Replace or repair

[JogiahMk4]

Hi guys I recently got my first car , a mk4 gti, 3 months later I hit a speedbump that was very poorly marked and the sump got damaged. I didn't realize the sump had been damaged until a few kms after when the oil light came on, at this point I was in a very dangerous area and could not stop ,plus it was peak traffic, I drove till the safest spot to stop but at this point the engine was already starting to sieze .I heard the characteristic sounds and felt the power loss . I'm wondering what can be done with it ? I know I'll have to do rings ,bearings, send the head to engineers ,along with the cams and crank . Will the turbo also need to be reconditioned? I didn't drive over 1.5k rpm but I know the turbo would've been oil starved . Would it be cheaper to go look for a second hand AGU or should I stick with this one ?also what else would I need to do if I am to keep this engine?

[PapaJo]

Likely full rebuild on motor. Crank and cam journals does not like running without oil, turbo might gave burnt shaft and bearing too. You would only know once you strip motor down.

Will be cheaper to get a replacement motor from the importers and fit that. Remember to do cambelt, aater pump and oil service on the replacement motor before installing (there goes another +_ 7k of your replacement budget).

Price replacement motor up vs repair of current motor including all required parts. If you are mechanically minded and do the work yourself, you could look at a figure around +_ 25-30k.

[Callum229]

Second hand engines, you don't know the history and how it was driven, so there is always a risk on how long it will last or what issues you will have down the line.

It also depends on who is doing the work, if you doing it yourself then it's cheaper then buying an engine, or if you have reputable mechanic that is doing it and his quote works out cheaper with parts then overhaul it is.

You need to take the block to the engineers as well to check that the cylinders don't have bad scoring and if everything is within spec and can be repaired.

Send your turbo for reconditioning and maybe a new shaft bearing just to be safe.

Either then that, you seem to be doing it right and you should have a newish, fully overhauled engine that is brand new that should last a very long time, so make sure you do keep the car.

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[missioner]

Both replies state if you can DIY it's cheaper. This is true.

This an advanced level job, so if you have years of mechanical experience and a fully stocked tool box and reasonably equipped workshop, then I would say, Go for it!

If none of the above, start shopping for a mechanic.

[JogiahMk4]

Second hand engines, you don't know the history and how it was driven, so there is always a risk on how long it will last or what issues you will have down the line.

It also depends on who is doing the work, if you doing it yourself then it's cheaper then buying an engine, or if you have reputable mechanic that is doing it and his quote works out cheaper with parts then overhaul it is.

You need to take the block to the engineers as well to check that the cylinders don't have bad scoring and if everything is within spec and can be repaired.





Send your turbo for reconditioning and maybe a new shaft bearing just to be safe.

Either then that, you seem to be doing it right and you should have a newish, fully overhauled engine that is brand new that should last a very long time, so make sure you do keep the car.

Sent from my Nokia 8 Sirocco using Tapatalk

My uncle and cousin will ,along with my help will be doing the repair so labor won't be too much . They've rebuilt countless engines before so this engine would be a cakewalk for them ,im just worried that the parts along with the engineering may be too expensive.


Will definitely send the turbo for reconditioning though


I hope the block is fine ,will open her up soon , can't afford a new engine . Really disappointed with the whole situation as she was a beauty to drive

[JogiahMk4]

Both replies state if you can DIY it's cheaper. This is true.

This an advanced level job, so if you have years of mechanical experience and a fully stocked tool box and reasonably equipped workshop, then I would say, Go for it!

If none of the above, start shopping for a mechanic.

I won't be doing it myself, my uncle and cousin have the tools and the years of experience needed for this job ,I know a little bit and will help but as you said this is a very advanced job . Was just wondering how much it'd cost in terms of engineering and parts compared to buying a second hand one

[Callum229]

That is even better then a mechanic, as family won't take any shortcuts and you know it is in good hands.

Much cheaper engineering and buying parts, plus you have the peace of mind knowing the engine is 100% sorted. My friend did his whole engine (CitiGolf 1.6) for around 8K with parts and engineers cost, he built the engine himself. So should be around that amount.

[JogiahMk4]

That is even better then a mechanic, as family won't take any shortcuts and you know it is in good hands.

Much cheaper engineering and buying parts, plus you have the peace of mind knowing the engine is 100% sorted. My friend did his whole engine (CitiGolf 1.6) for around 8K with parts and engineers cost, he built the engine himself. So should be around that amount.

That gives me alot of hope, I was told to sell the car as is by some other people as it will cost too much. I know fixing the agu will cost a bit more than a 1.6 coz it's a 20v head, beefier crank and the turbo recon will cost quite a but its feasible

[missioner]

1.8T will definitely be more expensive than a Citi engine to rebuild.

