After purchasing the correct Torx bit I was able to get the car into "service position." The radiator drain takes FOR EVER on this car.
The lower intercooler pipe is also the front crossmember and contains an engine mount. Weird
A little snapchat photochop and I'm done with this project already!
When done how about a rebadge to a 190SD to fit the new displacement?
It'll be a 200SD, but yes, absolutely. I'm all about having proper badging. For example, my BMW is/was badged as a 332Ti
Been busy working late into the evenings at my part time job. Such is life. Been sneaking out into the garage here and there to get this engine pulled. It is fighting me. There are 3 options to pulling this engine: pull just the engine, pull engine and trans together, or drop the subframe with engine and trans still attached. Each option is presenting challenges of getting the correct tools onto the correct bolts. I also need to get the harness pulled so I can send it off for stand-aloning but there is a connector on the back of the head I can't get to with the engine in the car.
I attached the engine hoist because, "if you dream, dream in color!"
The OM617 and 722.1 are gone! Guy had a long day. He started in Charlotte, bought a 14 bolt in Jacksonville, took the ferrys up to me to pick up the engine, then 6 hours back to Charlotte. That's a 17ish hour day on the road.
Kind neat he was driving a CRD Liberty and buying a Mercedes diesel to put in a ZJ. Fitting.
It seems I've missed a few updates... wonder how well that motor would fit into what I've got... It looks like a nice, compact package.
following. neat stuff.
I've only worked on one VW before this, my first car, a 1974 Beetle. 16 year old me could remove the engine alone in 30 minutes. VW has made it much more difficult since. I'm trying to do as much as I can without cheating and looking up How Tos. I gave up. I was looking for an access panel to get to the torque converter bolts. I couldn't find one. Turns out that you have to remove the starter to get to the bolts and they are Torx T55, which I'll be purchasing tomorrow. Getting the starter out involves dropping the AC compressor(done weeks ago) and pulling the passenger tire. There's an issue. This car has wheel locks and the PO claims I've got the key but I can't find it anywhere in the car. So tonight I had to do a little proctology to get the wrench on the starter, then go back up to the top and snake my hands into the engine bay to loosen the top bolt on the starter.
The offending bolt hole in the upper center here
The offending T55 that I need to buy tomorrow. I'm so close to pulling this thing dammit!
Azryael said:It seems I've missed a few updates... wonder how well that motor would fit into what I've got... It looks like a nice, compact package.
The BHW is a great package but it is tight in the original engine bay. In the mercedes bay it should have way more room according to Mr Tape Measure. The longitudinal engine is especially convenient because it has an oil pump/sump set up for a front-sump application. It should give me about 8" clearance from the acessories to the radiator and a good 3" from the back of the head to the firewall.
It'll definitely be tight in a W136... 
One of the bellhousing bolts on this is 8mm allen with a 16mm nut on the other end. No way for one person to reach both. I fully understand that you're supposed to separate the engine and trans after dropping the subframe but that wasn't an option as you have to remove the wheels and the PO didn't include the wheel lock tool. Here's looking down into the depths where I had to have my hands wedged while my dad helped from the bottom with a doubled wrench.
And here it finally is! This was not the most fun engine pull of my life, but it's out! Now I can start mocking it up in PE and I can send off the wire harness to be immo deleted and modified for standalone use. It's also about time to decide on a transmission.
Finally got the harness fully removed and ready to be sent off to Fast Forward to be immo-deleted and turned into a stand-alone harness. I swear german engineers must have tiny hands. Getting the throttle pedal out of the car was a bear. In general working on this car has involved cramming my (I think normal sized) hands into some very tight quarters. Going to be nice having this small package in the gaping cavern of an engine bay that is the W116.
Before garage time I was invited over to check out a local kid's project. He's turning 16 in January and wants to have a running car by then. He bought the white one for 750. It's complete but has a cracked head. Pretty clean overall and it appears everything works. The red one is pretty rough and crusty but has a good engine. He's planning to swap heads between the two and was asking if I wanted to help out a bit. Of course I do!
Don't notice my E36M3box in the way. It decided to stop charging on the 1.5 mile round trip to look at the Daytonas.
Lots of side projects in the last 2 weeks. BMW got a new alternator but I ripped the intake hose while fixing it. I need to have it running by the end of the month to get it inspected. Jeep decided that its water pump was going to give out 150 miles from home which is conveniently only two AAA tows away. Sadly the gas savings didn't cover the cost of the water pump and associated bits.
I got an email from the wiring harness guy. My standalone VW harness should be done by next week. That's exciting stuff!
Tonight I finally jumped back into the Mercedes. I'm in the middle of transmission decision so I need to get a bit more precise with my measurements and see where the engine wants to fall in the bay. It looks so tiny sitting in there. The mounts almost line up, but not quite. I've got it sitting on 2x4s currently.
After working on this engine in the Passat I am so excited to see how much room there is. It's almost like this bay was designed to fit a 6.9L SOHC V8 and now has a 2.0L SOHC I4.
I HAVE to make a transmission choice so I can finalize the mounting points. Measurements today show that with the engine all the way back I need to have a bellhousing to shifter distance of at least 26" and preferrably no more than 39" unless I want to angle the stick forward.
Found some motivation to start with rust repair. Thankfully the Passat provided some good metal for patch panels. Out comes the cardboard and the HF 110v mig gun.
I also got an email tonight that my standalone harness is complete! I was hoping to be a bit further along before it came in, but such is life.
A package showed up from Canada today! Beautiful new standalone harness, a few emissions deletes and a Malone Stage 2 Tune!
I'm having a bit of Project Car Anxiety but it's nice to move forward with parts to start installing.
That wall texture gives this whole thing a very sci-fi vibe. I like it. Very appropriate, given the theme.
WooWee that EGR was coked up
Working on this car/engine has been a fun game where the tool wants to take up the same place as the part you're removing.
The BHW engine is unique in the TDI lineup in that it has a problematic Balance Shaft Module. These chain driven units were so bad that VW engineered a gear driven replacement to retrofit. The gear driven units are better but still known to have issues. I checked to see if I have the chain or gear driven unit. Had it been the gear driven unit I may have rolled the dice, but alas it has the chain driven BSM. I've got an oil pump, drive and pickup coming from an earlier ALH engine which will bolt up to the BHW when I do the timing belt and water pump.
Now this is what I call a complete kit! Even comes with a tap holder that was chosen for how much clearance it gives your knuckles when plugging the BSM feed.
Good ole JB Weld 2 part! You could fashion a balance shaft out of that.
Gotta help dad clean up his junk before I can start playing with mine. I want this car to run this year.
In reply to buzzboy :
Great to see you back. We're working on making Thompson in August. Think yinz could swing that one?
August is a pretty busy month for ICR and we're currently sitting with this car in its current condition and the Toyota with a bad transmission.
I would love to get up to Thompson. Heck, I just want to race this year period. Fingers crossed
This is awesome. Motivates me to race the 108 on the stock drivetrain until I have everything together
If you need to move some of that arctic foam on I'll take it! hahaha
Cool build
My dad retails Arctic as well as building with it. When he built this quonset he said there'd be no blanks stored in it. That was a lie haha!
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