel engine, and a tial wastegate set with 18psi spring. any more and head studs are strongly encouraged. other turbos will work but you want something with a relatively small turbine area ratio because its such a small engine, with cooler egt than a similar gasoline engine. also in regards to internal pump pressure for timing advance, there is a small plug with 2 flats next to the fuel inlet banjo. the center of that plug can be pushed in further to increase internal pressure . vw has a screw type tool that uses the cuts to hold onto while pressing in the center. a hammer and punch works but be gentle because if you overdo it youll need to pull it out to reset it.

[@billsmith5166]

I don't know if you noticed after the video, but the can that you thought said Diesel Purge actually said Diesel Prune. I was happy to see that you went with the Walmart battery that was a step above the Value Walmart battery. I also see that it didn't make it through to the end. Hopefully you were able to return it before the twenty-three day warranty was expired. Best wishes and thanks for the video!

[@buffuniballer]

I had an 81 I used as my commuter car back in the day. Acceleration was measured with a calendar. However, it was a great car to teach someone how to drive a stick.

[@BigBlueMotors]

You did good Jimbo to bring back life into a diesel engine. Lift pumps, even those cheap ones do wonders for diesels. From my experience, makes the engine run smoother and quieter. That engine was sure running smooth for sitting such a long time.

[@jameskrienert2137]

oh boy. bring back memories. I had a 1985 Jetta, turbo diesel w/5 speed manual trans. I loved that car, saddly in a tbone collision 2002. had on brothers farm after and motor still ran fine and trans still good. I think he scrapped the car. thanks for your video

[@Farm_fab]

That rear axle would be useful for a diy trailer, but it might be too late to retrieve that now. I built one from a Honda Civic of that era, and it worked well.

[@aureliomedina9767]

HELL YEAH!!!!! NEW VIDEOOOO!!!! In all my years of youtube watching, I've never had more anticipation for a video than those from your channel!!!! Good shit man, keep it up!

[@LeewardStudios]

Back from the day when a VW was easy to work on! Great project. Looking forward to the results.

[@kirkc9643]

Especially if you have a reciprocating saw 😛

[@eurodriven2507]

As someone with a 1982 VW, a 2011, a 2008, and many other models inbetween, they're all pretty easy to work on. Every so often, you'll need something like a triple square or e-torx socket, but they're not difficult. To be fair though, I haven't messed with any W8/W12 cars or a Touareg/Phaeton/whatever other "spicy" VW, but from my experience, they're all pretty straight forward.

[@paulnoneofyoir8506]

Hi , these engines run really well on on new veggie oil . People swear by used veggie oil being the next best thing to sliced bread , well you’ve seen that white fat mess in the pan after frying up a couple burgers , well that’s what happens to the injection pump if the used oil is not cleaned correctly . So I lived in Austria for 17 years and these 1600 diesel engines were in all my VW cars . All through summer I ran them on new veggie Oil . Veggie oil puts more out BTU’s than diesel so with the better bang leads to better fuel economy . The bad with veggie oil is the cold . Do not use it below 60 degrees . The Bosch pump can handle it but you can blow a seal . If you go to a system where you shut it down running on diesel and start on diesel with copper tube with coolant running through it inside the veggie oil tank to heat it up a bit first . Ya diesel was .97 cent a lt , veggie oil was .79 cent a liter . Well you can get a hold of me if you want more info . Facebook messenger is a good way . Paul Nolz

[@joeclutchless1944]

I had a 1980 Rabbit GTI 2 door. Great fun to drive and practical, you could remove the whole rear seat in one large assembly by releasing 2 pins. Electrical gremlins forced me to sell it. It was a common problem for the left corner of the windshield to leak water on the electrical junction box located on the firewall. In the rain the car would try to self start! I sold it to a mechanic who fixed it a got 300k kms on it.

[@robpeabo509]

The good thing about “The Plan” is it is your plan Jim, and you can do whatever you want in whatever order you like and we will watch anyway because you are the man with the plan 😂😂! I have found fuel additives work in both petrol & diesel engines and have no problem using them. One of the best petrol additives in my opinion is the Subaru branded fuel additive. Other OEM vehicle manufacturers service centres use it also. As far as diesel additives go, I prefer to use a product designed and manufactured by a local Australian family company Cost Effective Maintenance. It is brilliant stuff. The only oil additive I use is a flushing compound from the same company just before a service. I don’t use “glug” to reduce oil consumption or power steering seal rejuvenators, they make repairs a nightmare. In my younger day I did, especially when money was tight and I knew no better.

