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TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 11:26 am
by dhirennaidoo
Hi guys

Any opinions on mechanics in Durban that know their way around a TDi?

My 74kW had a snapped cambelt over a year ago and bent some valves. Took it to DubCorp to repair and it hasn't quite been 100% since. Won't cover the details, as this is not a rant thread but the point is that the car had been with DubCorp for months and the issue was never really solved so now I'm looking elsewhere.

I would like to at least get a compression test done and go from there.

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 2:44 pm
by Ashveer03
What difference are u experiencing after the work has been done?

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Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Thu May 03, 2018 4:55 pm
by kreevs_tsc
Hwzt

You can bring the car to us @TSC Garage
We can start of with a compression test as per your above request and take it from there and discuss whats not feeling right with the car.

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 7:49 am
by dhirennaidoo
Ashveer03 wrote:What difference are u experiencing after the work has been done?

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Engine runs, but there is little to no torque off idle. As in, I can't even get up my own driveway. Once the car is in boost it runs ok.

Have logged N75 behaviour, IQ, also checked timing via VCDS and havent seen anything out of the ordinary.



Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 7:51 am
by dhirennaidoo
kreevs_tsc wrote:Hwzt

You can bring the car to us @TSC Garage
We can start of with a compression test as per your above request and take it from there and discuss whats not feeling right with the car.
Cool, will give you guys a call.

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Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 1:05 pm
by Ashveer03
Was there piston to valve contact?

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Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 1:28 pm
by Beatle
Hi There is a guy by the name of Wensel @ Palm service station in DBN north.
he is excellent with all VW's

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 1:36 pm
by dhirennaidoo
Ashveer03 wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 1:05 pm Was there piston to valve contact?

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Yep. 2 valves bent.
Valves and seals were replaced by Dubcorp and I don't recall seeing any damage to the piston heads.

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 1:41 pm
by dhirennaidoo
Beatle wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 1:28 pm Hi There is a guy by the name of Wensel @ Palm service station in DBN north.
he is excellent with all VW's
Thanks. Will have a look

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 2:11 pm
by Ashveer03
Im sure they would have checked piston heights and flap while the head was off (i doubt there could have been any rod damage though - sometimes funny stuff happens in engines which are beyond explanation)

Any cam wear? 1 of my friends with a cupra had a similar issue to urs where the car struggles go up steep inclines without boost, after doing a cam kit and injector seals the car was back to normal again (the cam and lifters were eaten up quite abit).

I guess if the compression test doesnt go well have a look at the upper head stuff first..

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 8:28 pm
by panic-mechanic
possible that the wrong thickness head gasket was installed.

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 9:17 pm
by dhirennaidoo
Ashveer03 wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 2:11 pm Im sure they would have checked piston heights and flap while the head was off (i doubt there could have been any rod damage though - sometimes funny stuff happens in engines which are beyond explanation)

Any cam wear? 1 of my friends with a cupra had a similar issue to urs where the car struggles go up steep inclines without boost, after doing a cam kit and injector seals the car was back to normal again (the cam and lifters were eaten up quite abit).

I guess if the compression test doesnt go well have a look at the upper head stuff first..
By piston flap, do you mean lateral movement of the piston? Well, they did not mention anything regarding the cylinders. The engine has 260 000km on it, so did not think the general wear on it would be that bad.

I did have a look at the camshaft while they had the head off and it seemed fine. The chamfers were still there at the sides of the lobes, which I assume to be a good sign?

I hope it's not something as stupid as injector seals. That's why I want a compression test done, just to rule out things.

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 9:22 pm
by dhirennaidoo
panic-mechanic wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 8:28 pm possible that the wrong thickness head gasket was installed.
Sure hope not. I do remember Rob saying he ordered a "2-hole" gasket since he got someone to machine the bottom of the head slightly.
Do you think the new gasket is too thin or too thick?

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 9:24 pm
by Ashveer03
Probably too thick lowering compression abit

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Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 9:25 pm
by panic-mechanic
that

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 9:32 pm
by dhirennaidoo
Thanks for the input, guys. Any idea what compression readings I should be getting, besides that they should at least be uniform?

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Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Fri May 04, 2018 11:49 pm
by Ashveer03
Hot engine: minimum compression 19bar. Maximum difference between cylinders 5bar

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 8:09 am
by Deranged_9n3
I have a thicker headgasket in my car, 3notch instead of 2notch and I don’t have any issues besides a hard start when car is hot.

