Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

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Callum229
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Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by Callum229 »

Hi guys

I have an oil leak on the back of my engine.

I just found the source of it. It seems like the tandem Pump is leaking, but not on where the pump and block meets up but rather on the pump's vacuum line on the back of the engine that goes into the pump. It's saturated with oil.

Can anyone with a 1.9 TDI let me know if they had this issue before and how they solved it?

Does the vacuum line from the pump have to have oil in it? Maybe my vacuum line plug is leaking?

Has anyone done a rebuild kit on these pumps? A new pump is very expensive and do you guys know of anyone that repairs them or has the kit?



Last edited by Callum229 on Sat Jan 30, 2021 7:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
2007 VW Jetta MK5 1.9 TDI DSG,

Mods: Simple EGR delete, LED interior set up, LED rear footwell lights, LED Puddle lamps, LED Doorhandle illumination, LED License plate lights, LED Boot lighting.

2007 VW Golf 5 1.9 TDI DSG, no mods.

2007 VW Transporter 2.5 TDI 4motion, no mods.
Callum229
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Posts: 251
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Car Make: VW
Car Model: Jetta MK5 TDI DSG Highline
Location: Durban
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Re: Tandem Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by Callum229 »

Hi guys

So I found the leak.

I looked up what the tandem Pump looks disassembled and I saw that the vacuum pump does indeed have a coating of oil inside the pump. Now my pump was leaking out of the vacuum hole, but I couldn't understand it because the vacuum line to that hole had no trace of oil.

I disassembled all the vacuum parts and noticed that the nipple that sticks out is a plastic part and you can move it back and front as it has some play.

It has two clips, one on either side, not sure how LUK wanted me to unclip the other side of the nipple as the tappet cover is right there. With a bent screw and vice grips, I eventually popped it out.

This nipple is a one way valve, allowing air to be sucked in, creating vacuum but not pushed out, however you will see that it has an O ring.

This is the source of my leak. The whole inside and o ring was soaked in oil. The nipple also has some play of about 2mm back and front, so eventually it wore the O ring down.

It looked like a special o ring as it was flat shaped and orange.

Couldn't find another like it, so I removed the O ring, cleaned the valve, o ring and the tandem pump vacuum port with brake parts cleaner.

I then put Victor reinz gasket maker on the O ring slot, then put the O ring over it, then another thin coating on top of it and around the whole valve, being careful not to put any on the front surface where the check valve is.

I pushed the valve in, and let the gasket maker set for 24 hours. Remember you don't want to start the car at all as the gasket maker might still be wet and you might suck it in the tandem pump.

So far so good, no more oil leaking.

I'm finally oil leak free!ImageImageImageImageImageImage
Last edited by Callum229 on Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
2007 VW Jetta MK5 1.9 TDI DSG,

Mods: Simple EGR delete, LED interior set up, LED rear footwell lights, LED Puddle lamps, LED Doorhandle illumination, LED License plate lights, LED Boot lighting.

2007 VW Golf 5 1.9 TDI DSG, no mods.

2007 VW Transporter 2.5 TDI 4motion, no mods.
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Re: Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by VGTI »

I had an oi leak in that region but asked Panic to replace it for me. Got a Borsehung pump for around R3600... not too steep.
'04 Polo TDI 1661.9 km on 58.05l
'13 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 Elite
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Re: Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by amstel18 »

Congrats, you've solved the leak, and made life impossible for the next guy that needs to fix it
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Callum229
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Re: Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by Callum229 »

@VGTI Yep, got the quote for that, wasn't sure of the quality as I wanted the LUK pump.

Hows it so far?

Keeping the car for long so I would eventually end up replace the pump.

@amstel18 No one sells the spares for the pump (the O ring and the check valve) that I could find.

So any normal person would just replace the whole pump, and I am keeping the car, I would just replace the pump next (R3700 pump from Goldwagen and R100 gasket), but my R20 fix should work fine until the whole pump fails rather then just an O ring.
2007 VW Jetta MK5 1.9 TDI DSG,

Mods: Simple EGR delete, LED interior set up, LED rear footwell lights, LED Puddle lamps, LED Doorhandle illumination, LED License plate lights, LED Boot lighting.

2007 VW Golf 5 1.9 TDI DSG, no mods.

2007 VW Transporter 2.5 TDI 4motion, no mods.
VGTI
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Posts: 3637
Registered for: 18 years 7 months
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Location: Diep innie bos...

Re: Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by VGTI »

Callum229 wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:21 pm @VGTI Yep, got the quote for that, wasn't sure of the quality as I wanted the LUK pump.

Hows it so far?

Keeping the car for long so I would eventually end up replace the pump.

Pump is running just fine... not that the car does much, I work from home with the pandemic and my bicycle works more than my car.

I think it has done around 15000km since though. Just remember that when you do replace the Tandem pump it requires very low torque settings and the threads on the side of the head strips easily.

It's the same with me, service record stopped at 90000km and people say it will affect your resale value and this that and the next... this car will stay with me forever and is now on 408000km with a new set of shocks and tyres. Costs me absolutely nothing to run.

I mean the current set of rear disks and pads have done 213000km

I just need to make an appointment with the roofliner soon :grin:
'04 Polo TDI 1661.9 km on 58.05l
'13 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 Elite
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Re: Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by VGTI »

The Borsehung pump seems to have a better setup at that specific pipe... see belowImage
'04 Polo TDI 1661.9 km on 58.05l
'13 Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2 Elite
Callum229
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Posts: 251
Registered for: 4 years 1 month
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Car Model: Jetta MK5 TDI DSG Highline
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Re: Tandem Vacuum Pump Leak, 1.9 TDI

Post by Callum229 »

Thanks @VGTI , another reason why I would keep mines for a very very long time.

Yep 20NM on top and 10NM at the bottom, I replaced the gasket about 4 times because of that oil leak, I eventually got tired and looked elsewhere and found the cause.

408000KM! Ah I am nowhere close to that, I only have 200 000Kms on the clock. Safe to say I can keep the car for a very very long time and I am sure if I look after it, it will look after me.

And yes, the pump looks like it is much better designed. Having a fixed metal nipple with a thread rather then a flimsy plastic one with an O ring.

Thanks for all the help, if it leaks again, I will just buy another pump, tired of fighting this one.
2007 VW Jetta MK5 1.9 TDI DSG,

Mods: Simple EGR delete, LED interior set up, LED rear footwell lights, LED Puddle lamps, LED Doorhandle illumination, LED License plate lights, LED Boot lighting.

2007 VW Golf 5 1.9 TDI DSG, no mods.

2007 VW Transporter 2.5 TDI 4motion, no mods.
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