[project] Silver 1.9 Gti 16v Project (now Gti-6)

[Baz 421]

that's on the back of this months retro cars magazine.

 

Wierd! Chinese whispers then!

[jackherer 543]

Try Steve Greenald at Track & Road, keep hearing nothing but good things!

 

Steve assured me that the idle mixture screw on the outside of an Mi16 AFM affected the mixture throughout the whole range. I nodded, smiled and left shortly after. This was at a rolling road day with several people from this forum there who heard it as well.

 

You seem pretty confident about this Leda employee at Gaz, but I was on the phone with them just a few days ago and they specifically said they had an ex-Leda employee when I said I had some Ledas.

[Alastairh 47]

Still no joy with the shocks- Leda are bloody useless, all i want is a price for the rebuild kits and some new valving. Ive phoned about half a dozen times now and emailed once, and had one phonecall and one email back out of all of that. Literally all they need to do is come up with a price and i will pay them the money, but they cant be arsed, which is a bit of a kick in the nuts seeing as ive got three cars in my workshop with Ledas on them.

 

Spoke to Leda today as they had a stand at Mallory.

 

£75 per shock, £15 for a new piston if iit needs a new one. This includes being setup on there dyno as a matching pair. I explained to him that you had been given the run around and heard that Gaz were offering rebuilds. This hit a nerve as theres some tension between the to companies. But he seemed concerned that they wouldn't be setup on the dyno etc, and they were offering rebuilds for £15 and was too cheap.

 

Al

[taylorspug 7]

Cheers Al, so far all ive managed to get out of them is prices (ie the ones you have found out), but no actual service. Tbh they dont seem interested in selling me the parts to do it myself which i object to. They are my shocks and if i dont want to send them to Leda thats my choice. Its only a few seals and simple hydraulics, so i want to do it myself. Ok i dont have this dyno they keep banging on about, but i want to rebuild them just so i can say ive done it! In my opinion they dont use good enough oil either. Fair enough its good to get shocks matched as pairs, but it isnt a race car, so as long as they have the same parts in them and are rebuilt thats fine by me.

 

I also dont like the piston setup so im changing it which im sure they wont agree with, but their stroke limiting sleeve is a bodge. Interesting the pistons are £15 now, was £30 when i spoke to them the other week. It seems like they are making it up as they go along. I also need the valving, so by the time Leda have fiddled with them it will end up near on £150 a shock. Just to be clear im not really interested in Gaz rebuilding them either, i just want the parts to do it myself.

 

There would be a whole lot less tension between the two companies if Leda actually sorted themselves out and at least got someone in the office answering phones all day, instead of just diverting everyone straight to answerphone!

 

I appreciate you taking time out to ask for me though Al, thanks alot buddy!

[taylorspug 7]

Right the shock saga- part 157.

 

Tried phoning Leda again- no replies, even the mobiles were off.

 

So phoned Gaz, the lady who ANSWERS THE PHONES was very helpful, and as my questions were a little more technical she said she would get someone to phone me back either later that day or the next morning. Within 2 hours id had a call back and all my questions were answered. They quoted me anywhere between £30 and £50 a shock to rebuild, with the damaged valving. Im going to take them up on this as its a fair price and im really super busy with work at the minute and simply dont have time to be rebuilding them myself. Im also aware that because of my lack of time the whole thing is in danger of stalling and i wont have the car for summer. So they will be on the way to Gaz in the morning. Ideally i can also get them to supply me some springs, top nuts and hopefully bumpstops.

 

Id whack some more pictures up but everything looks much the same at the minute, so will wait til the car is back on the floor.

[xxvickyxx 0]

looks good cant wait for my to be done

[taylorspug 7]

More updates!

 

The engine is now running with the sequential injection and narrowband lambda, all seems fine. The loom is all back in and sorted, ive mounted the ECU in the standard place under the dash. All i need to do is make a small braket for the relays to mount to (3 in total, 1 for ECU, 1 for fuel pump, 1 for lambda). Also balanced the bodies with my set of throttle body balancers (had them for ages and they barely get used!), so it now idles and revs alot nicer.

 

Recieved a phone call from Gaz this morning, my shocks have been stripped and billed up for repair- £85 the pair including new damper rods, which i think is bloody excellent value. They are even improving the design of the old rods slightly to make them a bit stiffer, by getting rid of the need for a sleeve nut and using a full nyloc. Not sure if it will make a difference, but hats off to them for putting the time and effort in! Also they will be supplying me with springs and bumpstops at the same time, the whole lot will be at my door for just over £160. Simple innit?!

 

So the list before i can drive it now goes:

 

Filter.

Oil cooler pipes (the current ones are routed right where the filter will go).

MOT.

Ive also got to get hold of the male loom side connector for the TPS. Easy you would think? No, Emerald have sent me the female one i already have on the TPS twice!

[welshpug 1,657]

What kind of plug does it use? take it there's a fly lead rather than plugging straight to the sensor?

[taylorspug 7]

The TPS has got a round three pin plug on it, with bullet type male terminals. I need a male type plug with female terminals, if that makes any sense! Or just give up and get any matching three pin plug.

 

EDIT: In fact bugger it im just going to have the plug off the TPS and buy a fresh male and female power timer.

Edited June 3, 2009 by taylorspug

[welshpug 1,657]

I think I know the type, maybe something like this then? Simtek link not the best picture, but I've found them to be helpful when looking for connectors, they used to do a small discount for forum members.

