1.3 GF engine eating 14 liters per 100km (around 20mpg)

Hi guys,

need a help, I bought a Golf with GF engine, pretty nice condition, low mileage, but from the first day I got it, it couldnt keep idle, and eats around 13-14L/100km.    Then I set up the Idle, and found out that the air box, vacuum hoses, filter etc. are totaly full of oil. I  think that the piston rings are worn out, and too much oil vapors are pulled through vent hose to the air box. Am I right?? Can this have influence on MPGs? So I made oil catch tank, bought new filter, clean everything up, but the engine have still same MPG.  I have a spare engine, so will try to change the carburetor just to find out if this is the problem. But I am worried that the engine is blowed out, what do you think? Something else to try?

Thanks for anything, Jacob

Vacuum leaks, Timing and a good set of plugs.
Start with the basics before swappin in unknowns.

Timing
Fuel
Air
Spark.

Lumpy running engines may just need a good tune up.

Validation of Grounds and Vacuum leaks go a long way in getting better mileage and a smoother running car.

Since it is a new to you car, a cap HV leads as well as a rotor may be warranted,  I switched from Bosch triple and double plats to NGK plugs and there was a marked improvement in my cars….

Thanks for an advance. Plugs are also new, (Bosch) will try to check the vacuum hoses which can be a case, and try to check timing with a friend who maybe have a stroboscope. Also checking the valves clearence a set them up will be a good idea… Shame I cant do it instatly, I am waiting for a paintjob. But I will do it as fast as I can, i need to drive again 😉

Understand that life isn't as fast as the interweb.

BOSCH plugs…I got two bad sets in a row one set had 2 bad plugs, and the other had 2, as well as me fighting a bad spark wire… So I was fighting 3 cylinders misfiring after the new plugs,  at one time, thankfully I have 2 cabby's and I swapped parts Cap wires and plugs to eliminate the issue.  (Bosch) wires as well less than 2 months old… Real issue was that I had a bad spark wire, the new plug sets allowed me to increase the miss-fire from one cylinder to 2, then 3……

This is why Bosch is only one step up from Lucas in my book….Lucas may be the Lord of Darkness, but Bosch is his Prince.  ( Run-ins with Lucas on my British Leyland in my youth 2 fuses on 2 of my cars, and the wires would protect the fuses at all times… )

 

To keep this thread updated, I finally did the metal work and paintjob on my car, so time to solve this bad MPG problem. At fist, my car din't want to start at all, fuel was OK, so 100% the problem was in electric. No spark on the plugs at all. Firstly I changed the coil, no change, then I changed some parts in the distributor for a new ones, no change, then I change whole distributor for an old spare one and the engine runs. But next day I came to the car, and it din't want to start again. So I changed the spark plug cables and  tadaaa, the engine runs again.  but it runs unstable with no matter where the ignition timing is. So I think whole ignition system is in poor condition. I will order new set of spark plug cables, do a complete rebuild of the original distributor, set the ignition timing with Haynes manual, and we will see what it will do with the MPG. But with friend from our VW club we decided, that the carburetor is also in poor condition. I have a spare one, so after I solve electricity and timing, I will do an ultrasound cleaning of the carburetor and do a rebuilt with new parts. So I will updating this thread what helps and what not. Maybe it can help someone in the future.

Cheers, Jakub

If it were mine the first thing I would check is the crankcase breather and oil separator, if you have oil in the airbox etc it's more than likely your trouble.

Hi guys,

more updates… Some things solved, some not. After I throw in new set of spark plug cables, spark plugs, rebuild the distributor completely, and set the the advance timing, the electric part of the problem seems good. Then we started work on carburetor. At first, I found out that there was re-drilled nozzle with 2mm drill So I change it and tadaaaa my MPG are almost in normal  (10L/100km / 23,5MPGs - city, heavy foot, cold engine) But the engine still struggles and dont want to idle.So we cleaned the carburetor in ultrasound, repaired some threads for the top cover, change major seals, put it back with no change. I also throw in a PIC 34/4 carb from 1.1 and it was even worst :/ So my last option, old experienced guy who made engines and carbs rebuild for whole life. he told me that it can be big bearing clearance on valve shaft, that it's a common problem on 30 years old carbs. So we will do a complete rebuild with all new seals, blasters etc, rebuilded valve shaft etc. and we will see. I hope it will be the problem… To the oil in suction system - there was no separator which was I think the problem, now the ventilation is connected to oil catch tank

By valve shaft do you mean the camshaft, there was an oil starvation problem with them, the plastic oil delivery pipe would block or break but it would be the lobes that would wear and you should be able to tell by looking at them.
The oil seperator is  dome shaped, about 75mm in diameter with an outlet to connect a  hose and is an interference fit in the back of the block, you have to lever it out with a screwdriver. If the hose that originally connected it to the air box is now run into an oil catch tank that is a bodge, if it were me I would buy and fit a new seperator.
Just found this - VW Polo / Golf Breather System

cedar  - in fact I don't know what I meant About the separator, Yeah i know. I have an old one home. Definitely will buy new one but after my problems will be sorted because many things happened, with no progress:

Whole thing seems like there were some air "leakage" (sorry I don't know how to say it better in English) in suction path. So I resealed whole suction, then finally a mate with many old VW's  did a complete rebuild of the carburetor (everything new, including shaft bearings, everything set up), I bought new fuel pump, new fuel lines, new vacuum hoses,  everything double checked, valve clearance done,  injection timing set up with stroboscope… And ques what? Nothing Still struggling to engine stop. The last thing was, yeah, it must be somewhere in the head, because everything other is new.. Also I have now problems with overheating - the car is not drive-able now. And yeah, yesterday I was thinking about when I controlled the water if there is no pressure from the cylinders, I was looking to the radiator, BUT I am stupid, because it's behind the inner engine cycle closed with thermostat! :/ So yeah, I saw perfectly calm water level. So I checked it again, waited when the engine heats up and the thermostat opened, and tadaaa, lot of water pulled by big pressure full of bubbles. So the decision is to take of the head, send it to machine shop for control and complete rebuild. When I will be in this thing, I will make complete rebuild of the bottom. I have fingers crossed that this will help, because it is the last thing which can help, and it's the last thing can be done.

Long story….