[@bardenegri21]

My dad used to drive a similar Volkswagen when I was a kid. Man that old diesel sound takes me back.

[@coachgeo]

Glad to see you took the hint on the TDI in an Incite swap. Am sure several threw that idea out at you as it had been done at lease once before. Appears it was a very successful swap, yet.. ol's saying of " trust but verify" fits here.. and your build of similar will help verify that one swap spoke of in the netispher was really successful.

[@MitchellPetersonJr]

I can confirm the diesel purge works. My commuter is a 2001 Jetta TDI. Last May I ran a can of diesel purge through my system before I serviced it. My fuel economy that next tank was 58.46 MPG, up from 51. MPG. That fuel economy didn't last forever, stating the condition of the pump and/or injectors with their high mileage. But the stuff works.

[@hieyeque1]

Thanks for dropping the gnome bit and the "BIG BLOCK!!!!" sounds - much more enjoyable to watch now. On the positive side, you create great content. . . . thanks for sharing.

[@Lut2K]

You're in for fun! 1982 vanagon 1.6 owner here, swapped an '86 td engine in, added a Saab intercooler and some boost. Am now wondering about a 2-way cat to get rid of the night time haze. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.

[@1MBStudios]

VW diesel guy here. The swap you showed on the insight that someone else does looks like the ALH engine, 1.9 turbo variable vane. Pretty much the holy grail of VW engines. I'm most shocked to see how the timing belt procedure is identical to my own ALH, don't change what's not broken I guess. Also my engine has 230,000 miles and the inside looks spotless like that. I've never really seen a diesel engine out of an automobile that is "dirty" under the valve cover. They seem to keep fairly clean.

[@davej652]

I'm glad I stumbled across this channel about a year ago. Such cool projects.

[@stajpi]

Here, in europe, 1.6d is like holy grail of engines. Nice catch. Now use that engine with cvt transmission and you have a winner

[@GoldenCroc]

Manual is much better if you ask me. Less parasitic loss. If he was building a drag racer then the CVT would be likely be the best choice.

[@stajpi]

@@GoldenCroc maybe you are right. but he would need to find a 5 gear transmision. maybe even 6. lower rpm, lower fuel consumption.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@stajpi Quite possible, I have no idea of the gearing of this 'box compared to the newer ones. I would think the 4th is still reasonably tall, but perhaps not. Maybe it uses some US-spec final drive that is lower?

[@scunnerdarkly4929]

Remember to remove the chrome trims from the door handles, IIRC they were only fitted to higher trim-spec GL models and they’re sought after. Even GTIs only had plastic inserts so pop them off if you’ve still got the shell and someone will buy them.

[@davidkettell5726]

I had one in red with a five speed and drove it 25 miles to work and back for three years . Heater was worthless if you went above third gear and fifth was only useful for going downhill but fuel economy was amazing . i sold it when the cost to repair the A/C was more than it was worth. I am pretty sure they were Japanese engines, Misubishi maybe ?

[@ipoopmuffins]

This is the kind of stuff I like to see. Saving perfectly serviceable engines from being scrap. Greener than a Tesla

[@mothmanohio8424]

Have I missed the actual video of putting the VW diesel into the insight? Seems like a great idea, Thanks for the cool vids.

[@robotcantina8957]

The VW engine was partially installed in the insight and we found that it would fit, however doing any modification on the engine would require the engine to be removed from the car. The extra time it would take in each video to remove the engine made us re-think this idea and we ended up not using the VW engine. We still have the engine and are waiting for another project to come along.

[@Mrbenjaboy3555]

I have a 1990 VW Fox with the 1.6 diesel and a 5-spd. Before i started replacing the floor pans over a year ago... i could get 36 city and 59 highway. They arent powerhouses but they sound beautiful wifh what they do.

[@righthoekstra]

One of my first cars had the later Turbo version and upgraded it with an oversized turbo and intercooler. The stock dieselpump could be upgraded easily. Love the project!

[@a3skywarrior929]

You chose wisely my friend! Knew a Marine that daily drove that car from Jersey to base in NY! He did it with waste jet fuel...prop fluid and a little diesel! Had a 77 gas Rabbit in Spain (from US) and wished I never sold it! Got it for free but needed the $700 for my young family. That Marine wouldn't sell me his 😔

[@ocdman202]

JIMBO, CONGRATULATIONS ON 115K SUBSCRIBERS!!😊😊

[@NeonDreams7]

I can't wait to see this project in the Honda! The internet got excited with plenty of articles about the HF 420CC motor in the Insight, I know they'll also go nuts about the HF 670 V-Twin! Thanks for sharing!

