[Engine_Work] Dobboy's Clean-Up / Gti6

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Been on here for a few months now getting help on daily basis, but reached a milestone and decided i'd put my car story up.

 

 

First of all, last year i started looking for a GTI, i had one back in the day, a white 1.6. E plate, which i loved, but sold to fund uni. I was only young at the time 21 or something, and was paying £1k+ on insurance as they were getting nicked left right and centre. It was worth it though for the amount of riding i done in it!

 

 

Anyway, was looking for a decent one, searched for a bit, and eventually found a candidate near Newcastle for £2.2k, which i was happy to pay if it was as described.

 

Went down, saw a cracked front bumper and plastic wheel arch (not described), riveted on to each other as soon as i got out my car, said hello, and said sorry i don't want this.

 

Had a look about it and saw the history etc, picked a few flaws here and there and said i'd give him £1.4k. The young guy had already been to see a GTI6 that morning for £1.5k, he said 1.5k so i can buy that and it's yours. Deal done.

 

Got home and started cleaning it up and fixing minor issues, and gave it a service..... was a different car for the better.

 

But one thing i noticed was the difference between the back wheel and arch on both sides of the car.....investigated, and rear beam was the prob.

 

Look at where the wheel sits in the arch.

 

 

 

So, i used it for a few weeks at the tail end of the summer, and loved it. But, one night when going too fast 'round a big round about, some knob in an omega or something decides he wants to play, he pulls away from me and i could hardly keep him. Now, bearing in mind i had one of these years ago, i found it unacceptable for the 205 not to be flying buy a family saloon and waving the birdy..... i used to always go by them and put the back window wiper on as a wave signal. So, upgrade of some nature it has to be.

 

The following week i went to Knockhill for the French/Hot hatch day, and met Malc (from here). He was flying 'round the track, he sold me on the idea of GTI6 conversion, and said "it's easy"! (aye right!)

 

So, i looked for the bits i needed. At that time there was no engines available for a few weeks on ebay or scrappies etc, but one came up out the blue on a 24hr sale on ebay finishing at daft o'clock in the morning. So i got it, and arrange for it to be collected etc. This is what arrived.

 

 

It's obviously a bit ugly, but i was assured it was alright.

 

The wiring loom was cut to bits, so i got a new one for £10 which i thought was a bargain.

 

I wasn't having an engine looking like that in my nice car, so i set about cleaning it up. It took quite a few nights with wire brushes, drill fitments etc etc..... then gave it a paint and lacquer etc. I had stripped it down, and what could be blasted was given to a freind to take into work to be PC'd..... "any colour i want as long as it's black".

 

 

After putting in a great deal of effort and expense, i thought "what if i've done all this and i have something seriously wrong with the engine. So, was advised to do a "leak down test". Researched it, bought what i needed, and done it, and it appeared to be good.

 

So, a bit of peace of mind.

 

I was aiming for an "engineered" look on the engine and finished painting around xmas, then started building the bits i had taken off back up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[boldy205 75]

Looks good! what was the problem with the beam? Sits too far back I the arch? Did you find out why?

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

 

It then came to do the timing belt/water pump, which i've never done before.

 

But with the help of the forum managed it.... took nearly day! (but could do one a lot lot quicker now)

 

I then (again with help from on here) managed to change the clutch.

 

 

By this stage i had managed to pull on Malc's heart strings and he agreed to help me pull the engine out and drop the 16V in.

 

So i started stripping out, with particular attention being paid to the electrical side.

 

Disaster (i thought). Mines is Ph1.5 and the guide is Ph2...... one for later.

 

But as it turns out, mines is easier. All of the dash indication (and starter/solonoid wire) comes through the NS, and all of the 8V ECU/injection stuff comes through OS. So used Haynes and numbered everything as i pulled it out and used cable markers (handy for what i had in mind to do)

 

 

On day at the car i had went as far as i could. I had borrowed a hoist, Malc was busy (but told me what to do with shafts etc, so i just went for it and lifted the 8v out.

 

It was very easy.

 

I was under the impression that the exhaust manifold could be adjusted before dropping into car...... so i had read bits on here, and got it all done..... (wrong).

