I've been reading the info over on the bangernomics site about the problems with early Polo and Golf breather systems bangernomics.tripod.com/oilypolo.htm and unfortunately my 1990 1.3 litre Golf seems to be showing all the symptoms.
First of all just to clarify something from that article is an oil separator the same part as the crankcase breather or is it attached to it? I'm trying to figure it out but there's no reference to that in my Haynes manual.
Anyway, I've got traces of oil that have come up through the crankcase breather hose into the air filter and I also have black smoke coming from the exhaust. On the bangernomics site it's said to be a pig of a job to replace the crankcase breather so is this a job I should bring the car to a garage to do?
I'm a bit concerned at this point that the seals around the pistons might have had their day. Particularly bacause the car seems to lack power. It's hard to tell at this point as the exhaust is also blowing a bit and I need to do have a few other things like the carb and plugs looked at just to narrow it down.
|
This is crankcase compression, or in other words the engine is worn.
The cure is to have the engine re-bored (assuming the block will allow it) and fit over-sized pistons and rings. Then you'll have to re-grind the crankshaft too, and use over-sized main and big-end shells. You'd be wise to renew the oil pump while you're at it. This will run into several hundred smackers.
Or you could use an engine oil additive such as Wynns For Oil and live with it. I know what I would do in your case....
|
Or a change of engine for a good one from a breakers if you can get one for a reasonable price.
It all comes down to economics I suppose.
|
Oh no, I'm hoping it's not that bad as it was really just a bit of oil coming up through the filter and although I haven't driven it that much it doesn't seem to be losing too much oil. I assume it would be burning a lot of oil if it was getting past the pistons resulting in frequent topping up.
Anyway, is it worth me getting the crankcase breather done to stop the problem getting any worse?? And again is that a pig of a job only to be tried by a garage??
I still don't know if the oil seperater is the same part as the crankcase breather??
|
The banger economics link explains that some later cars have additional separator as well as the "push in" breather with a mesh gauze".
I did it on a polo about 3 years ago, fiddly and very limited access but not as difficult as R W description makes it sound. I did have the advantage of a pit however. There may be a posting on here about it with some tips.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=13323&...e
Found it lots of advice!
--
pmh (was peter)
|
Thanks for the link, Peter. Well I don't have access to a pit. I need to have a good look, but the Bangernomics site wasn't sure if they started having the additional separator after until 1990 which is the year of my car. I can only feel one unit from above anyway.
Looking at your thread about the Polo my Golf is nowhere near that stage yet so I can hopefully get there early before the engine gets bad.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, is it worth me getting the crankcase breather done to stop the problem getting any worse?? And again is that a pig of a job only to be tried by a garage?? I still don't know if the oil seperater is the same part as the crankcase breather??
If you think your engine is worn, it might be best to have a compression test conducted (as stated in the website). If this is showing excessively low results, I wouldn't bother with the breather system just yet, as the engine may need seeing to first.
But lets think on the lighter side of things. You say 'traces of oil' are found in the air filter housing. How much? Is it a liquid pool or just a coating of the usual congealed stuff? If its the latter, don't worry.
IIRC, those with the newer 'improved' crankcase breathers, have a small white canister incorporated into the system (see: www.polo-gt.co.uk/mechanical/gtconversion.html second image down, second pipe from the left). So this would be the second oil separator (as the first is within the dome attached to the engine block??.. I think).
I had my hoses changed by my VW specialist (and reading through the bangernomics sight, I?m glad I did) but I didn't have the dome shaped one on the engine block removed, literally just the pipe work and canister as far as I?m aware. Mine was done simply because the existing one was split, not blocked. It cost £12 for labour (at £24 an hour, so that?s 30 mins), £26 parts and £6.77 VAT.
Lets us know how you get on
|
Hi Roberson, that's right it's just a bit of oil that mostly seems to be dried up. I think I might have the additional white cannister in that case as that's the first thing I come to when I run my hand along tha crankcase breather pipe going from the air filter.
I think I'll need to get a few tests done because it seems to be missing which causes huffing and puffing at the exhaust pipe, my dad was talking about one of those tests where they wire the engine up and test the timing, air fuel mixture, plugs etc. I don't know what that test is called or if they test the compression as well, but that seems to be what I need.
|
Hi Roberson, that's right it's just a bit of oil that mostly seems to be dried up.
If this is the case franco, I would say you have nothing to worry about, as far as your breather system is concerned. I think all Polos and Golfs with the 1043-1272cc engines excrete a very small amount of oil into the air filter housing with time/miles. In my case, it?s just a light coating of congealed oil in a 1-2cm radius around the breather pipes? entrance into the filter housing. There is also a very light coating on the inside of the air filter housing lid too. Its quite dry to the touch and isn't getting any bigger. Its when the oil in the housing is 'fresh' and 'wet', is the time when you have real trouble. IIRC it collects in pools, eventually soaking into the filter paper/media.
>>I think I'll need to get a few tests done because it seems to be missing which causes >>huffing and puffing at the exhaust pipe, my dad was talking about one of those tests >>where they wire the engine up and test the timing, air fuel mixture, plugs etc.
Yeah, just a general tune up is probably all that?s needed and it should run as sweet as a nut, probably with an increase in MPG to suit. As GGH suggests, black smoke is usually poor combustion of fuel so a tune up sounds a good idea.
Wait and see what happens after the visit to the garage and let us know how it goes.
_______
BTW: I?m no expert or mechanic ;-)
|
|
|
|
It was generically called a Crypton tune,from the name of the equipment used.When I used to do mobile tuning I had an Allen Sequential Engine Analyser in the back of the van which did the same job.A compression test was the first thing done to see if the engine was in good condition for tuning.Such equipment probably does not see much use these days but I am sure some garages will still have it gathering dust somewhere.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As a general rule oil smoke is blue, a rich petrol mixture is black. With a engine that is fully warmed up if you get blue smoke whilst pulling away from being stationary, then it is due to worn valve guides and or their seals.Every Golf I have owned I have replaced the valve seals at around 150000 miles or 10 years.This can be done without removing the head.
Blue smoke whilst cruising down a motorway can be due to piston ring wear.
|
|
|
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/013b048f9480b6b77e5368736ed2221f/52fbadb46e7be36d8ff73dd117584bfa.jpg)
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/fallback/coming-soon.jpg)
_COLON_no_upscale()/cdn.uk.prod.group-mobility-trader.com/images/cas/aacdde55c2df200e97db7dae38e20ca0/d2a0b58fa0b3feadbaa734b675f5de26.jpg)
