[mhjett]

Washed it

Mmm...

I want these wheels for my Campanella white '08 Jetta SE. :thumbup: I think it'd look fantastic.

Is your car lowered? Any fit issues? FYI for those wondering, they're 18" Laguna wheels from the '13 GTI.

 

[mhjett]

On my 2008 Mk 5 2.5 with 09G automatic transmission:
I had already replaced the front seal/O-ring (driver side) on my vacuum pump to stop the famous leak. The leak on the front was gone but while changing oil the last time, I noticed some more fresh oil dripping from the same area and figured it was time to pull the vacuum pump and replace the back side seal on the engine side, along with the O-ring on the vacuum hose to the brake booster. Then I figured, if I'm going to go to all this trouble, why not just delete the pump and pull vacuum from another source. I did just that.
I bought the IE (Integrated Engineering) block off plate kit, installed it and changed the vacuum source to the N80 purge valve evap hose which goes to the throttle body.
So, while I was in the "while I'm at it" mode I removed the throttle body and cleaned both sides plus replaced the seal at the intake. After 150K miles, it was pretty dirty.
Now, the leak is gone, the brake pedal feels exactly the same and the "seems" to be faster but that could just be my optimism.

Nice job. In removing the pump, did you do the method where you remove the trans selector assembly rather than drop the entire trans?

I have a very slight weep, doesn't even qualify as a drip, from the pump on my car and I keep debating if its worth addressing...

 

[mhjett]

I removed the trans selector assembly method which is in a few videos (the best one is from Humble Mechanic) and it is much easier if you remove the battery and its tray.
I used the IE blocking plate kit with this method:

DIY: 2.5L MKV Vacuum Pump Delete

Items purchased: IE plate: $73.00 (shipped) 5/16" ID fuel line (2 foot): $3.00 (local) Universal Tee: $5.00 (local) Clamps: $4.00 (local) I removed this the other night while doing a transmission swap: You can remove the pump without removing the transmission. Google search it to find the...

www.volkswagenownersclub.com

Note that the vacuum hose between the vacuum pump and the brake booster is 3/8" ID, so you will need a barbed reducer for a 1/4" hose to fit into a brass 1/4" tee in the Purge Valve line. By the way, my Purge Valve line had 150K miles on it and the inside diameter had shrunk to about 1/8", so I replaced the hose from Amazon:

Amazon.com: URO Parts 07K133518A Purge Valve Hose : Automotive

Buy URO Parts 07K133518A Purge Valve Hose: Water Hoses & Fittings - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

and this made the job much easier.

Hope this helps. I can provide detailed steps if you want.

Here is some more info:

Vacuum Pump Blockoff Plate

Free up horsepower by removing the factory vacuum pump

www.ecstuning.com

Thanks for all the info! Saw your update in the other forum thread too.

 

[mhjett]

I'm glad I could help. My brakes are still working like new with a hard pedal.

I'm just debating between your solution (pump delete) versus one of the pump seal kids with inner and outer replacement seals....

 

[mhjett]

Replaced both parking brake cables on my '08 Jetta 2.5. Pulling the entire center console just to release the cables from the handbrake lever was the biggest PITA but the job was super easy once that was done.

To do the inner and outer replacement seals plus replacing the O-ring at the vacuum hose connection requires complete removal and installation of the pump. If you have the automatic transmission, the selector is in the way and you have to remove everything except the shaft. Then you have "roll" the open vacuum pump over top of it when you take it off and again when you put it back on. Then you wait for the seals to go bad again.
With the pump delete, you only have to do this once. Period. Done. No more pump. No more seals. Less drain on the engine power with the cam driving the pump.
I am very happy with my results. I wonder why the German engineers do this. The Mini Cooper also has a vacuum pump which has more problems which can destroy the engine.

Thanks, you're helping me make up my mind...

Given that a volume manufacturer wouldn't add cost without a reason, I really do wonder why they put a vacuum pump on the 2.5s instead of just piping in intake vacuum.

 

[mhjett]

Small displacement turbo and diesel engines are one thing, but I can't imagine that a 2.5 liter, five-cylinder, naturally aspirated gas engine doesn't produce as reliable a source of vacuum from the intake as it does the pump.

 

[mhjett]

2006 Mk5 Rabbit 2 door.
Mk6 Bilstein B8 sport struts, shocks.
VWR springs.
Lemforder front and rear mounts.
SKF strut bearings.
KYB bellows.
Audi TT rear upper spring isolators. (Reduce rear sag).
All associated hardware new OEM VW.


Was on OEM suspension. I bought the car with 73k and mechanically it was perfect. I did notice that the struts and shocks part numbers came up as EOS OEM. Rabbit has a different part number. Well anyways, the suspension isn’t as tight as I’d like it to be so that’s why I’m going with this new combo.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice work. Those B8s and VWR springs should stiffen it right up.

Just installed B4s on the stock springs on my Jetta. Did new strut mounts & bearings, new front bellows and bump stops, and rear bump stops, plus all new OEM hardare. In my opinion, it's perfect, wouldn't want it any firmer. Little lower, maybe...

 

[mhjett]

Although I haven't bought a new vehicle in many years, I always bought them with the intention of driving them several hundred thousand miles or until they just weren't reliable anymore. There is nothing on the market in any brand newer than 2008 that is appealing to me. "I'm an analog man in a digital world.", as Joe Walsh's song goes. We used to drive cars. Now we navigate rolling smartphones or as they are more accurately called, "mobile" phones.