[@rjung_ch]

Hi Jimbo, love how quick an engine removal actually is. Will be back for Episode 4 for sure! Cheers and thanks.

[@lancelarsen1775]

I drove a 1.6 in a rabbit growing up. I’m in the process of putting a 1.6 back in a vanagon. Watching this I learned a big o pile of stuff.

[@johnnyzander1466]

I have worked a lot with these engines. Both 1.6 and 1.9 IDI. The most common problem with the pump on these is that the small pump wings inside 'gum up' when they have been standing for a long time. I have fixed several by mixing diesel and regular ATF oil. Start with the mixture and warm up, turn off and leave for half a day and then run through the rest. If you don't want to mess with this, the low-pressure electric pump is a good choice. These engines are also extremely easy to turbo convert.. 😁👍

[@TheBlaert]

These are great. My dad had a Mk1 Diesel with 400k miles on it. From memory (in Europe at least) there was a fault where the pump would jam open fully. Happened once when my brother was driving it. Filled the road with smoke and wouldn't stop. It was recalled by the dealer and repaired

[@kansasadventure1831]

Yes! This will be another great series!

[@ocdman202]

JIMBO, CONGRATULATIONS ON 115K SUBSCRIBERS!!😊😊

[@3216ben1]

Oh wow, that was unexpected. By the way, friend had a golf like that and made a really quick sleeper out of it, that engine has tons of potential, around tripling/quadrupling the power

[@nathanbearden836]

Please keep this channel going! Been enjoying all these videos and looking forward to the diesel in the insight and seeing an old vw used under the hood. I would like to see similar build swapping an old mechanical system in a 5 speed insight with all the hybrid pieces removed.

[@laserhawk64]

A simple explanation of what an interference engine is, is that the valves that let the air/fuel mixture (in a gas engine) or inlet air (in a diesel) into the engine and the exhaust out, are designed so that their movement overlaps with that of the piston underneath each set of valves -- so, if the timing belt (or, often, timing _chain_) is particularly awfully adjusted, snapped clean in half, or just plain missing, then as the engine tries to turn, the valves and the pistons make the attempt to occupy the same area of space. Because physics, this doesn't work out very well, and because the piston is a HECK of a lot larger and heavier than the valves, it kinda schoolyard bullies the valves away, and in the process of taking them for their lunch money and all they're worth, the valve stems -- the long, narrow 'stalk' bit of the valves that ride up and down on the cam rockers -- end up either badly bent or in multiple parts. Because of the speeds that the engine rotates at, the pistons usually also take a fairly pronounced beating from all of this... and the inevitable result is that you kind of wind up needing a whole new engine, because the finding out about the cost to rebuild something like that leads to you and your mechanic each doing to your respective pair of pants kind of what Jimbo was doing there with the hose and all just above the engine bay ;) it's not a pretty sight, all around.

[@Kowyn]

Those are great engines, friend of mine has a Komatsu mini hoe and when they wanted $12,000 for a new Yanmar, after the old one joined the space program he fit a 1.6L and had the pump tweaked, been like that for years and has more jam then it had stock. Seen more than a few in home built welders, gen sets and band saw mills.

[@brentsnocomgaming7813]

9:50 It is actually really satisfying to watch cleaning if it is speed up, look at the 8 bit guys restoration videos for a great example of this.

[@igor12345677]

I has a 1.9 TDI and it was very similar to this engine. When I had to fix a leak on the injector pump I was able to prime it by disconnecting the injector return line and apply suction to it without energizing the fuel shut off valve. I did have to turn on the ignition and crank the engine to prime the high pressure lines though.

[@daveunderwood6498]

I put the very same engine in a 1981 Jeep cj7. It worked great and got 42 mpg (imp.).

[@dadoVRC]

Good engine. If you want to, that VW is running fine on straigt vegetable oil. I ran a similar power plant (IDI engine with Bosch VE pump), for 9 years and over 170'000km.

[@robotcantina8957]

Thanks for the info!

[@dadoVRC]

@@robotcantina8957 You're welcome! Just a couple of modification are suggested, at least in cold climate. To start better the engine on vegetable oil, it is better to put on 4 different glow plugs. Take a look on the NGK catalogue (if you can't find it online feel free to ask, I can send you photos of the one I have at home), there are lots of glow plug with same body but different length of the heating element. In my case my car had 24mm element, I put on the engine 29mm ones from another engine and I had perfect cold starting even at -18°C. If I remember well, the VW 1.6 have 20 or 21mm lenght element. Just swap to the 24mm one and there you go, flawless cold starting. Remember that in those engine style glow plug doesn't shut off when their light does, they are on for a longer time, expecially in the Euro 1 and 2 engines, that help in reducing hydrocarbons emissions, but using oil that heat is useful to have a good ignition in the first minutes of running. Second mod is to connect a heat exchanger between the coolant and the fuel line, just before the fuel filter. They are cheap, you can find also them in scrapyards from furnace water heaters.

