Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: G135EPB 8v GTI (Read 17613 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #30 –
Literally as soon as i got home I started buying parts, mostly 2nd hand. I was keen to keep the 8 valve engine as I have a soft spot for them but definitely want go faster and improve handling.
2 inch Jetex exhaust and Miltek 4-1 manifold

TSR 202 cam

R888's

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #31 –
The Jetex was the only part i fitted immediately. Needed quite a bit of adjusting to stop it hitting beam.


More parts collected
Bilstein B8 shocks to replace the current B4's and a leather corrado wheel



Feared the worst when i saw this so order head gasket parts while I considered a head rebuild and some porting work... until i got some quotes!



This turned out to be a knee jerk reaction. after a compression test all seemed okay. The breather was quite blocked with mayo like stuff also but this was put down to all the short journeys i do  :-[

I was losing some coolant but this tuned out to be the flange on side of head


Then i broke down  :'(  Stunk of fuel and turned out to only be an old fuel pipe had popped off.


All these little issues only seemed minor but made me begin to wonder if an engine conversion would a better option than modifying a 30 year old 150K+ engine  :-\
 

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #32 –
Cliffhanger over the Christmas break. I want you to rescue the original engine but I suspect we are going to see a conversion?

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #33 –
Quote from: PWardy on
Cliffhanger over the Christmas break. I want you to rescue the original engine but I suspect we are going to see a conversion?

The engine ran faultlessly after this, i cleaned the breather and did an oil change but the national meet really opened my eyes to what can be done to a mk2. I felt the need to make it quicker but was fighting myself on whether to keep the 8 valve and spend some money on it or look at the alternative.

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #34 –
I managed to get a good deal on a pair of front & rear eibach arbs on ebay. Lacking confidence and not wanting to attempt this on my own I talked a mate into helping me fit these. So grateful to have done this with someone more experienced- not a job i would like to do again. Was a bit of a fiddle and done on the concrete floor.
Only photo I took of the front arb


Proof the Bilstein b8's got fitted and some hel flexis that had to be shortened


This golf handled so much better on the drive home, so pleased i did both. The arbs and b8's were fitted at the same time so  I can't be sure which made the bigger difference but would recommend them to anyone  ;D

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #35 –
Feb 2020
Pleased with my progress and some of my ebay bargains I then came across an abf at a price couldn't ignore. I cant remember the exact price i paid but it was somewhere around £250 delivered. My 8 valve miltek 4-1 and tsr cam were quickly sold which covered basically the whole engine!


Hadn't noticed that a loom and ecu weren't included in the advert. Annoyed with myself I started searching, Ecus were easy to come by the the loom was proving more difficult. Nobody was willing to sell a loom without an engine. No wonder the engine felt like a bargain. I sent loads of messages out and had basically given up when a chap in Dover said he had one. A ridiculous journey (180+ miles & 3 hours each way) where a courier would have made much more sense, i took a road trip down and collected full loom, ecu, keys and immobiliser ring etc. Paid over the odds but i didn't care until a few days later when I was tagged in a post; exactly the right parts 45 mins away for about a quarter of the price  ::)  i kept finding them after that which was really annoying

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #36 –
A few months passed and covid came along, no furlough for me so the abf sat pretty much untouched. The plan had been to take it to Henry's and do the conversion there, this way i could be involved and learn as i went. I could do the donkey work and Henry the clever stuff.

Covid wasn't going away and I was having 2nd thoughts about the abf over my 8 valve. Reconsidered 8 valves for a while and watched the classifieds for 2.0 bottom ends and modified heads etc A nice 8 valve package came up, a 3a bottom end, p&p head, cam etc. which i strongly contemplated but i resisted. The deciding factor was the fact that the 8 valve would probably be at it limit at 140-150bhp without spending serious money to go beyond. Where as this is the starting point for the abf, it seems to be pretty well documented you can improve on this with not too much effort also.

I came accross a 2.25 trackslag again at a good price so couldn't really say no to. Came with decat section which matches the abf manifold 3 bolt 2.5 inch flange reducing to 2.25. Even if i didn't go ahead with the conversion this can go on my 8 valve minus the decat section.


Another thing i've heard good things about was a lightened and balanced flywheel. Think they start at 5kg? Gas n gears sold me this which was added the growing pile.

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #37 –
Another month passed. I managed to get the exhaust swapped over and sold the jetex on. It was becoming increasingly apparent the abf was getting ignored. I managed to get the inlet manifold and rocker cover off for a clean up.


Decided to powder coat them as i didn't fancy spending hours on this myself. Went for a red rocker and a chrome inlet with a smoked lacquer. Not sure i made the right choice, Done again i would choose something more subtle, maybe aqua blasted inlet and black rocker.


Decided the lettering would look better coloured in. Hammerite, a syringe, cocktail sticks and a steady hand (girlfriends)

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #38 –
Another few months passed with no progress, i got frustrated and very nearly sold the abf on. I was still pretty apprehensive about covid at this stage and was working from home and "staying safe". I agreed to pass it all over to my friend Henry who to be honest was going to do the majority of the work anyway. Pretty dissapointed to have just handed it over but excited to get it done also! Knowing what we know now things would be different.
Engine leaving my dads garage


Last complete photo of the 8 valve


Despite not doing the conversion Henry sent me a lot of photos so will put them on.

