VW Golf Mk2 Owners Club

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #90 – July 06, 2021, 11:43:35 AM

No worries, one of the reasons I like forums so much is the information stays out there.
On Facebook, you get instant gratification, but nothing stays on.
The amount of posts people have started about E10 fuel is ridiculous!
 
I'd love to build a 'new' mk2. Imagine rocking up to a show with a small bumper 21 plate with 50 miles on the clock!

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #91 – July 16, 2021, 10:13:24 AM

So... bit of a bottleneck at the moment. Mechanic dude who's calling to do some welding and other bits'n'bobs is on holiday and it'll be a few weeks before he's back.

Having to amuse myself on isolated, piecemeal jobs rather than squander my own time waiting so working in and around the rear beam at the moment.

It was actually a relatively straight forward job getting it out, luckily no rusted in bolts etc. but with a jack and forward planning a one person job.

Like most of the other suspension parts it didn't look too bad insitu but out of the shadows it was a different story.



If like me this was the first time you truly examined your beam, this is what those bushes should look like -



So far only 2 x bolts have defeated me and these are the ones you see here, holding the bushes / beam arm to the brackets.

Fortunately they're accessible to an angle grinder and splitting the nut lengthways and knocking the two halves off let the big hammer do its work. Replacements are easily got, Febi for example do them for small money... some other bolts I'd be less inclined to sacrifice as they can either be difficult to find and expensive if you do.

If you've read the post I did elsewhere about the rust remover, these if proof were needed is that the stuff mentioned works.





Want to press out the old bushes before re-doing the beam itself, but unfortunately don't have the tools needed.

Looking at different pullers etc. at the moment but I'm no expert and don't want to invest in something that's not suitable

Might pay a little more for the right thing as it'll likely get some use on other MK2 jobs, plus the MK1 when the time comes and 205.

Someone else's done this particular job?

 

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #92 – July 16, 2021, 12:59:35 PM

You can get the bushes out using normal tools.
I did this on Tims youtube video...
https://youtu.be/Dg-KbVQO-GM?t=487

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #93 – July 16, 2021, 01:47:21 PM

For the rear beam bush removal, just drill all the rubber out the centre, may snap the odd drill bit so have a few, once drilled all the way through on both sides and all the way around the centre will fall out.


Then all that is left is the outer metal bush frame.


I used a electric recip saw with a metal blade to carefully cut through this making sure not to cut into the beam. A hacksaw would work too just more effort! Once cut all the way through it will release the tension enough to just tap it out.


I did this with the beam just lowered slightly under the car, so will be even easier off the car. I replaced with powerflex items so no pressing in required. But you could definitely get the old ones out without a press and the clean/paint beam etc before getting someone to press in the new bushes. Hope this helps.

Jordan

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #94 – July 16, 2021, 06:51:04 PM

Well, armed with all the above I'd a stab at taking them off earlier this afternoon... and they're gone!

Took a while, think mine must've been on since new and put up quite a fight, even had to get a metal chisel and lump hammer out in the end.

Didn't get as far as watching new ones being refitted, save that for bedtime. Fair play tackling that job while they were on the car, it was tough enough going even being able to manoeuver the beam around to get at the bushes.

Looked too at the Powerflex ones, didn't realise they just slotted in - that alone might've tempted me (they're a bit expensive!), but I'd already splashed out on some regular ones.

Thanks again all - one more job closer to being done.

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #95 – July 17, 2021, 08:22:43 PM

Beam (less bushes), de-rusted / treated and painted... just need to find somewhere in the house, out of the way and safe to keep it!

Managed to find some one who'd post phosphoric acid to N.Ireland, plus it was the 85% stuff.

Quite a few are 35% or 45% (and likely some are even more dilute), worth double checking if you're getting some.

Worked out at £1 less for a litre of it than the cost of 2 x 500 ml of the Rust HG.

Can't find out for sure what percentage strength the pre-prepared HG one is but judging by the improved effect the 85% stuff had when painted neat onto the beam I'd say it's quite a bit less.



 

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #96 – July 18, 2021, 10:11:26 AM

New rear engine mount bracket has arrived -

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #97 – July 19, 2021, 09:44:24 AM

Great work, you don't hang around!

