Anyone have (had) a n/a VW diesel or Isuzu diesel Chevy Luv?

[cscmc1]

I just bought an 86 VW Golf diesel (normally aspirated) sight-unseen (my brother checked it out for me). Anyone have any insight into or experience with these?

Also going to look at an 81 Chevy Luv with the Isuzu diesel engine after work. It's got lots of surface rust, and 2 small spots of rust-through on the pass. side. $500, runs great. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Chris

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by cscmc1

I just bought an 86 VW Golf diesel (normally aspirated) sight-unseen (my brother checked it out for me). Anyone have any insight into or experience with these?

Also going to look at an 81 Chevy Luv with the Isuzu diesel engine after work. It's got lots of surface rust, and 2 small spots of rust-through on the pass. side. $500, runs great. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Chris

Change the timing belt and water pump before you do anything else......you don't know how old it is and how long its een on the car...a belt breaking has trashed more engines than anything else. On the VW....

The Chevy luv I can't help with. But have heard they are long lived also.

[TX76513]

I have ZERO knowledge of V dubs. But have had many Izuzu's - Pup's, Troopers, I-Marks. Very fine diesels. Body parts are not expensive however Frame members are expensive and getting difficult to find. Look the frame over carefully. If you can peer into the maintenace side the timming belts are extremely important (yes they are belts)

[cscmc1]

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

Change the timing belt and water pump before you do anything else......you don't know how old it is and how long its een on the car...a belt breaking has trashed more engines than anything else.

Ah yes, forgot to mention that the belt is new(ish). The engine was rebuilt about 4 or 5 years ago and never run. The belt was new at that time, so I will, of course, inspect it for dry rot and replace if need-be. Head was pressure tested as goo, new bearings/rings/etc... were installed. My brother works with the guy who has it, and says the guy is a top-notch weekend wrencher. His wife just wants it gone, so I am getting it for $160.

[cscmc1]

Originally Posted by TX76513

I have ZERO knowledge of V dubs. But have had many Izuzu's - Pup's, Troopers, I-Marks. Very fine diesels. Body parts are not expensive however Frame members are expensive and getting difficult to find. Look the frame over carefully. If you can peer into the maintenace side the timming belts are extremely important (yes they are belts)

Thank you!!! I'm going to look tonight. Has ~150K (odo stopped at 120K). Is the valve adjustment easy on these?

Thanks again...

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by cscmc1

Ah yes, forgot to mention that the belt is new(ish). The engine was rebuilt about 4 or 5 years ago and never run. The belt was new at that time, so I will, of course, inspect it for dry rot and replace if need-be. Head was pressure tested as goo, new bearings/rings/etc... were installed. My brother works with the guy who has it, and says the guy is a top-notch weekend wrencher. His wife just wants it gone, so I am getting it for $160.

I would replace the belt on principle at that age.....if it breaks your engine is rendered junk, from my understanding the belt, the injector pump and head gaskets are its weekness...but the pump is better than many so its a realative thing. But its an engine you can put a LOT of miles on.....as long as you keep the timing belt thing in mind.

[TX76513]

Originally Posted by cscmc1

Thank you!!! I'm going to look tonight. Has ~150K (odo stopped at 120K). Is the valve adjustment easy on these?

Thanks again...

Very Simplistic -

[cscmc1]

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

I would replace the belt on principle at that age.....if it breaks your engine is rendered junk, from my understanding the belt, the injector pump and head gaskets are its weekness...but the pump is better than many so its a realative thing.

I prolly will... they're like $13, and the injection pump timing needs set anyway. Good idea...

[cscmc1]

Originally Posted by TX76513

Very Simplistic -

That's what I wanted to hear! Pop the valve cover off, wrench for 15 minutes, and voila!

Thanks!

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by cscmc1

I prolly will... they're like $13, and the injection pump timing needs set anyway. Good idea...

THere are people did over 400K on those......gutless wonders but they last almost forever.

Thats what I gather from VW forums a few years back...not Ebay claims.

[cscmc1]

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

THere are people did over 400K on those......gutless wonders but they last almost forever.

Thats what I gather from VW forums a few years back...not Ebay claims.

I hear the same thing. It'll make for an interesting WVO project too, if I decide to try that route. Everything but the filtering/prep process of the WVO is appealing to me. I wonder how much of a pain in the ass it really is? The Luv diesel would make the perfect WVO-fetching vehicle. I could get a drum and load it in the back, then hit the local restaurants for "fuel."

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by cscmc1

I hear the same thing. It'll make for an interesting WVO project too, if I decide to try that route. Everything but the filtering/prep process of the WVO is appealing to me. I wonder how much of a pain in the ass it really is? The Luv diesel would make the perfect WVO-fetching vehicle. I could get a drum and load it in the back, then hit the local restaurants for "fuel."

I am getting close to starting to do Biodiesel...the type of driving I do is not the best for WVO....

[cscmc1]

Originally Posted by boneheaddoctor

I am getting close to starting to do Biodiesel...the type of driving I do is not the best for WVO....

Biodiesel is still refined, no? I need to visit some WVO vs. BD sites and read more about this. I know I can buy BD in the midwest and support the local soybean farmers.

[boneheaddoctor]

Originally Posted by cscmc1

Biodiesel is still refined, no? I need to visit some WVO vs. BD sites and read more about this. I know I can buy BD in the midwest and support the local soybean farmers.

Over on the Diesel forum there is a sticky with a lot of links for both Biodiesel adn WVO. YOu can do biodiesel at home, unless you live in a condo. I buy B20 (20% biodiesel) at the Navy exchange near the Pentagon....its $2.35 a gallon....both my Benzes run on that...Untill I make my own B100

Biodiesel and WVO - SVO links thread.

[cscmc1]

Well, I drove the pickup tonight. It starts great, but is very sluggish to get going and on level ground was lucky to get to 65mph. The fuel filter is new; could the valves just need adjusted, or the pump timing reset? I am leary of pouring much $ into this thing... I would like to know that it will eventually go 65-70mph when asked to so I can use it for my 2-hour drive down to Air National Guard duty once a month if need-be. I often take home projects in for guys there to work on for me. (The guy over in the parachute shop does AWESOME upholstry work for peanuts!)

Anyway, I'd love to buy the thing (it's $500; I may wait to see if I can get it for $400 or so), but the speed has me concerned. What should one of these do (2.2L diesel), top-end? 70mph? 75mph? Odometer stopped at 108K, owner (it's been in the family for most all its life) says he suspects at least 150K or so actual, much of which was tow-behind. His dad farms and towed it behind his tractor to his remote fields so he could drive home and leave the tractor there.


Thanks for any advice!!!