My family had very little money when I was a child in West Virginia. Work ethic and human character were the true values ingrained in me and my friends. I worked my way through college and I've never made much money because my goals and pleasures have always been simple. "Keeping up with the Joneses" has never been a thing for me. The longer I can keep a vehicle running - and running well - the more I love it. It gives me a sense of accomplishment because I do most of the maintenance and repairs myself. My cars don't have to be beauty queens, they have to be reliable.

My newest acquisition is a 2008 VW Rabbit 2.5 with the CBTA engine and 09G transmission. With over 155K miles on it, it still sounds and runs like new, thanks to the prior owner who is a master technician at a local car dealership garage. He has been a trusted friend who has serviced all of my vehicles, new and old, American, Asian and German, for over 30 years. He gave me such a good deal that if it dies tomorrow, I will have gotten my money's worth. However, I expect it to run for at least another 100K miles or more.

My Rabbit, "Harvey" (after the James Stewart movie), has physical blemishes that make it a "10-footer" but it has no leaks from rain, nor does it burn oil or leak any internal fluids. It gets great gas mileage, never overheats or has mood swings. The only quirks are the rear door locks: one side won't lock at all and the other side sometimes locks the outside handle intermittently. The I-5 engine is musical when it passes 4000 rpm's. It is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, just like the TARDIS.

These last few posts on here definitely hit me in the feels. My Rabbit just turned 153K yesterday. I still love the car. Nothing fancy about it. Plain, simple, solid. I plan to get a ton of body work done on it because I like my cars looking clean. I plan to keep fixing it and driving it. A lot of my friends ask me, "You still drive that thing? Why don't you get something newer?" "I like it. And it owes me nothing." That's my response. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Although there are some newer cars I like, this generation of vehicles is where my heart is stuck. The older I get, the more I appreciate older cars.

All that said, I just had my Rotiform DIAs refinished by Rim Doctor in Syracuse and boy do they look fire! 🔥 I'm supposed to finish shaving my front bumper with a friend on Saturday. This car needs a lot of work this year, and I'm just warming up. 😁

These aren't Ferraris but I maintain that they're still wildly underrated cars.

My '08 Jetta 2.5 now sits under a cover during the winter and has retired to third car status. I can't bring myself to sell it. 😁

 

[mhjett]

Oil change in preparation for spring -- tucked it back under the car cover. Haven't started the car since mid-December, but hoping to take it out for a rip real soon...

Vacuum pump seals are next.

 

[mhjett]

You have to remove the vacuum pump to replace the seals and this is only a temporary fix. I did the vacuum pump delete using this method with the IE Blocking Plate Kit last year and the brakes work perfectly. No leaks. No regrets.

DIY: 2.5L MKV Vacuum Pump Delete

Items purchased: IE plate: $73.00 (shipped) 5/16" ID fuel line (2 foot): $3.00 (local) Universal Tee: $5.00 (local) Clamps: $4.00 (local) I removed this the other night while doing a transmission swap: You can remove the pump without removing the transmission. Google search it to find the...

www.volkswagenownersclub.com

Thanks, I've seen your comments before. People seem to have good luck with the seal kit I bought. I managed to go 115k miles on my OEM seals with only slight weeping, so I think the risk of ever having to do it again is pretty low...

 

[mhjett]

I finally got around to installing new seals on the vacuum pump on my 6AT 2.5. Torqued the pump to block and cover plate bolts all to 10nm and I'm hoping it stays nice and dry.

 

[mhjett]

Installed the right front strut which was the last of a full set of Bilstein B4s. For some reason I had the worst time inserting the new front struts into the steering knuckles. Super tight fit.

Very happy with the B4s. Noticeably firmer than stock but still comfortable. They pair well with the 18" Michelin PS4ses that I'm running. Car is very dialed in now.

 

[mhjett]

Installed the right front strut which was the last of a full set of Bilstein B4s. For some reason I had the worst time inserting the new front struts into the steering knuckles. Super tight fit.

Very happy with the B4s. Noticeably firmer than stock but still comfortable. They pair well with the 18" Michelin PS4ses that I'm running. Car is very dialed in now.

Snapped a shot after I pulled it out of the garage --

 

[mhjett]

Stock springs? Did your car have sport suspension?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Stock springs and it is a 2.5 SE with standard (not sport) suspension. It sits a little higher than stock now with the Bilsteins; wish it was about half an inch lower, but otherwise very happy with the setup.

 

[mhjett]

Agreed, not sure on the details of that R32 from your photos but if it's halfway decent, for $7500 you stole that.

 

[mhjett]

Installed a color-matched trunk lip spoiler today -- subtle but that's what I wanted.

 

[mhjett]

Wow, car looks mint—very OEM+! What did you use for adhesive on the spoiler? I have one just like it that I bought as new-old-stock, but the box says it's from October of 08 so I'm going to assume that the adhesive tape that comes on it is no good at this point...

Thanks! Always wanted an OEM painted lip spoiler but they're NLA now, so I got one for $70 from Fyralip -- they're from Taiwan and they claim they use Standox paint. The paint match isn't perfect but the car does have 14-year-old paint so I'm not sure I can fault that. it is a quality job. I'm happy with it for the price. It came with 3M molding tape on it. Not sure how long it stays sticky but you might want to peel the old tape off yours and put new tape on before you install just to be safe.

Here's a full side shot and a photo of the Wolfsburg grille I bought (fortunately before the price skyrocketed--I'm guessing they'll go NLA soon)...

 

[mhjett]

^ nice. Are you in Michigan? Ypsilanti dub, here.

I am, in West MI.

 

[mhjett]

Foam cannon wash -

NOS OEM door sill protectors off eBay for cheap -