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #98 – July 19, 2021, 12:36:49 PM

It helped that I'd it already 90% stripped back before deciding to do the bushes, God bless whoever invented the flappy disc... have to keep going though, if I stopped now I'd probably never start again.

Sort of only had to half do the 205, as it was an old restoration and the vast majority of the work was stripping / checking and replacing... this has brought it home just the volume of work needed when you're starting from scratch.

It's the wee jobs that're so time consuming... getting even the most basic of parts can take weeks,so I'm juggling umpteen jobs in the air at one time rather than sitting on my hands.

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #99 – July 19, 2021, 12:45:38 PM

Going to stick up some images of the smaller jobs I've already done... for the sake of completeness and to keep the thread going - the bigger jobs are on the cards now but they aren't all that interesting to see until they're done.

Like I said elsewhere, it's awkward taking pics as you work so being on my own it'll mainly be the finished article you'll see.

Didn't intend to post them, they were taken on the advice of an insurance assessor to help with the valuation if / when the car's done.

Randomly -











 

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #100 – July 20, 2021, 08:36:22 AM

Got a complete refurb. kit from Germany... it's not all pictured, but still worked out quite a bit cheaper than just buying the bits I needed individually.

As it turned out they were a collection of mainly Febi items plus a few other well known names.

Some pieces won't be needed, such as the ball at the base of the gear stick... mines still like new and you need to push out a roller pin to replace it which could end up being a needless faff / cause problems where none exist. 

If you're considering replacing the orange bush that's behind the riveted on metal plate - I tried pushing it in but it was just too tight and risked tearing, easiest solution I found was to drill them out and redo.

I'd recommend you looking into this job, there was quite a bit of slack taken away with the new parts, plus some of the originals had noticibly hardened with time.

Don't know why I'd it in my head that the weighted shift rod would be smaller, quite a surprise to see how big and heavy it is in the flesh.

There'd been a build up of grease on the floor of the gear lever 'box' that'd attracted fluff, dust and dirt... don't think it was affecting anything but replacing the old for fresh stuff might help things further.

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #101 – July 20, 2021, 09:16:52 AM

This was one job I did quite early on, partly because I'd read so many horror stories about it and wanted to see how things stood but also the petrol tank came out at the beginning too, (to see what was lurking beneath) and it made sense to remove the ancilliaries with it.

A week of penetrating oil every day thankfully meant no broken floor fixings, but heart in mouth stuff... everything's so fragile and seems virtually impossible to replace nowadays. Why did they make it so light weight and then put it somewhere it was guaranteed to rot out?

The metal frame seems to have taken the worst of it over the years, ironically if it'd been plastic like all the other stuff it might've faired better. Came up OK to stripping / treating, but never going to look like new then who's going to see it again I suppose.

One thing you can still get are those rubber mounting pieces, think these one's were Meyle.

The green ring seal for the pump seemed a bit hard, they're some odd size according to 7Zap and also need to be a certain material to withstand fuel. In light of E10, that's probably even more important than ever.

Can't remember the specifics now, have the details somewhere, but found a guy on eBay who had generic ones of the correct material but they were something minuscule like 0.1 mm out from VW's spec. - seem to fit OK, but time will tell. Kept the original just incase.

Soooo tempting fate, but post clean-up it all seems to run OK on the bench, doubtless that'll change when back on the car.

 

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #102 – July 20, 2021, 10:28:23 AM

Good work, both are on my to do list and you've reminded me I need to pull my fuel pump off before the shell goes to paint!

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #103 – July 20, 2021, 11:04:02 AM

I am interested to know parts like your ecu is that restored or as removed.
scs

Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v...

Reply #104 – July 20, 2021, 06:44:27 PM

That's it after a clean up - the ECU itself I can't do much with other than that, but the likes of the frame / bracket and amplifier I can take off and refinish if needs be.

Not sure about MK2's, but I'm guessing it's the same principle for any similar set up where the amp. is on a heat sink.

On 205's it's essential you clean off and replace the thermal paste if you part them, otherwise it can create problems down the line.

Things like the fuel pump I can take apart that wee bit more... not always possible, but I do try to replace any seals / nuts'n'bolts etc. on top of cleaning what I can.

The original rubber blocks were completely shot, just split into pieces and the metal parts crumbled to nothing - don't cost too much so well worth doing on their own even you don't go any further.