Good News! We all need some satisfaction (oil sender)
04-21-2020, 11:52 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Good News! We all need some satisfaction (oil sender)
A little long story...but when you are deep into it, desperate, and thinking you can't get it done...you will figure it out (despite what your wife says), there is hope. This one ends well!
About 5 years I did some major maintenance and dropped the engine. Did all the "while your in their stuff" (clutch, LWFW, distributor rebuild, etc.). Including replacing the oil sending unit as I am a conservative accountant that likes to be prudent. Well, I must have been cheap as the sending unit I bought turned out to be faulty (always pegged at top of gauge) (always buy OEM sending units, and you can probably test that by putting the ignition to on before you button it up). Five years later, I finally decided to tear into it as '96+ are impossible to access. I tried to do it without removing the varioram...impossible..and a very frustrating waste of time. You have to take it out. Just bite the bullet, label everything and go for it. Another while your in there when you drop a motor is to remove the varioram and clean all the ports.
Finally got it all back together, fired it up and it wouldn't idle. Oil sending unit worked great, but engine was rough and wouldn't run. I was so frustrated! I thought for sure I was DONE! I thought I screwed up the MAF unit when spraying it with MAF cleaner.
To shorten the story...digging through, and pulling off the MAF, I found an outlet top back with no hose - I missed it. I had inadvertently attached a hose in the back to a pipe that should run into the MAF. Somehow I missed this when I took it apart (didn't label) and then made the mistake on reassembly. Cranked on it for two hours (a lot of blind screw turning and mirrors) and got it all back together.
The thing fired up like a TIGER! Ready to rip the tires off. Such a great feeling. So if you are struggling, hang in there, you'll figure it out. My Plan B was to post tonight asking for suggestions...Happy to post success instead.
Now, I think it is time to sell the crazy German oil machine and get something simpler!
Best of luck in these crazy COVID times.
About 5 years I did some major maintenance and dropped the engine. Did all the "while your in their stuff" (clutch, LWFW, distributor rebuild, etc.). Including replacing the oil sending unit as I am a conservative accountant that likes to be prudent. Well, I must have been cheap as the sending unit I bought turned out to be faulty (always pegged at top of gauge) (always buy OEM sending units, and you can probably test that by putting the ignition to on before you button it up). Five years later, I finally decided to tear into it as '96+ are impossible to access. I tried to do it without removing the varioram...impossible..and a very frustrating waste of time. You have to take it out. Just bite the bullet, label everything and go for it. Another while your in there when you drop a motor is to remove the varioram and clean all the ports.
Finally got it all back together, fired it up and it wouldn't idle. Oil sending unit worked great, but engine was rough and wouldn't run. I was so frustrated! I thought for sure I was DONE! I thought I screwed up the MAF unit when spraying it with MAF cleaner.
To shorten the story...digging through, and pulling off the MAF, I found an outlet top back with no hose - I missed it. I had inadvertently attached a hose in the back to a pipe that should run into the MAF. Somehow I missed this when I took it apart (didn't label) and then made the mistake on reassembly. Cranked on it for two hours (a lot of blind screw turning and mirrors) and got it all back together.
The thing fired up like a TIGER! Ready to rip the tires off. Such a great feeling. So if you are struggling, hang in there, you'll figure it out. My Plan B was to post tonight asking for suggestions...Happy to post success instead.
Now, I think it is time to sell the crazy German oil machine and get something simpler!
Best of luck in these crazy COVID times.
04-22-2020, 05:19 PM
#2
Rennlist Member
Ha...kind of similar in that when I was all done with my engine out service and the 'while you are in there' stuff, I get it all back together and the thing wouldnt idle at all. kept dying on my test drive down the driveway. of course had all of the worse things going thru my head, then started to work backwards. I had put the MAF housing on the wrong direction (hard to still admit that). Got it right after about 10 min and everything was perfect! one of the best projects I have done.
