Want To Buy: VW Pathfinder marine diesel

[Robert Jansen]

I had the misfortune of owing a 1980 VW Rabbit diesel.
The engine is a lemon.
The timing belt should have been a double row chain.
The interface between the drive gear and the crankshaft
is poorly engineered.
The front main seal wears a groove into the crankshaft.
It has a tendency to run away, drinking its own oil, because
blow by accumulates in the intake manifold.
The alternator mount is badly designed.



Otherwise, it's a fine choice (sarcasm mode cranked up to 11).

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Robert Jansen

I had the misfortune of owing a 1980 VW Rabbit diesel.
The engine is a lemon.
The timing belt should have been a double row chain.
The interface between the drive gear and the crankshaft
is poorly engineered.
The front main seal wears a groove into the crankshaft.
It has a tendency to run away, drinking its own oil, because
blow by accumulates in the intake manifold.
The alternator mount is badly designed.

Otherwise, it's a fine choice (sarcasm mode cranked up to 11).

Perhaps. I too had a 1980 VW Rabbit/Golf Diesel. Mine ran like a champ and lasted for quite a long time. While I can't comment on the engineering of the drive gear-crankshaft interface, I had absolutely no problems with it.

I did a lot of driving each year, and it was a mix of highway and city. At that time when I drove on the highway, I was usually maxed out. FYI, I feel anything under 80 or 90 mph (130-145 kph) is dangerous since one doesn't have to pay attention to what one is doing, and can get bored! Regardless, I like to move when I drive, and I did with this car. It has been a while since I had it but I recall that I could only get her up to around 80 or 85 mph. This would explain why I bought a Scirocco and had Callaway and Bilstein enhance its performance!

I am religious with my maintenance and kept a log for all of my vehicles. I changed the oil and filter every 3,000 miles (4,820 km). Like I said, I had absolutely zero problems with it and had it for a number of years. Certainly my experience makes for a very limited sample size. YAMMV!

[Robert Jansen]

My VW diesel was a Westmoreland product. Was yours perhaps built in Germany?


The first time mine blew up, it had less than 7,000 miles on it.



I went through 2 blocks and 3 heads in less than 100,000 miles.


Then I threw it away.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Robert Jansen

My VW diesel was a Westmoreland product. Was yours perhaps built in Germany?

The first time mine blew up, it had less than 7,000 miles on it.

I went through 2 blocks and 3 heads in less than 100,000 miles.

Then I threw it away.

Wow, I don't blame you for throwing it away. Mine was a German built unit. Now that you mention it, I do recall hearing of some issues with the early U.S. built units, but I don't recall the details.

If it makes you feel any better, I rebuilt the engine on one of my VW Kafers (super beetle actually) and it blew up in a very short time. I don't recall the actual number of miles, but it was probably not much more than 5,000 or 10,000 miles. While I may have done something wrong, the shop I used looked at the shaft that was broken into three parts, and said it could have just been a bad shaft with some sort of flaw. I was honoured that they kept a few of the totally destroyed parts for their Wall of Shame! If you're going to do something, do it so that it is the best I guess. Regardless, I salvaged what I could such as the carb, and put another unit I rebuilt in it and that one lasted well over 150,000 miles and usually at high speed (for a Beetle!).

[osprey877]

Originally Posted by Robert Jansen

I had the misfortune of owing a 1980 VW Rabbit diesel.
The engine is a lemon.
The timing belt should have been a double row chain.
The interface between the drive gear and the crankshaft
is poorly engineered.
The front main seal wears a groove into the crankshaft.
It has a tendency to run away, drinking its own oil, because
blow by accumulates in the intake


Otherwise, it's a fine choice (sarcasm mode cranked up to 11).

Gee, that sounds just like a Volvo I used to own😙😙

[cottonsail]

All I can add is to make sure you change the timing belt regularly! If it breaks you will bend valves. Automotive requirement was every 50,000 miles. I owned a VW repair shop for many years. Great engines. Additionally do not overheat them. The rings have a low tolerance for overheating.

[AndyEss]

Originally Posted by Robert Jansen

My VW diesel was a Westmoreland product. Was yours perhaps built in Germany?