 

Malc arrived the following week, and swapped my Gbox over and we tried the 16V in. The exhaust was hitting gear linkage, so out it came, and he left and i was in a downer lol

 

During the week, i went back to it took exh mani off and got it chopped.

I put the engine in a few times, trying to get the angle on the manifold correct, by shoving washers with a cable tie through them, into the cut, as it was too springy to bend in position.

 

At this stage it was border line,,,,, finish it or phone the scrappy......

 

But i got it fitting nice, and welded back up.

 

Attempt 2

 

Attempt 3

 

 

 

Now, bearing in mind at this stage i know little about the engine, (and i'm electrical biased), i decided that i would fit "the other side" of the 16V's big round plug to my 8V wiring, and the few new wires i need to run in (from NS to OS) to marry it all up.

 

So

 

 

 

 

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

So, the exhaust manifold is good, but i still wanted to tidy up my bay and sort fuel lines and run new brake lines while i have the opportunity.

 

But then i spotted a rotten patch, caused by a leaky MC. This was another feck about. It involved removing the drivers seat (2hrs!), carpet, underlay, dropping fuel pipes, as the welding would be in too close proximity.

 

Now bearing in mind i'm working alone with a grinder prep'ing it for a freind to come and do the welding, next to fuel pipes with a full tank of gas.....in an industrial unit filled with work materials, with the car on axel stands! it was fecking hairy.

 

 

So welder came, and plated both sides, albeit not his best job ever, i did the fire watching duties, but there was no 999 calls.

The prob was also inside the car with his flame, the insulation/dash etc etc.

 

But it got done.

 

 

After reading on here about exhaust heat etc, and having access to good heat proof materials, i thought i'd slip some over my fuel lines. Probably OTT but it does no harm.

 

 

I also attended to sections of painting that had been scratched throughout the yrs, and cleaned up/t-cut'd other bits etc, and done my servo while i could.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

I am/was determined not to use silicon hoses, but reading all the heat stories on here, i decided to make a bit of a heat shield.

 

Managed to beg a rough cutting from a local GTI member, then eventually made it look half presentable, but fully funtional.

 

 

 

Whilst the engine and box were out i fiited a quaife atb...... easy!

 

 

I was/am happy with my bay at the minute, so decided to drop the engine in. Changed all the mounts etc, (vibra tech's to the bottom, new OE to L&R).

 

So dropped it in again for what would hopefully be the last time....

 

 

 

It was then time to focus on the wiring. Now bearing in mind i didn't/don't know much about the engine, and had only performed a simple test on it, i thought well i want to make this easily removable if i have to. So i fitted the "other" side of the big round plug to the new wiring i had ran, and also to the 8V dash wiring at the NS.

 

I had bell'd out all the 16V loom several times, to be safe, with the "other" side plug fitted at the time, and had cable marked everything...... and as i had the 8V loom all cable marked, then it was "paint by numbers" with a soldering iron, generally as the guide on here. However, i have changed over sensors from the 8V on to the 16V block, and done a few minor mods to make it all work.

 

 

I made it fit/hide behind washer tank.

 

 

 

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Sent injectors away and had them cleaned/checked out.

 

 

After what seems like months of 12hr saturday shifts, 6am starts! (which it is) , and couples of hours here and there during the week, i could feel i was getting near the nitty gritty.

 

So, got oil, filters etc, plumbed it up, (using a combination of 8V and 16V piping), plugged my plugs in ........ and although i still have a pipe or two to re-route neater, I went for it.

 

Bit of a hick-up (1)..... eventually realised that i had the fuel pipes the wrong way round. I had them marked up on the bulkhead but must have mixed them up when i dropped them to get the welding done...... sorted it by swapping the flex's over where they meet the solids at the back of car.

 

Hick-up (2) I've used the 1.9's battery.......and it's near dead after sitting so long. So i rigged up two sets of jump leads head to tail, through my unit door, and tried to jump from a transit connect van

 

After a few seconds of whinning, it runs!

 

As no exhaust on, its hard to tell anything else, but there is life in it...... what a relief!

