And this is dizzy end of engine. Caked. All down the side. 

There is a little around the plug openings, but not much. Won't be able to check crankcase today but i will asap.

I had this dizzy on my old breadvan. Had it refurbished and converted to electronic ignition. If the cam seal has gone and there's oil on any of that stuff, could that be why it won't even turn over?

will it turn with a spanner on the crank?

Haven't tried that yet. Any idea what size spanner i need for that? It's parked outside my work place so any tools i need to use, i need to take in.

https://nemigaparts.com/cat_spares/etka/volkswagen/po/9/004100/

says M14 part 7, which feels small to me....

 

I use a socket on a bar through access hole in offside wing with a ratchet drive. Have to turn steering wheel to right for best access to centre of crankshaft pulley.

15 hours ago, Eviljohn said:

the cam seal has gone and there's oil on any of that stuff, could that be why it won't even turn over?

Might be why it would not fire, but it is the starter motor that spins the flywheel and crank, and motion is transferred via cambelt to camshaft and distributor.

A bendix unit engages with teeth on outer edge of flywheel, and releases when engine fires.

Need about 180 to 300rpm to start.

 

15 hours ago, Eviljohn said:

This is plug #1, brand new set last week. 

Oil above the washer will have blown in from the dizzy o-ring leak. Looks fairly white, but not in focus.

 

The filler cap has a leak I reckon. Probably rocker cover gasket too. You can try  transferring just the seal from another (used) cap to have 2 thicknesses of rubber.

Edited 14 January, 20206 yr by dvderlm

8 hours ago, Eviljohn said:

Haven't tried that yet. Any idea what size spanner i need for that? It's parked outside my work place so any tools i need to use, i need to take in.

19mm needs to be a socket with a short extension bar on it 

Edited 14 January, 20206 yr by steveo3002

1 hour ago, dvderlm said:

Oil above the washer will have blown in from the dizzy o-ring leak. Looks fairly white, but not in focus.

 

The filler cap has a leak I reckon. Probably rocker cover gasket too. You can try  transferring just the seal from another (used) cap to have 2 thicknesses of rubber.

It is fairly white. The gunk is pretty much at the point where the plug is seated. Not really much where it sits inside the engine. 

 

48 minutes ago, steveo3002 said:

19mm needs to be a socket with a short extension bar on it 

Thanks for that. I have a very small window today where i may be able to do something with it. 

it wont have dumped 2ltrs out that oil cap mate ....yes theres a few minor leaks that need fixing but i dont see it being the big issue here 

 

plugs are oily from a external leak , i was expecting see the electrode part soaked in oil which its not 

 

do you own a compression tester?

6 hours ago, dvderlm said:

Oil above the washer will have blown in from the dizzy o-ring leak. Looks fairly white, but not in focus.

 

The filler cap has a leak I reckon. Probably rocker cover gasket too. You can try  transferring just the seal from another (used) cap to have 2 thicknesses of rubber.

It is fairly white. The gunk is pretty much at the point where the plug is seated. Not really much where it sits inside the engine. 

 

5 hours ago, steveo3002 said:

19mm needs to be a socket with a short extension bar on it 

Thanks for that. I have a very small window today where i may be able to do something with it. 

 

I agree that there is more than one leak. The cam cover gasket is most obvious but i think the oil that's come out between the head and the dizzy is probably worse.

I won't be able to get the car up to check the crankcase breather today. Looking at the air filter housing and exhaust, i don't expect to find much sign of leakage there, but will check just to rule it out. 

I don't have a compression tester. I had the compression tested during a tuning session after fitting a weber, about a year and a half ago, and was told it was good then... but that was a year and a half ago! Anything could have happened in that time. 

I did change the starter motor on my old breadvan, can't remember which end the connectors are. If it's dizzy end of engine, then oil will have gotten onto that lot for sure.

Okay. Got under the beast today. Checked terminals on the starter motor. They look okay to me. I mean, they're grubby but not oily. Just look like the rest of the engine that hasn't been caked in oil! 

Alternator has a fair bit of oil on it, as does the downpipe. That is caked. Back of the engine has a fair bit of oil too. 

Also took off the egr hose, not really much inside. The dome part of the crankcase breather is in place. But nothing between that and the egr hose. The hose wasn't even really secured. Just placed on the outlet from the dome section. 

Reconnected the battery, checked the lights to see if i had power, that seems good. Rocking nightbreakers and they seemed fine. Tried turning it over again and nothing. No noise from anywhere. No clicks, swishes, nothing. Just dead. Have checked earth cables, only two i can find are from driver side engine mount to chassis and from battery negative to chassis. No others that i can see. Haynes says i should have one from the gear box to chassis but i couldn't see one. Also remember having one on an old polo that went from cam cover to front of car. Don't have that on this one. 

Also brought 19mm socket with extension, turned the engine over fairly easily. Didn't feel loose to turn, but felt smooth. Didn't have to use a breaker, not lots of effort either.

Would the alternator have any effect on start up? 

no the alternator wont effect starting

 

do you have a multimeter ?   need to check if theres 12v on the main thick wire to the starter , and then on the slim wire while cranking

 

can also "hot wire" the thin wire to make it crank , by joining a wire directly to the battery /thin wire ....theres a joint /plug in this loom above the gearbox area near the inlet , check it hasnt come undone

Okay. Will try those next time i'm at the car. 

Also checked the fuses today, just for funzies. All fine and intact.

When i get to check the wire to the starter, do i check it at the battery end or the starter end? Or both? And what settings do i put the multi meter on? 

battery voltage needs to be present at the fatter cable on the starter at all times

 

battery voltage on the thin wire at the starter when the key is in the start position- or apply 12v to it to make it crank 

Okay. Thanks dude. Good chance i may not be able to check it for a day or maybe 2 but i will get that done. 

The Haynes says i should have an earth cable from gearbox to chassis. Where would that be? I couldn't see one when i checked earlier, but that could just be that i couldn't see it.

should be one from the coil to the gearbox mount

From one of the terminals on top of the coil or the mounting bracket?

mounting bracket or threaded hole in inner wing. It is heavy to carry quite a lot of current.

Would not want to damage the tiny coil blade terminal as it flexes.

coil bracket - gearbox mount 

 

tbh any metal part on the engine /box to the body will work , just make it short and not tangled around moving part 

Pretty sure there isn't one there so i should proby sort that. 

Do i need one from cam cover to front crossmember? Remember having one on my old breadvan but not on this one.

never seen one on the cam cover

 

if ever you have doubts about earths ...run one jump lead from the battery neg post to a metal part of the engine/box and try it again , this will provide an adequate earth to start the car

Edited 16 January, 20206 yr by steveo3002

Okay. I have that. Can do it. Thanks.

Okay. Took my multi meter in today. Reconnected the battery, checked that and got 12.2, kept the black pokey thing on the negative and touched it on the tip bolt on the starter. I got 12.2 om that too. 

When i disconnected the battery again. I heard clicking from the engine. Not sure where, as i wiggled the terminal off the post. So i tried again to turn it but still nothing. 

I'm gonna try the starter check again on all three terminals just to be sure. I think i got the right one but i'll check all three anyway. 

Also gonna check when i have someone to turn the key just to see if i have different numbers come up. 

 

Also, definitely no earth connected to coil.