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #39 –
Abf arrives at Henry's



Looks quite gubby



Belts off


Little bit of paint, it was what was on the shelf red or yellow


Sump off a diesel windage tray was also fitted



Rocker on and new cambelt



New water pump and original alternator refitted without ac compressor



New crank seal

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #40 –
Time to get the old 8 valve removed






The 8 valve 020 box had been rebuilt the year before with a new Valeo clutch so the plan was to reuse this with the gas n gears lightened flywheel




There was an issue with clearance between the abf downpipe catching the bulkhead. This was fixed by removing the heat shield and removing the polybushed rear mount for a regular one. longer term i think you can buy mk2 abf manifolds but that will be in the future. Might have been better to use the 8 valve downpipe?


Another issue was the decat section wasn't quite suitable meaning it pushed the exhaust onto the tunnel. The plan was to take this to an exhaust shop for adjustment


At this point the car was ready to collect! 1st drive had a hiccup, once up to temperature it cut out and wouldn't restart. It had been ran up to temp on the drive and seemed fine. A bit of a google suggested crank sensor but i had ruled this out as a new one had been fitted before the engine went in. Turns out it was a cheap sensor! The original had already been binned so a Febi one was ordered and it ran perfect  ;D

Got to say I feel like a massive fraud as I did zero other than fit the crank sensor but it was very unusual circumstances (covid) so will just accept it for what it is. Reality is if I had known then what I know now I would have been far more involved, even if I was stood in the way mostly! I owe a massive thank you to Henry for everything.

The drive home was a lot of fun! I'm shocked at the difference and can see why these engines are such popular swaps. It just revs and revs  ;D

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #41 –
After putting some miles on it all was going well! A small coolant leak from a hose on the front flange and a slight oil leak from the rocker gasket were the only known issues. Faffed with both, coolant leak fixed but the rocker took me numerous attempts but got there in the end  :-[  I'm blaming the cheap gasket!


The exhaust issue was rectified by a local exhaust company although not quite to my liking, The exhaust is something i will need re-look at in the future as its quite loud!

I had bought a remapped chip for my ecu earlier in the year and was keen to give this a try. A job within my capabilities!
Remove ecu and the 4 screws at the top

Persuade silver cover off

Wiggle eprom to ease it out

Replace with new one


It does feel a little quicker afterwards certainly after 3.5k. I did think it maybe a placebo effect but i had done a few gps'd runs before and after and it seemed to take 0.2 of a second off my 0-60  :-\

Fitted this novelty badge also

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #42 –
Into 2021 I wanted to try and make some more improvements to keep things moving forwards- mostly mk3 themed. The opportunity to by a Quaife lsd came up although it was for an 02a gearbox. This seemed like a perfect opportunity to move away from my 020 box which i had been feeling sorry for and using sympathetically.

The plan was to take the car off the road for a week or two and swap everything over in one go.

Mk3 top mounts- an easy one with no photos but done on my gravel driveway.

Small collection of parts:
Mk3 fuel tank

1.3 speedo cable

Darkside developments clutch arm & braided hydro clutch line

Gearknob


Turns out my bbs ra's had 8 year old tyres on. Some scruffy g60 steels with decent tyres replaced them for now



Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #43 –
To do the gearbox swap is definitely out of my comfort levels, Not having a garage or half the kit to do it not to mention having a young family, Almost shamelessly handed it over to Henry  :-[ The majority of the parts were bought from him as his car sadly got broken.
Mk5 clutch pedal mounted


02j shifter?

The mk5 pedal didn't line up with the the mk2

Henry made a bracket so they could be mounted together. Should have bought a corrado pedal box  :))


G60 lighted and balanced flywheel with a Sachs vr6 clutch in background

New clutch fork as a precaution

Rebuilt 02a AGC gearbox with a Quaife lsd. These boxes have a 3.9 final drive and fast gears 1-3 but longer 4-5 for better motorway crusing. Felt perfect in Henry's car so was really excited about this  ;D

Home made front cross member with a stronger poly front mount


Powerflex polybushed lower arms were also available, seemed rude not to have them also


Vibra-technics fast road rear mount and gearbox mount


Ferodo DS2500 pads


Mk3 tank went in with some stainless straps but no photos

Re: G135EPB 8v GTI

Reply #44 –
After a few months i developed a clunking noise when i let off the accelerator, quite hard to describe as i haven't got a lot of technical know how. Had a good nut and bolt check as a lot had been touched so recently. Nothing obvious appeared, My biggest fear was the gearbox but i had noticed a split inner cv joint that need sorting. Replaced the whole joint but the noise remained and was getting worse as time went by.

I arranged go round to Henry's to try and sort before the National meet (which was sadly later cancelled). I bought another gearbox to fit temporary whilst we looked at the existing box. If the clunk went on the temporary box at least we would know whet the problem lies.

I actually got my hands dirty for a change! We decided to leave the engine in place and just remove the box in the car


Nice clean but potentially faulty 02A agc box on the bench and a disgusting 02A cda box without lsd on the floor

First time i have (help) taken a gearbox apart


The important part!

and the rest


After refitting the temp box we took it for a drive the good news was the clunk had gone  ;D  The idea was to just get the car back on the road to get to the national meet whilst i decided what to do about a permanent box and what to do with the Quaife. Could sell it on as this was 95% just my daily driver? Also whether to have the box that was now in bits checked over rebuilt?