The rust is the same battle I’ve had in the 2nd gen ram I have. My excuse for not fixing the oil leaks is that they’re the rust prevention for the frame.

Bingo. Size the engine for the driving style and load range it'll some most of the time at. The only best of both worlds solution is the diesels, unfortunately the EPA made them way too expensive.

Yup, big thing is you now know what to keep an eye out on. I’m pretty sure if you catch the ccv regulator before it fails, you’ll have no issues with the main seal on yours. Having the tensioners inspected during the dsg service and such and you can make it 150-200k without major issues on yours.

A lot of them treat diagnostics as a guess and replace parts until the problem is solved. 

This is revolutionary! Think about the reduction in wind resistance as well, only one truck(the one with the engine) breaking the wind. All these concepts combined would have the potential to break 200 mpg per tonne of cargo weight. The reduction in fossil fuels being burnt would result in fewer green house gas…

Damn, sorry bud. Was it the timing chain?  

I’ll actually still recommend the DSG to anyone, the failure rate is incredibly low. With 220k, one of the bearing is biting the dust on mine, I’m going to catch it before it fails. While there’s a decent amount of DSGs that are scrapped due to mechatronic issues instead of replacing the mechatronic unit or a flywheel…

Only 20 hp difference, it’ll tow the same hill as a auto with no problem. These engines are designed to be loaded down and running between 2000-3000 RPM, the peak low end torque will make zero difference. When towing, you usually don’t go hammer down below 2K(for experienced drivers who understand the idea of…

Should note that I’m referring to the EA888 version of the 2.0T. This is the version of the engine that’s redesigned from the ground up. This is also the first generation where the diesels were not built on the same engine architecture as the gas engines, the diesels ended up redesigning the old platform. I prefer the…

The 3.0 VM won’t be it either. If looking for diesels around the 3.0 size, it’s hard to beat a 3.0 BMW inline 6. They come from compound turbos from the factory and can be build to support 400 hp. The 3.0 TDI can also handle 400 hp pretty well, but it’s with a slower spooling S200 turbo or a large VNT. For…

They more than likely haven’t tuned the engine well or picked out a VE pump engine. It’s best to pick and tune an engine for the application needed, the older non-common rail engines take forever to spool a turbo and have limited rev ranges. The newer common rails can make power instantaneously if needed, assuming the…

I take back everything I ever said. I’m saying this as a guy who’s about to rebuild a DSG transmission.

For preventative maintenance, keep an eye on your crank case pressure regulator. My buddy recommends replacing them every time you change the spark plugs when you’re down there.

This is the right answer. My buddy rented one and absolutely loved it, the 8 speed works very well.

The ESP helps enough for winter without the LSD on the newer VWs. The LSD is still preferred for racing and driving hard at low speeds.

DeWayne, you know better than that. The GLI and GTI knocks everything off the list, except reliability. The EA888 series makes the mid 2000s VW engines look as bullet proof as a 12 valve Cummins.

Ehhhhh. They’re reliable for the first 50k or so. But all bets are off after that. The platform is great. The EA888 engine(even gen 3) is a a design by committee nightmare.

The complexity of the swap for a crappy engine is not worth it. The Cummins R2.8, modern version of the 4BT, 2.8 CRD from a Jeep Liberty or BHW TDI would be a better choice.

Aw, thanks fam. Though, I'll always look up to you(since I'm only 6'8"). 

Well said. Surprisingly, they let me in and mission accomplished.