|
|
 |
|
Under the hood
Engines
Cooling system
Carburetor and fuel injection
Smog
Engines
The engines in these cars can go for a long time and are very durable. Most of the areas needing repair are in the cylinder head. The most serious problems to look for are strange noises and/or smoke. Most noise can be described as minor or major. A minor and common noise is valves that are out of adjustment and cause a rattling sound. A major noise is a knocking noise, which can indicate a rod bearing going bad, necessitating removing the engine for proper repair. There are lots of other noises that can be caused by a car simply being out of tune.
Cooling system
2002s have a reputation for having cooling system
problems that is simply not true if the car is
maintained properly. True, the water pump is best
replaced every once in a while, and along with it, the
thermostat is next in line. Also check the drive
belt; is it full of cracks? But the radiator is the
big one, though, and is often old enough that it's
cooling properties have been reduced. A good cleaning
out or recoring usually takes care of the problem. A
quick look inside the radiator should tell you
something. The coolant inside should be a bright
color rather than a watered down or brownish color.
This is a downdraft carburator with an aftermarket air filter.
Photo: Mike Bruce still from video.
|
Carburetor and fuel injection
On the top of the engine, problems with the
carburetors can be the result of a multitude of ills.
Many people have done away with the little one barrel
Solex that came with the older cars, even though it's
quite durable. With a rebuild, it can often be made to
work surprisingly well. The later cars have the two
barrel Solex, and these seem to cause more problems
and usually end up being replaced with a Weber. The
round factory air filter housing can be modified to
fit the aftermarket carburetors, and it usually works
better than the undersized chrome units as it's
designed to flow more air at higher rpms, which is how
these engines were designed to work.
Find out more in our article Carb Chat
A look under the hood of a 2002 tii. The black
cylindrical object in the foreground is the air filter
housing.
Photo: Mike Bruce still from video.
|
The tii, on the other hand, has the Kugelfischer
injection pump, and it is very well engineered. Most
problems with a tii injection system are usually due
to the car being allowed to sit for a long period of
time or the injection system being out of tune.
Sitting is not good for an injection system, as the
rubber seals will dry and shrink, and corrosion can
form on delicate parts. If the injection system is
running well, a good rule of thumb is to leave it
alone and concentrate elsewhere on the car. Many
mechanics are not familiar enough with mechanical fuel
injection to tune it properly. The factory tii airbox
is desirable to have on the car, since it's
specifically designed for the engine and most
replacements do nothing to help the performance.
Smog
One area on the engine that's easy to forget is the
smog equipment, especially on later cars (1974-1976).
If the state you live in doesn't require emissions
testing, you probably won't need to worry too much. If
you are cursed with having to pass strict emissions
tests, you will have to deal with finding all the
proper parts and having them in working order. Many
states with strict requirements require the car to be
tested when it is registered or sold.
|
|
|
