Just bought a Rabbit Diesel (1 Viewer)

[freebie]

It's an 84, not bad shape has an 81 engine in it, needs some work but it will be a beater for now. Going to use it for the winter and get some projects done on my BJ42! I don't know much about Volks cars, but I have a sevice manual and some freinds with various volks diesels.
Any other diesel rabbit owners on mud and if so any suggestions or comments. BTW I do need a few odds and ends

Cheers

 

[cruiser88]

It's an 84, not bad shape has an 81 engine in it, needs some work but it will be a beater for now. Going to use it for the winter and get some projects done on my BJ42! I don't know much about Volks cars, but I have a sevice manual and some freinds with various volks diesels.
Any other diesel rabbit owners on mud and if so any suggestions or comments. BTW I do need a few odds and ends

Cheers

FJ40 Jim is a VW nut

 

[FL cruiser]

Years ago I had an 81 and then an 82. Still have a block, head, inj pump and maybe some other stuff under my workbench.
Very easy to work on. If you have to replace a timing belt, the manual shows a special tool that holds the injection pumps sprocket in place. I found that a 7/16 Craftsman socket works as well as the special tool.

 

[joshoisasleep]

If the rest of the car craps out you should totally put that engine in a samurai!

 

[freebie]

Hi FLcruiser
Yes easy to work on is right! spent a few hours this afternoon tinkering not bad to get at parts and real simple car in general. The p/o worked on the timing and it was off! I mangaed to slip the belt off the injector pump and move it one notch. The car runs much better now and I don't have to drive with the cold start out all the time (shaking my head) The funny thing about this diesel car is how fast it is! I have owned a few different diesel vehicles over the years and they all drive like tractors, this little car flies? and the service manual I have syas if its getting less then 44mpg, something is wrong with the engine LOL I have been told that I could get over 55 mpg normal driving?

Cheers

 

[sprocket3]

Hi FLcruiser
Yes easy to work on is right! spent a few hours this afternoon tinkering not bad to get at parts and real simple car in general. The p/o worked on the timing and it was off! I mangaed to slip the belt off the injector pump and move it one notch. The car runs much better now and I don't have to drive with the cold start out all the time (shaking my head) The funny thing about this diesel car is how fast it is! I have owned a few different diesel vehicles over the years and they all drive like tractors, this little car flies? and the service manual I have syas if its getting less then 44mpg, something is wrong with the engine LOL I have been told that I could get over 55 mpg normal driving?

Cheers

And the sad thing is that's about all a Prius gets after 20+ years of adding junk to cars that make them as heavy as they are now.

 

[ntsqd]

The cam stop plate for doing the timing belt is just a flat plate of a given thickness. You can easily use anything that will fit in the slot and shim it equally on both sides against the cam cover gasket surface.

There is a special tool made to hold a dial indicator for fine tuning the timing of the pump after the rough pump timing and cam timing has been set. I borrowed one of these and copied it, but honestly timing these engines like the old days of a points dizzy works the best. Loosen the pump bolts just enough to allow you to move the pump, start the already warm engine, and turn the pump to the highest idle speed. Turn off the engine & tighten the pump bolts.

Adding a weight to the fore/aft shift linkage rod (under the brake booster) makes the shifting makedly nicer. Neuspeed pioneered this mod and Roger Brown's (4crawler.com) other half of his page offers these as well as SRE shifter linkage and a shifter ratio quickener.
I'm finding parts place inc. to have a lot of the odd bits that I need at reasonable prices.

There's an old joke among us Toyota/VW owners that we wrench on Toyotas to wear out the even sized wrenches and on the VW's to wear out the odd sized wrenches.

 

[Makelo]

My dad is very fond of these vehicles, he had a "bottom of a pool blue” color 1984 Rabbit Diesel, drove it from L.A. to Reno at least 3 times with no issues, he sold it to his friend in Reno (his friend drove it from Reno to NYC twice!) The car still running around the east coast!!! My dad still regrets parting away from the Diesel Rabbit, after 24 years!

 

[freebie]

Thanks for the links and info ntsqd! seems like there were alot more diesel VW's in the US then there were Diesel Landcruisers?
Just waiting to fuel up again so I can check mileage, but it probably won't be great as the timing was really off?
and Makelo after just a few weeks of owning this car I'm starting to see why people love them?

Cheers

 

[ntsqd]

If yours has been sitting for a while don't be surprised if it takes a couple tanks for the mileage to really get to where it's supposed to be. My current one had been sitting for several years and it took 4 or 5 tanks to really starting putting down the mileage that it should do.

 

[2mbb]

You lucky stiff. I purchased an '84 new. Drove it for 250K miles with few problems and very little maintenance. When I gave it up the CA state gave me money to get it off the road. Because I was turning it into an auto recycling yard I assumed it would be parted out, though they told me they were obligated to crush it. Too bad.

I used to use these guys for parts and special tools: http://www.vwdieselparts.com/.

I've still got some stuff laying around. I'll send you a PM.

Enjoy!

 

[freebie]

Some mileage numbers;

First tank 47 MPG (Imp)
Second tank 50 MPG ( Imp)

The second tank included a 160 Km run @ 90-110 Km, if I just drive the under 90 roads and around town I should get my 55 MPG!! Those numbers also include various changes to the car, tires timing etc.

Cheers

 

[Toyo FJ40]

I got one a couple of years ago, an 81 that had been sitting in a barn since 91. Dropped a battery into it and it fired right up on 15 year old fuel. I had to put a head gasket and timing belt but other than that it was a great car. It was my son's car but my wife drove it so much because you could go 400 miles on 8 gals that she ended buying a TDI jetta. It had A/C which you would have to turn off to go up hills .

Kevin

 

[RockDoc]

An '80 just came up for sale down the road from me, in nice shape too. Too bad I don't have enough spare scratch lying around....