[taylorspug 7]

Yeah its alot like that, il have a gander.

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Yeah its alot like that, il have a gander.

 

Similar issue and solution with mine Dan. My bike bodies had a female connector with 3off male spades inside.

 

As they were part of the sensor spindle item, I just crimped female spades onto a fly lead (knowing the pin allocations naturally) and bonded/cocooned them in with black silicon. Then I attached a rather substantial but waterproof 3 pin connector (male and female - from a domestic electrical factors) to connect it between TPS and loom.

 

Good luck.

[taylorspug 7]

Drove it today! Running perfect, the rebuilt suspension im very impressed with, alot of work for the money for sure so big thumbs up to Gaz. Chanced it with 8 inch springs and they are fine for getting the ride height I wanted. Tomorrows jobs are fitting the air filter, newly painted cam cover and slam panel, then maybe I can give it a rip up the road rather than just driving it round the yard. Wound some more fuel pressure in, as the gauge was only showing just over 2 bar, and this has improved the cold start/running quite considerably, and also lowered the running temps when idling. Happy anyway, as i can go for an MOT next week now and get back out in the car again.

 

Pictures to follow tomorrow, im off for a few beers now.

[maxi 36 1 Cars]

Sod the details, theres only one thing you all need to know, its sounds the bollocks!

 

Maxi

[Garry 1]

Hello Dan,

 

What poundage are the springs you have now?

 

I bought some 8'' 250lb ones which I am yet to fit, but I may well get the shocks rebuilt as you have. I was told they were recently rebuilt when I bought them, but then I was also told they had 300lb springs

[The Arch Bishop 0]

Might have to pop across soon and have a look Dan. Might give me back some motivation for getting the shed on the road!

[taylorspug 7]

Garry they are 8in 225lb, i find them perfect on the road, and after going for a quick drive yesterday that still seems to be the case even on bumpy back lanes.

 

Lee- I owe you a phone call!

[taylorspug 7]

Quick video below now ive got the filter and slam panel back on the car and its up and running. Im so impressed with it, even with the map that was already on the ecu, the car is alot quicker, drives perfect and sounds perfect. I know the previous car these were on had a few problems with backfiring etc, but tbh i cant account for any of these, its run perfectly all the time so far. The only small issue is it tends to spit back through the bodies revving on cold start, but this clears by 60 deg water temp. Im really keen to get an MOT and give it a proper run now.

 

Quick fly by.

 

The video is crap, it was on a mates phone which doesnt seem compatible with anything else, so the picture and sound quality are way worse than when viewed on his phone in the first place!

 

The wheelspin at the start is in second gear.

 

Ive forgotten to take a couple of pictures now the slam panel and cam cover are on, looks good though so il sort some out.

 

Ive also managed to get a 150mm deep Pipercross filter in the front of the car without it touching the slam panel or the bonnet. It was ALOT of work, i had to modify the filter to do it but its in there. Makes me glad i spent the time getting the inlet reworked to suit my car.

 

EDIT: That road is the one my workshop is on, and theres a nice little country lane 'lap' you can do for test drives!

Edited June 14, 2009 by taylorspug

[Baz 421]

Cheers for the engine and chat etc yesterday Dan, car really does look feckin tidy, your attention to detail and tidyness is sublime!! and;

 

Sod the details, theres only one thing you all need to know, its sounds the bollocks!

 

Maxi

 

Yep, it certainly does!!

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Just brilliant Dan. Several comments now on this forum about the quality of your work.

 

I'm just hoping Fijibob's 405Mi16 is worth restoring and you'll do it. Can't think of anywhere else I'd rather send it, and who to entrust it to.

 

Video's ace, regardless of quality.

[oli-pug 6 2 Cars]

Beautiful ear candy! Did you fit newman ph4 cams in the end too?

[taylorspug 7]

Thanks. No cams fitted yet, ive yet to make a decision/purchase anything. Am going to run the car like this for a bit, its morethan good enough for now.

[taylorspug 7]

Cheers for the engine and chat etc yesterday Dan, car really does look feckin tidy, your attention to detail and tidyness is sublime!!

 

 

Thanks mate, always nice to know your efforts are appreciated. Im so passionate about 205s in general, that standard of work is really the benchmark for me. Was good to have a chin wag with someone 'in the know' too.

 

Rich- Il be making some enquiries regarding the 405 ASAP, so heres hoping I can get it sorted.

 

Also to expand on my shocks for Garrys benefit, im really pleased with the Gaz rebuilt Ledas, id certainly reccommend them (and have done to a few people already). I will certainly be using them again for getting the E30 Ledas done soon.

[The Arch Bishop 0]

Lee- I owe you a phone call!

No worries mate, I've used the time to sort some of the niggly little things, won't be driveable for a week or two yet! Will give you a shout.

 

Ps, your car sounds incredible, even on a rough recording. Just mopping up some drool...

[GLPoomobile 958]

EDIT: That road is the one my workshop is on, and theres a nice little country lane 'lap' you can do for test drives!

 

Except for when it's submerged under 5 feet of flood water

 

Bit I love on that video is the millisecond where you put your foot down. Before you even come in to shot, there's a faint 'nnnnnnnnrrrrrrrrrr', and then you mash the throttle and it goes 'NNNNNAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH ' . Just love it