[@damanifesto]

I had a 1985 Jetta 1.6L diesel in college. Great car, 50mpg and ran great. I think I still have the repair manual in my library.

[@jonathancrotts2862]

These are a pretty common swap into the Suzuki Samurai, Sidekick, and Geo Tracker. With the Samurai gearing they will climb a wall no problem. It may not be a seat of the pants swap like you usually do, but it would be cool to see.

[@aygwm]

‘97 TDI here. It’s a great car and I’ll cherish it until it rusts into the earth. Which will likely be soon.

[@gafrers]

Great to see a Golf and another Diesel. Cannot wait to see the engine in the Insight

[@tonydoggett7627]

Put a intake throttle butterfly on the VW diesel as a emergency shutdown. Because they can run away on the oil blow-by mist. This happened to two friends that owned early golf diesels.

[@fbo_335i6]

Sad there was no "BIG BLOCK" sound!! I am excited for the new project and cant wait to see more! Keep up the good work!

[@taylorsutherland6973]

Fantastic video! I've owned and worked on many an 80s VW. And you are spot on, you can make all the tools you need, and there is very little plastic used on these simple SOHC engines. Gas and diesel are almost identical.

[@robotcantina8957]

Right on!

[@jamesd6801]

I’ve always run an electric, low pressure lift pump. It’s very common for these injector pumps to not have enough strength at this age to pull the fuel and pressurize the injectors.

[@TononiaWorld]

Hey Jimbo, I have a Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI in it the glow plugs get 12v for 10 seconds and after they get 6v until engine reaches operating temperature. I think this helps diesel combustion on low RPM and boost economy or torque.

[@graemediesel2936]

At first I was a little disappointed, because I was excited to see a turbo on the Kubota, but this is little VW engine promises to be a lot of fun. I personally would love to see the VW swapped into the Saturn wagon.

[@robotcantina8957]

The wagon is used almost daily, however I agree it really needs a diesel engine. Perhaps if I find a TDI engine that will happen..

[@krissfemmpaws1029]

You may find the Insight with the Rabbit diesel a hoot to use. A friend had the Rabbit diesel pickup and it was a hoot to run around in. The one thing my friend found was switched to headers helped that diesel breath.

[@JMassengill]

Enjoying your content. VW sometimes used plastic in dumb places on these engines. The oil dipstick tube and the clutch adjustment spring to mind (not to mention the plastic door handles that break when it gets really cold). Looks like bunches of fun.

[@robotcantina8957]

Yes, VW and plastic don't mix well. If they ever get a clue, they will start making decent cars again.

[@ocdman202]

@@robotcantina8957 JIMBO, CONGRATULATIONS ON 115K SUBSCRIBERS!!😊😊

[@BrianMartin2007]

Good German Engineering. I loved this video. Been following for a few years.. I'm not surprised that Diesel fired right up.. These videos are awesome!! Thank you!

[@sweetpigfarm3645]

I have daily drove a rabbit 1.5...yes the early diesel. 1.6 jetta and the tdi. Also lots of WVO vehicles. Keep these projects up!!!

[@802Garage]

Bizarre how rusty it is underneath given how nice the outer shell is. Good donor powerplant at least, like you said.

[@coollol5801]

we have a 1989 golf mk2 and my dad swapped in the 5th gear in it, good to see this golf getting its engine repurposed, good video👍👍

[@GenesisGameGenie]

Cool video! I daily a rabbit with a 1.8l gas version of that same engine, but with a 5 speed manual. It really does look identical to mine under the hood, other than the Diesel specific stuff. If my 1.8l ever dies, I would love to swap it with a newer TDI. Someone I know did this with a rabbit pickup.

[@jerbear7952]

I've loved my golfs. I am so excited by the stuff yo are working on. I'm currently working on bringing back a Mercedes 300d with 383k on it. It's worse for wear but I'm hoping to see what I can get it to do.

