Part identification please!

[ash_pearce]

It is the complete manifold, the spindle seal fails.

A long shot but... is it possible to replace the variable manifold with an earlier non variable manifold? or failing that presume the seal on the spindle is merely an 'o' ring just replace that?

[Crasher]

There is no feed back system so the engine management would not know you have fitted an earlier manifold but I don’t do bodges. It did not appear to be possible to strip it down, bedsides if it fell apart and dropped into the engine…

[ash_pearce]

There is no feed back system so the engine management would not know you have fitted an earlier manifold but I don’t do bodges. It did not appear to be possible to strip it down, bedsides if it fell apart and dropped into the engine…

Fair point! No i wouldnt condone 'bodges' either. Fortunately i'm covered by warrenty, i was just wondering for the un-covered folks if there was a cheaper option than £500 plus fitting.

I did a little further poking around last night and my oil is actually seeping from the back of the vac unit - where the lever comes out. I'm going to give it a good clean this weekend and remove the existing oil to get a 100% exact location.

Will post results, thanks again for you knowledge!

[martin1810]

OK I will ask tthe obvious. How do you get oil leaking out of a vacuum unit. If you want to know if this is causing the hesitation. Pull the vac pipe off and block the pipe with a bolt and then push the plunger out as far as it will go and find a way to keep it there. That way both ports in the manifold will be stuck open. If the car drives better you know this is the cause of your hesitation. As it seems to be working , I would think it is not causing your problem. Unless the linkage is broke and the flaps are stuck shut in the manifold.

[ash_pearce]

OK I will ask tthe obvious. How do you get oil leaking out of a vacuum unit. If you want to know if this is causing the hesitation. Pull the vac pipe off and block the pipe with a bolt and then push the plunger out as far as it will go and find a way to keep it there. That way both ports in the manifold will be stuck open. If the car drives better you know this is the cause of your hesitation. As it seems to be working , I would think it is not causing your problem. Unless the linkage is broke and the flaps are stuck shut in the manifold.

Very good question. I'm guessing its leaking from there but until i give it a good clean and then see where the fresh oil is coming from i cant be 100% sure. (as per previous post)

However, the vac unit is fed from the main inlet tract which as in most tdis gets a littles dirty over time. Mainly from the oil breather pipe on the rocker cover feeding into the inlet tract.

What i find a little confusing is the vac unit is relies on negative air pressure hence the 'vac' so will be operating when the engine is drawing in air as opposed to positive air pressure as in 'boost' air. So why is the oily residue being forced out if the vac unit and not drawing in extra air? does that make sense?

[martin1810]

You don't get oil leaking out of vacuum pipes because, as you say, negative pressure. Air etc would be sucked in. Much more likely to be boost pressure air from a nearby connection as the boost pipes are always contaminated with oil that has got passed the turbo oil seals.
Vac unit isn't fed from inlet on diesels, only on petrols. Vac for diesels comes from a pump on the end of the cylinderhead in the case of this engine.

[ash_pearce]

You don't get oil leaking out of vacuum pipes because, as you say, negative pressure. Air etc would be sucked in. Much more likely to be boost pressure air from a nearby connection as the boost pipes are always contaminated with oil that has got passed the turbo oil seals.
Vac unit isn't fed from inlet on diesels, only on petrols. Vac for diesels comes from a pump on the end of the cylinderhead in the case of this engine.

Sorry wires crossed. in my last post i refer to the vac unit, i meant the vac part in question in this post rather than the 'vac unit' which as you correctly say is engine driven.

However this particular vac connection(pictured in first post) does come from the inlet tract. Presumingly because the air pressure within the inlet is measured. So when the pressure rises or falls the manifold flap is opened or closed accordingly, rather than taking a vac connection from the engine driven unit that amongst other things provides vacuum for the brake servo.

I think its best that until i clean the area then run the engine to see exactly where the oil is coming from its pointless in guessing. there may be a leak further back that without removing parts i cant see.

Thanks for your thoughts

[martin1810]

No worries. I could have sworn the vacuum was tee'd off the servo vacuum pipe. Guess I'm remembering it wrong. Good luck sorting it out.

[Crasher]

The vacuum supply is from the servo feed but is controlled by a solenoid mounted on the left of the engine.

[martin1810]

The vacuum supply is from the servo feed but is controlled by a solenoid mounted on the left of the engine.

Dam ! I thought it was a mouse sucking on a straw.