The first time mine blew up, it had less than 7,000 miles on it.



I went through 2 blocks and 3 heads in less than 100,000 miles.


Then I threw it away.

I had a VW diesel Rabbit I bought used at about 100k miles. It was a Wolfsburg (German built) engine and car. I put tens of thousands of more miles on that car in business use:
I thought that diesel engine was bulletproof. During highway driving (this was when 55mph was the national rule) I would regularly get 45-50mpg.
Prior to my mini-fleet of Rabbits (two German built, one diesel, one gas, and one Westmoreland (US) - gas engine and the least reliable of the lot) I inherited a VW SuperBeetle as my first car.
I replaced the Superbeetle engine twice with junkyard buys. A buddy and I would hand carry the new engine to the chainhoist to put it into the car. The air-cooled VW engine was simplicity itself to work on, but they tended to throw rods and valves when driven hard in hot weather.
The Pathfinder base diesel is a good engine, if a bit noisy, as long as you keep track of that timing belt.

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by tanton37

Looking for anyone who has one of these engines who'd be willing to share information on them. I recently aquired one that I intend to install in my build but have some questions. Please feel free to contact me directly at catketchme@gmail.com Thanks,David

Never had a marinized WV engine, but if it helps any at all I have owned two VW Rabbits with diesel engines and put over 100,000 miles on each of them.
Sold one to a friend and he put another 100,000 miles on it before the body rusted away.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[Tzara]

If it's helpful, I've got a fully scanned manual for a Pathfinder engine. Want the link?

[osprey877]

Originally Posted by Tzara

If it's helpful, I've got a fully scanned manual for a Pathfinder engine. Want the link?

Could you please send me, or post he link. I have a 1.6 litre Pathfinder. Thanks.

[Americanrancher]

Originally Posted by Robert Jansen

I had the misfortune of owing a 1980 VW Rabbit diesel.
The engine is a lemon.
The timing belt should have been a double row chain.
The interface between the drive gear and the crankshaft
is poorly engineered.
The front main seal wears a groove into the crankshaft.
It has a tendency to run away, drinking its own oil, because
blow by accumulates in the intake manifold.
The alternator mount is badly designed.



Otherwise, it's a fine choice (sarcasm mode cranked up to 11).

I had one as well a PICK UP! Haha! The comment about the alternator is true I had to do several roadside repairs on it. Fortunately got rid of the truck before the other problems arose. I recall that I was warned that the “brain” would go and it would be very expensive to replace. Another problem I encountered was there was a small rubber plug on the last fuel injector that would crack allowing air to get in the fuel system and it would be almost impossible to start if that happened. I had a lot of fun with that little truck camping all over the Western US for a year on the road.

[RobertPA]

I recently purchased a VW Pathfinder 50 marine diesel here in Newfoundland (Canada). The engine is rare here.It was been sitting in an unheated garage for ~10 years. I have the Bentley and Haynes VW Rabbit diesel manuals on order. However, to date, I have been unsuccessful in tracking down the Pathfinder Users Guide and Parts Manual, which would help me understand better how the Rabbit block was marinized. If any of you know where I can obtain these Pathfinder manuals, please PM me. Thank you.

[goboatingnow]

It’s a rare engine everywhere! Marinisation parts are hard to find.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, RobertPA.


The VW Pathfinder engine, based on the 1.6L engine for their Rabbit pick-up trucks, proved very reliable and popular. Production continued into the 1990s.

History of the VW Pathfinder Marine Engine
Design, Operation, and Overhaul of Pathfinder Marine Engine
➥ https://www.brighthubengineering.com...marine-engine/

marinedieselbasics.com claims to offer a free download:
“Workshop Manual VW Marine Boat Engine 150-5"
➥ https://www.marinedieselbasics.com/d...ngine-manuals/

VWDiesel.net - Search Pathfinder
➥ https://vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php/topic,34562.0.html

[captlloyd]

It isn’t very hard to marinize most engines, as someone else said a water cooled exhaust can be fabricated. Or, as I prefer if possible, run a dry exhaust system with insulated components. Dry system is so much less complicated. Do a search for Summit Racing and you will find insulating products in their exhaust section.