Does your car sometimes jerk while rolling into boost ?

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 12:20 pm
by dhirennaidoo
Deranged_9n3 wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 8:09 am I have a thicker headgasket in my car, 3notch instead of 2notch and I don’t have any issues besides a hard start when car is hot.

Does your car sometimes jerk while rolling into boost ?
No, no jerk, but boost is delayed. Not lag, more like boost threshold. Used to reach full boost around 1500-1750rpm. Now I only see full boost around 2000rpm.

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 12:37 pm
by dhirennaidoo
Ashveer03 wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 11:49 pm Hot engine: minimum compression 19bar. Maximum difference between cylinders 5bar
Shot! Do you have some sort of haynes manual?

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 12:53 pm
by Ashveer03
On the log that u have done of n75 does the car actual meet the required below 2000rpm?
dhirennaidoo wrote:
Deranged_9n3 wrote: Sat May 05, 2018 8:09 am I have a thicker headgasket in my car, 3notch instead of 2notch and I don’t have any issues besides a hard start when car is hot.

Does your car sometimes jerk while rolling into boost ?
No, no jerk, but boost is delayed. Not lag, more like boost threshold. Used to reach full boost around 1500-1750rpm. Now I only see full boost around 2000rpm.
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Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Sat May 05, 2018 12:54 pm
by Ashveer03
Yeah i have haynes, hit me up if u need any info

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Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Sun May 06, 2018 3:00 pm
by CoalWorld23
you can try Landon Auto in Glen Anil. Speak to Lionel. the guy was a mac the workshop foreman at hoopers for quite a long time. he specialises in vw stuff new and old

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 1:27 pm
by dhirennaidoo
Thanks for all the suggestions, guys.

I took the car to Wes @ EightySix Automotive and he has solved the issue. Turns out there were a few things that needed to be sorted out. Lifters, camshaft and a dodgy cambelt roller mount. The car is 100% now! I would never have checked lifters and camshaft as the problem suddenly appeared after the cambelt failure. Wes did a quick compression test and everything was within spec, so I left it with him for a bit and I'm glad I did.

What I can't understand is that the car didn't have this issue before the cambelt snapped, and I'm not sure what factory lifters look like on an ATD engine in terms of colour, but the lifters that came out were silver. Anyone know whether the ATD's came with INA-style black lifters?
No-one had touched my head before DubCorp, and Rob definitely charged me for lifters when he did the repair. Camshaft was also worn, but as I understand it, a PD camshaft that wears over time would display symptoms over time, not suddenly.

It's really sad that DubCorp seems to have all the support of everyone I've spoken to, but I have had the worst experience of my life there with the car sitting with them for months without being sorted out, having to return and ask for missing parts like a splash tray and engine cover and now, every car owner's nightmare, having to guess at what else is either missing or jippo'd on the car (mechanically). Couple that with a crack in the windscreen and a dent in the rear fender (that wasn't there when I sent the car in) and I really can't recommend them to anyone. Which is a shame, as Rob seems like a genuine oke.

Either way, EightySix seems to be the repair house I would trust with any diesel from now on. Wes is knowledgable on the TDi's, and has actually worked on my car before (there's a rave somewhere on this forum a few years back. I just, for some reason, thought he was no longer around).

Thanks to all again for the advice, and hope this thread helps someone else.

Re: TDi mechanic in Durban

Posted: Tue May 29, 2018 1:43 pm
by Ashveer03
dhirennaidoo wrote:
Ashveer03 wrote: Fri May 04, 2018 2:11 pm Im sure they would have checked piston heights and flap while the head was off (i doubt there could have been any rod damage though - sometimes funny stuff happens in engines which are beyond explanation)

Any cam wear? 1 of my friends with a cupra had a similar issue to urs where the car struggles go up steep inclines without boost, after doing a cam kit and injector seals the car was back to normal again (the cam and lifters were eaten up quite abit).

I guess if the compression test doesnt go well have a look at the upper head stuff first..
By piston flap, do you mean lateral movement of the piston? Well, they did not mention anything regarding the cylinders. The engine has 260 000km on it, so did not think the general wear on it would be that bad.

I did have a look at the camshaft while they had the head off and it seemed fine. The chamfers were still there at the sides of the lobes, which I assume to be a good sign?

I hope it's not something as stupid as injector seals. That's why I want a compression test done, just to rule out things.
Thought u had a look at the cam when it was stripped..?

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