 

So, full of the beans I returned the next day and wanted to try it again, but fitted my down pipe, and tried again with the same set up........ click. click, click..... feck all.

 

I thought, maybe the starter is fecked, and that's why i heard the whinning the day before....... so stripped the front all down again, fitted a different starter, and built it back up, and re-watered etc and tried again....(nearly a full day!).

 

click boump boump boump....... but nothing.

 

when i fitted the down pipe, i plugged in the Lambda..... so maybe there was a problem there? so i disconnected it.

 

Same again.

 

Eventually chucked the towed in..... read the net, and came to the conclusion it was the battery terminals/terminations. The one thing that i should not have tripped me up in all the work i put in!!! grrrrrr

 

So thouroughly cleaned and re-terminated the battery terminations/terminals, connected the van up again..... whist letting it charge up a bit i fitted a middle section of exhaust that came with my engine/ down pipe, and temporarily fudged a new Ph2 back box on to the end of it, so that if it goes i can actually hear the engine, plugged the lambda in again.

 

And after a bit of coaxing it went..... and it sounds ok from what i can tell...... in fact it sounds angry/who the feck are you lookin' at?

 

 

 

It would appear that these engines need a big feck off bit of power to kick them off.

 

So, then fitted battery box to engine bracket and generally looked at it and thought "well done dobboy!"

 

(and started it now and again just to hear it.)

Edited March 28, 2014 by dobboy

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Looks good! what was the problem with the beam? Sits too far back I the arch? Did you find out why?

 

The bearings were away, as far as i know..... got the beam removed/dismantled, took it to be blasted/ powdercoated, then back to be rebuilt etc with new mounts.

 

yeah it was different in both sides, iirc, two fingers one side from sill, three the other side.

[GLPoomobile 958]

More likely the beam mounts were on the wrong way round

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

More likely the beam mounts were on the wrong way round

Na, it was a bearing(s), remember seeing it being all flat at one side, a tidler of a bearing hardly fit to be in a washing machine never mind on a rear beam.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Another little bit of progress last night.

 

Got the throttle cable fitted, albeit there seems to be a few spares in the bag of about a dozen bits it came with and little in the way of instruction, but seems to be functioning correctly.

 

Removed my front struts to make way for the new stuff. B4's, Eibachs, and group N donuts/top mounts. Intend to get top mounts/cups parts painted or maybe even PC'd. I'll need to get the local mechanic to dismantle and let me see what's what.

 

Also removed my front calipers and disks to make way for the bigger calipers i've refurb'd and new disks (Brembo Max).

 

 

Picked up my refurb'd wheels and new tyres (Toyo TR1's) this morning, quite happy with the finish on the wheels.

 

 

 

 

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Bit of progress during the week.

 

Before xmas i bought GTI180 calipers from a scrappy, had them blasted, fitted repair kits, and painted them up. I was wanting annodised colour, but this was the closest i could get.

 

 

 

 

 

Fitted them with new Brembo Max disks and pads.

 

 

 

Also got front struts off, got a local to squeeze the springs, and got the old bits blasted and PC'd. Hopefully get them built back up on the new dampers and springs this weekend. Then i just need to terminate all the new brake lines.

 

 

[GLPoomobile 958]

Hope you're fitting new bearings in to the top mounts when you re-assemble the shocks and springs

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Yeah, the old ones were ok but renewed them, and group n top mounts.

 

Got them done today and on no probs.

 

Still to torque up everything that I've touched under the arches.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

To add, on the B4's the hole was 10mm for the drop links, I had to drill them out to 12mm to suit my drop links. Easy enough though.

[Daviewonder 533 3 Cars]

Sounds like you've got 106 drop links.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Maybe Davie, but the shocks which looked original that can off had a 12mm hole, unless someone had drilled them out also at some stage.

[Malc 45]

Dobboy, calipers!!! Was there a cheap sale on gold paint?

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Malc, there is about 5 coats of VHT on them, took ages to do. They aren't bling in the flesh. Honest!

[Malc 45]

Need to see them in the flesh!!! Sorry just not a gold fan. Hey I can't say anything, mine are a sort of power washed/flaked paint sort of finish, at least you put some effort into making them look reasonable, to be honest I don't care, they stop the motor!!

