Rebuild or replace engine...?

[bensspares]

Yes you can remove the gause in the r/c but you need to weld it back in....do you have access to a welder before i tell you how ??????????????

[christhemann]

Ah thats great news!
I don't have a welder but know someone who does, so should be fine.

Appreciate the advice!

[bensspares]

Good, then i will begin,

oviously remove the cover,
you will see that there are several spot welds around the gause/mesh,
carefully break the welds by hammering a screw driver through the welds on the side nearest the oil filler and 2 of the welds on the bottom edge (assuming the filler cap is on your left).watch you dont hammer through the cover, its easily done if you loose your rag,
remove gause inside by carefully bending the retaining plate,
soak gause in petrol for a few hours,
set light to gause,
tap or hammer out the burnt crud,
repeat the above process till all crud is removed,
ensure that the gause is totaly free of any loose particles,
refit and weld back the retaining plate for the gause.
robert is your dads brother.

Good luck and have a good one.
ben.

[scirsteve]

re priming the oil pump,
Even though i filled my new pump with oil it wasn't good enough to get decent pressure,
so I took the distributor out and used a 1/2" socket on an extension to rotate the top of the oil pump shaft.
I manually drove the pump until I got oil flowing upto the camshaft oil spray jet.
(be careful not to drop the socket/bar into the engine as it will probably drop into the sump)

After that it was excellent.

[christhemann]

Thanks scirsteve.

Cheers for the guide Bensspares.
So you don't need to break ALL the spot welds? Looks like the plate that holds the gauze in has welds on all sides.

Just got the rocker cover off, and can say 100% that was the problem! Could actually see a trail of fine shavings running from the breather over the plastic cam shaft cover (luckly this diverted most the crap away from the cam and lifters).
Will take some photos to see what people think, but it seems there is some slight wear on the far right lobe (pitting you can just feel with a fingernail).

Now got to decide how to best flush out all the metal shavings and crap from the head.
The sump is off, so would it work to somehow flush the oilways out with something?

[bensspares]

sounds like you have the answer, just break the welds you need to to remove the gause inside.....the best way to prime the pump is to manualy turn it whist its removed in a tub of oil.

re flushing, i would pour oil all over the head to remove as much as possible, most of the crud will be in the pump pick up and any that made it through will be in the filter which i would be tempted to replace as a matter of routeen.

[christhemann]

Been attacking the rocker cover gauze today, by hammering and drilling out the welds.
Eventually had to drill them out and went right through the cover.

Hopefully I could get this welded up properly, but any thoughts on riveting the gauze / breather cover back on?
I support you'd obviously have the rivets sticking through the top not looking too great, but what you recon?

I have a riveter but no access to welder right this minute.

[bensspares]

I did warn you lol, words like attacking are never good for a keeper lol. rivets may leak.

[Nate]

i'd say rivets were a big no-no. if you can get it over to me i can weld it in work for ya

[christhemann]

Cheers for the offer Nate.

Where abounts are you?

[Nate]

live just outside cirencester.

you could also try asking on the mig welding forum to see if there is anyone on there who could do it for you as a lunchbreak job

[ianaudia4]

Would it not be easier just to buy a new rocker cover?

[christhemann]

Might just be! But what if thats blocked up as well?
I wonder why VW didn't make the gauze / filter removable from the rocker cover...

[bensspares]

aftermarket sales, they all block up in time. a new cover from vw was aprox £55.i did have 3 but threw them doh...

[ianaudia4]

I think I would spend the £55 from VW and know that it will fit, not be blocked up and could be back on the road with the minimum of fuss!
You could always ring Big Boys Toys, they may do them 0845 873 7288.
Good luck mate and hope you are back on the road soon.