steering froze up! now: 16V head rebuild complete

[jdbubb at verizon.net (Dan Bubb)]

I bet it feels like a new car and is lots more fun to drive!
It's amazing how all the little broken things can make a car so irritating 
and once fixed can make it so nice to drive again.
Dan

From: "LEF" <rocco16@sbcglobal.net>
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 4:22 AM
Subject: was: steering froze up! now: 16V head rebuild complete


Happens to mine on occasion, and water on the belt is the reason.
Mine is an '87 and it did not come with a splash guard. :(
Apparently, neither did Craig's '88....

Cure: tighten the belt a smidgen. (not complete cure, but helps)


 Update on stripped-timing-belt/bent-valves-saga:
    It runs again!  The catastrophe was actually a blessing in disguise, as 
it allowed me to find and deal with several issues that had escaped me or 
had been put off for too long:

Broken PS pump bracket (now welded and better than new)
Two missing mounting bolts on PS pump (I'm surprised the darn thing was even 
on the car...)
Leaking coolant hose.
High beam switch that would occasionally shut the lights completely off when 
going from high to low or visa versa (disassembled, cleaned contacts, lubed, 
reassembled)
Voltage regulator that had been assembled cocked (it was a rebuilt alt, and 
I hadn't caught it when I put it on the car..still worked, though!)
Questionable waterpump idler pulley (source of aggravating noise for many 
months)
Backup lights switch (went bad a year ago but you 16V owners know what a 
pain it is to get to)
4crawler shift kit (old, stock bushings were all bad, one 
was...literally...gone)
Semi-leaky cam cover gasket (oil pooling around #1 spark plug)
Vee-belts (all were good, just time for PM)
Spark plugs, dist. cap and rotor (working, but two years old...)
Repair badly corroded aluminum coolant outlets on head  :o
Reconnected int. manifold-to-air-duct line (thanks, Dan)
Broken cam sprocket (tang)
Broken dipstick "funnel"
New green anti-freeze/distilled water

TOTAL COST, INCLUDING TOW: $876.30 (all work except machine shop done by 
self and youngson, who, by the way, I just helped put on a new wastegate.  I 
can't believe how densely packed his MkI engine bay is now: turbo, 
intercooler, oil cooler, EBC, 16V radiator, etc.  What chaos...at least it's 
very clean.)

 I'm embarrassed that I let the poor car get into what seems to be such poor 
shape.  Actually, it started instantly every morning and ran fine, a 
testimony to the inherent toughness of the old, water-cooled VW's I suppose. 
I consider myself very lucky: no stripped or broken bolts/holes anywhere and 
all parts went back on perfectly.  I did replace a few questionable nuts and 
bolts with new pieces.

 I feel so guilty about letting this happen to it, that I just ordered a new 
set of "Scirocco 16V" floor mats for it. :)
Thanks for the help and support, list!!

I love this car.

Larry
sandiego16v

  From: Jason

  you most likely got water on the power steering belt making it slip.
  that happens a bit because the belt is so low.
  the newer cars have splash guards covering the power steering area for 
this
  very reason :)

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