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

They're not gold, more a kind of brass/copper lol

 

Bling forbidden.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Little bit of progress during the week, and a bit of a set back too.

 

Got all the brake line terminations done and connected up etc, ready for bleeding. Single pipe to the back with a T-piece and compensators removed. Davie from EK (on here) brought over his brake line vacuum pump to help bleeding the brakes. Ended up snapping the NS rear bleed nipple..... tried drilling it out and EZ out but it wouldn't budge, so we bled the pipe connected to the caliper as best we could to at least give me some brakes to move the car if i need to.

 

 

 

Managed to get two rear very similar calipers locally (£30) from an Xsara, So cleaned the caliper bits up and hopefully fit them with new pads this week to my carriers, and ordered another litre of brake fluid from Opie. I should be blasting and painting the calipers but i need to get the car mobile and away to get painted, so the calipers will have to wait until a suitable time. The base model Xsara brake pads and 205gti rear brake pads are same part number so there shouldn't be any problems (i hope).

 

Also, messed about with my temporary exhaust which i now intend to make permanent. It's a 306 decat downpipe, on to a 2.25" (205) stainless pipe with a "cherry bomb" looking thing on the middle of it, on to a new Ph2 backbox. It sounds quite quiet at idle and gives of a nice rip at higher rev's without being too loud. I had only recently noticed that when the back box was hung with the two brackets, it meant the middle section sat too high and stopped the car going into reverse, it was also a bit close for comfort to petrol tank and a brake line. So after a closer look, it looks as though the brackets on the backbox might actually be welded on at the wrong positions..... more work. As i don't have a bumper and valance fitted i'll try measure up from another car to make sure the exhaust will fit correctly when the valance is fitted (after painting).

 

Difficult to see from this, but the back box needs rolled a little, and also the brackets removed and refitted to suit.

 

If someone could measure up from the bottom of tailgate to top of tail pipe it would help, a horizontal measure from the bit of metalwork that hangs down to the side of tail pipe would be great too.

 

Its currently 225mm from tailgate to top of box which i think is too high.... looks like the box needs to shift to NS further too, which a clockwise roll may sort out.

 

 

 

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

My delivery of brake fluid finally arrived today from OPIE, which was ordered on Friday afternoon. So I bled the brakes tonight and the pedal feels good.

 

Also put a pair of wheels on the front, and sat it on all fours. This is the first time in months it's been on the ground..... And very funny to see the front so low after working on it up high for so long.

 

Ended up having to lift the front up on ramps to be able to torque up the lower ball joints (remembered to do this after reading the oval'd hub thread). Then torqued up the top mounts.

 

Had a little spin about a small area in front of my unit. One thing I notice right away is that the car doesn't wheel spin as bad, thinking this might be the combination of the quaife, extra weight of 16v, and new suspension.

 

It's a small area so I can't really see how it goes, but at the moment I don't notice a great deal of difference between the 8v and 16v, but I do notice extra grip when doing big number 8's, the brakes work well, and the car doesn't nose dive when braking hard. The steering may also be a tad heavier when crawling.

 

Something else I noticed was I could feel an ever so slight knock on the brake and clutch pedal when changing 1st to 2nd. I'm putting this down to another few mm needing to be shaved off cam cover, and perhaps I can feel it through the pedal box/clutch cable, but will need to get a better look..... It's minor but I know it would eventually annoy me.

 

Noticed too that there is no leaks at all....but will have to re-tension aux belt as its starting to squeal at start up.

 

Car' looks as though its finally taking shape and I feel like throwing all the plastics and lights back on to get on the road........hopefully the painter can take it right away when I've got it ready for him and only have it a couple of weeks.

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

On it's wheels for the first time in months

 

[Bogsye 22]

Progressing well - Good work. I'm looking forward to getting mine back on it's wheels (at some point)!

[dobboy 231 2 Cars]

Bogsye, it seems to be. Will be glad when it's finito!

 

BTW, have you seen the thread for the scottish members run? think it's the the events/track days section, planned for late May/June (or whenever more than one car is on the road! lol)