[@lukabogdanovich6986]

Kind of fun to watch somebody else work on a 1.6 Volkswagen engine I can do the timing myself probably blindfolded I’ve done it so many times I’ve got two rabbit pick ups and two cars cringed a little when I saw that you were going to work on one didn’t know for sure how much you knew about it you did a wonderful job couldn’t have been happier I really do love those engines the injector pumps are not my favorite but otherwise great little engines and relatively simple to work on with as you said hardly any plastic in sight. Great job keep up the good work looking forward to the next VW engine video

[@fampic7133]

Awsome! i love old VW engines sadly even here in Germany we dont see them that much anymore.

[@robotcantina8957]

Greetings from the US ! I was certainty lucky to get my hands on this semi vintage VW engine. These cars have also become rare over on this side of the pond.

[@Joel.Ravet88]

Amazing ideas and beautifully put together video showing the visions you have here, Jimbo. As someone who had a 1.6 IDI TD in a 92 Jetta, this is going to be awesome to watch! I recently picked up 2 2001 black TDI Golfs, 1 a wrecked parts car, and 1 a car that was given up on and left for the scrap yard, and that one left for scrap, is becoming my daily driver because life is too short to drive boring cars, a concept you're skillfully aware of. 👏👏👏

[@jfv65]

Sounds healthy, just like my Golf1 Diesel i used to own a loooooong time ago. About that Diesel purge. Whatever. That engine even runs on (used or new) sun flower cooking oil!

[@Rockport1911]

Of course it will run, dah :) Here in germany those 1.6 Diesel MK2 are mostly yellow because our postal service owned lots of these. They are quite rare now because nobody cared about them and a 1.9TDI is just god tier against it. Volkswagen made several naturally aspirated diesel engines after this 1.6 but again, Turbos make the world a better place :)

[@blubb7711]

The 1.9TDI has a adjustable cam gear, so you can adjust the timing when installing a new belt and it should be readjusted every 30.000km, because the timing belts do lenghten, as you have seen.

[@rankinewasyn5369]

I learned how to drive manual on a mid 80's VW non turbo diesel. Even though the motor had just over 50 hp I still had a blast wringing out every last hp from that car! Looking forward to seeing the diesel engine in the Insight!

[@chaseychaseum5366]

Imagine that car with 2 doors. We used them for MP patrol cars in Germany in the late 80's. Sad little rides.

[@andrewweltlich9065]

A new robot cantina video is a great way to start the day.

[@ex-engineer6657]

Hmmm, Millenium Falcon? "I don't think so, Jim". Nice reference though. No chops busting, just admiration. Keep up the good work.

[@TheCam2363]

Ahhh!! A mk2. Its a golf btw. 85 was the first year of the golf. Rabbits ended in 84 I love seeing people bring these old vws back. They all should to be saved if they aren't that far gone😂. Those diesels run forever. I recently brought back a 1.6td that sat for 17 years. Fired right up once it got fuel. The 1.6d in the Honda will be awesome! Can't wait to see it. Definitely one of my new favorite channels

[@goosenotmaverick1156]

Bout the only way to make a honda more reliable 😉🤣

[@TheCam2363]

@@goosenotmaverick1156 ain't that the truth😂 those diesels run on anything but gas

[@802Garage]

Great quick resto on this engine! Very unsurprised it runs, but very cool. Must have been nice to drive a car with car levels of power. ;)

[@chrisdrippe]

You sure make a bored cabinet maker in Belvue Kansas happy.... stop by sometime . I really enjoy your crazy show... for sure.

[@Deemon1]

Love VW old diesel engines, own VW Caravelle T3 (known as Vanagon in USA) with 1.9 naturally aspirated and VW Golf MK1, this tiny beast goes with 1.9 TDI )

[@Itsa_Mea]

I like where this is heading!

[@RadioReprised]

Looking at the door gaps I would say that frame is.......suspect!

[@nathanmartin5529]

You can prime the injection pump using a mighty vac on the return line fitting. I guess a transfer pump accomplishes the same thing but once the pump has prime it will pull fuel without the need for a transfer pump

[@geoffburrill9850]

Tough little beasts those diesels. It is wise changing the timing belt, borrowed the mother in law's old diesel for a few months and nobody told me the belt needed changing and sure enough the belt snapped and sheared off the end of the camshaft. Yep I was popular as had to scrap the car.

[@robotcantina8957]

That sucks, but now you know to check.

[@emaglott]

Great video! Keep it up! The only new car I ever bought was a 2002 vw tdi I drove to 280k miles. Nice. Look forward to where you go with these parts. Thanks for the videos and your channel.

[@jefferysmith3930]

Sweet running little diesel. You saved the only thing in that car worth having.

[@WFCinSC]

This brought back so many good memories... I drove a 1983 VW Rabbit diesel in college, boy I'm getting old :)