Quick break down to give you an idea ( guestimate prices)

Turbo R6000 for rebuild worst case
Engine parts R4500 to R8000 depending on what needs changing and where they come from. Prices vary between suppliers. So does quality.
Make sure there is a new oil pump on the list.
Fluids R 850
Engineering R8000 this also can vary as to what will need doing
While you are in there a clutch R2500.
Ave. Labour R5000 to R6000 at retail at a good workshop

Total +/- R30000

Compared to an import engine

Engine R18-22k (because Covid)
Cambelt and waterpump R2500
Clutch R2500
And probably a small turbo refresh R4500

Total +/- R33000 excluding labour, add R2500 for engine swap.

[JogiahMk4]

1.8T will definitely be more expensive than a Citi engine to rebuild.

Quick break down to give you an idea ( guestimate prices)

Turbo R6000 for rebuild worst case
Engine parts R4500 to R8000 depending on what needs changing and where they come from. Prices vary between suppliers. So does quality.
Make sure there is a new oil pump on the list.
Fluids R 850
Engineering R8000 this also can vary as to what will need doing
While you are in there a clutch R2500.
Ave. Labour R5000 to R6000 at retail at a good workshop

Total +/- R30000

Compared to an import engine

Engine R18-22k (because Covid)
Cambelt and waterpump R2500
Clutch R2500
And probably a small turbo refresh R4500

Total +/- R33000 excluding labour, add R2500 for engine swap.

Clutch is almost new ,don't think ill need to touch it and it won't be going into a shop. Don't plan on saving any expense when it comes to gaskets, rings or bearings so that may be costly . I think my local engineering company isn't too bad with their pricing though. The turbo rebuild will probably be my biggest cost .



Would it be preferable to do this engine ? Its sitting at around 200k but hadn't given me even the slightest issue prior to me being an idiot and running it without oil.

[missioner]

If you have the time to DIY and you have the experts to guide you (previous post) I say go for it. The engine is relatively simple, but does have a few tricks up it's sleeve. Find a resource to buy or borrow the few special tools needed to time the cams, this is about the most difficult part of the motor.

You will learn lots and appreciate your car more for the experience.

Gaining this type of knowledge will always benefit you in the future. You will also learn to care for your car better with a deeper understanding of how it works and what it takes to keep it working.

It's a win all the way.

One word of warning, be prepared for it to take time and money. These are inversely proportional to each other. Less of one means more of the other to get results.

Otherwise good luck

[JogiahMk4]

If you have the time to DIY and you have the experts to guide you (previous post) I say go for it. The engine is relatively simple, but does have a few tricks up it's sleeve. Find a resource to buy or borrow the few special tools needed to time the cams, this is about the most difficult part of the motor.

You will learn lots and appreciate your car more for the experience.

Gaining this type of knowledge will always benefit you in the future. You will also learn to care for your car better with a deeper understanding of how it works and what it takes to keep it working.

It's a win all the way.

One word of warning, be prepared for it to take time and money. These are inversely proportional to each other. Less of one means more of the other to get results.

Otherwise good luck

Update : the block held up surprisingly well all things considered , the piston rings were all left untouched . Luckily vw used some pretty beefy main bearings and big ends which ended up taking most of the damage and siezed the crank ,locking the engine . The crank was sent to the engineers where it had a 10 thou grind and the head was refurbished. The turbo was leaking badly, probably due to high mileage and had to be refurbished as well . Bought all the parts needed to rebuild the engine bar the sump, oil pump and water pump, plus a few odds and ends . Looking at a total of about 11k to 13k all in without labor but that won't be too much as my cousin and uncle were the ones doing the work. Things are looking good. Will update again when the car is running .

[amstel18]

That's great news.

If it was me, I would throw in a set of uprated rods if rebuilding a 20v with the idea of perhaps modding in the future.

[missioner]

That's great news.

If it was me, I would throw in a set of uprated rods if rebuilding a 20v with the idea of perhaps modding in the future.

This is not a totally rubbish idea.

There is a reasonable chance the sized conrod may have bent when it locked up. Resizing could also be needed so that the big end won't spin again.

Conrods are also known to be a weak part of the 20v 1.8T motors.

Even Chinese made budget rods will be a fair bit better than the stock ones, ie maxspeeding and similar. Certainly won't hurt to look into it.

[JogiahMk4]

That's great news.

If it was me, I would throw in a set of uprated rods if rebuilding a 20v with the idea of perhaps modding in the future.

This is not a totally rubbish idea.

There is a reasonable chance the sized conrod may have bent when it locked up. Resizing could also be needed so that the big end won't spin again.

Conrods are also known to be a weak part of the 20v 1.8T motors.

Even Chinese made budget rods will be a fair bit better than the stock ones, ie maxspeeding and similar. Certainly won't hurt to look into it.

The conrods are all fine though ,I've had them checked . I kind of blew through my budget as I didn't cheap bearings, rings or gasket sets. Went with mahle rings, king racing bearings, Victor reinz gaskets etc so I think the motor should be good to go now .also didn't expect the sump or oil pump from golfwagen to cost as much as it did .