Turbo Diesel Cabriolet Project (with head porting pics)

[gldgti]

I thought I should start a thread for our Cabby. Its a 1991 with:

> power top
> power windows (working)
> converted to 1.5 diesel by previous owner

We got it in 2009, November. The car needed a new vinyl top, a lot of cosmetic body work, and not a lot else.

I fitted a new top myself about 3 weeks after we got the car, and the ensuing list of mods/repairs is as follows:

> mk3 rear drums, new wheel bearings
> remove after market alarm
> new stereo, 2 new speakers in stock locations in rear, 2 new speakers behind the door cards in front (sneaky) and 2 8" subs and amp in boot, in new side-panels so as to keep stock boot space
> front lowering springs
> modified rear suspension mounts for 30mm lowering on stock struts
> new Bilstein touring class shocks (VERY happy with these!)
> fixed rust in windscreen sill
> replaced passenger side door
> replaced tailgate
> resprayed front and rear bumpers, LHS rear quarter panel, pass door, tailgate, rear brake drums all in factory LA5Y Helios Blue.
> E30 BBS wires, 14x6.5

This is how the car looked recently at our wedding and at the 'nats.:

Nationals day...
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/06/P1010366-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/06/P1010363-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/06/P1010364-2.jpg

Wedding day...
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/06/P10100141-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/06/IMG_0130-2.jpg

A couple of weeks ago the car developed the classic 1.5D headgasket leak - a little oil in the coolant and losing coolant from the front of the head. I thought initially I would simply repair, but we had plans to turbo the 1.5 anyway and with some unrelated bartering I managed to score a 1Y 1.9 Diesel engine.

The 1Y is still indirect injection, and has a largely mechanical pump (with some parts of the pump simply electronically controlled. It is however internally setup to work just as well as a turbo engine as it is without, so we quickly decided that the 1.9 was going into the Cabby instead of a repair of the old 1.5 engine (which will still be put to use in another car, don't worry).

We began work readying the 1.9 for installation over the weekend. We first gave it a pressure clean, then began pulling everything off for a proper clean and paint, and general tidy up. After pulling off the sump and discovering a world of black horrid muck and some water, I have cleaned most of the bottom end up already, and a base coat of bright yellow is on the block, CAT style :-)

Plans for the engine are to run the Garrett T2 that used to live on my AAZ from my mk3. This will give it plenty of low end torque and good midrange, which will be great fun in the lighter mk1 chassis. It should also make it easy to tune it to run smoke free or close to it. This week I'm working on modifying the exhaust manifold so that i can run it upside down, getting the turbo down behind the block so we can run the n/a engines intake manifold, which will let it breath better and improve the off boost performance. I'd like to get it to up around 90hp at the wheels, and with whole lot of torque on hand form about 1800rpm it should be great fun.

I'm also going to upgrade the master cylinder and booster to the SEAT/Mk3 style ones for better stopping power and a longer ratio gearbox and 210mm clutch to finish off.

I'm glad to be putting some effort back into a mk1, its been too long!

[mk3pete]

very pretty:eek:

[sports racer]

That's a really good looking cab, love the colour and that you're going the diesel route.

I've been interested in turbo diesels ever since I saw the Top Gear guys succeed in building a turbo diesel MK1 that got better than 60 mpg and sub 8 sec to 100 ks.

Keep us posted.

[Preen59]

Good stuff mate.

Can't wait to follow the progress. :)

[gldgti]

That's a really good looking cab, love the colour and that you're going the diesel route.

I've been interested in turbo diesels ever since I saw the Top Gear guys succeed in building a turbo diesel MK1 that got better than 60 mpg and sub 8 sec to 100 ks.

Keep us posted.

Ha - never seen that one but will be searching youtube tonight for it :-)

[Domel]

Not a huge fan of the 'Cabrio', but this one I really like - very nice!

[gldgti]

Not a huge fan of the 'Cabrio', but this one I really like - very nice!

Thanks! I think the Blue really suits the car, especially with the bbs rims. I never wanted a cabby, but we got one (it was diesel and my wife liked it) and since then we've fallen in love with it. The way they feel on the road is so good, driving it always puts grin on your face. Plus, driving a car with no roof is awesome.

[Domel]

Thanks! I think the Blue really suits the car, especially with the bbs rims. I never wanted a cabby, but we got one (it was diesel and my wife liked it) and since then we've fallen in love with it. The way they feel on the road is so good, driving it always puts grin on your face. Plus, driving a car with no roof is awesome.

This thread made me look some up on carsales :) Agree, the wheels suit the car very well, plus the colour and body kit (although I think this is standard?) are just spot on, too. Nice :)

[gldgti]

yep, thats all standard 90's cabriolet body kit.

[Preen59]

Plus, driving a car with no roof is awesome.

Yeah you really don't get it until you drive one. They're super cool.

[Jarred]

I have to say, I wasn't too sure about getting a cabby, but after owning one for a while, I have to say it's pretty good! WIth factory sways allround (and coilovers) it handled quite well!

Can't wait to see the rest of the project develop.

[sparkie]

Hey gldgti, I have just bought a petrol Cab, pick it up at the weekend, and I also want to diesel it. I have a choice of 1.5 NA 4 speed (mk1), 1.6 non intercooled turbo 5 speed (mk2), or I could retire the Mk3 Tdi car and put the engine in the Cab. What would you suggest?

[gldgti]

to be honest hte 1.5 in the cabby is pretty slow. Our 1.5 is a good runner and seems to make as much power and torque as any I've driven, but in the cabby it was quite slow.

1.6TD is a good option. BTW - you can use the cabby gearbox if you want. I think a lot of cabby's have AUG which is a bit of an aweful set of ratio's for a diesel, but still better than a mk1 4 speed in my opinion.

Its a much bigger effort to swap in your TDI, unless you want to build/purchase a M-TDI pump.... then its as easy as either of the opther options.

I would go for 1.6TD for simplicity.... amazing that you have one!

[JustMark]

http://youtu.be/yGBqBVoAcMs

Here is the top gear vid if you havent seen it yet...

gldgti

I'd love to see some photos of you flipped manifold. Or a photo tut if you know of one. or what is required...

I've just sourced a 1.6td that i am currently putting into my golf and i'd love to give it a bit more go. Ive got an A2 petrol manifold that i was going to bang on my 1.5 with some headers, but now ive got the TD i'd love to put it on that.

Mark

[gldgti]

Mark,

Unfortunately I havn't got around to doing the manifold this week so your in luck, I will detail it for you when that happens.

[JustMark]

That would be awesome

Thanks mate

[gldgti]

sorry guys, the project stopped for a few weeks while I sold my mk3 and we only got back into it last weekend. The simple engine swap has turned into a bit of an engine rebuild, with the head coming off and stuff so hopefully i'll get some pics happenning and progress to show this week for you all.

main thing is that this one has a deadline on the end of september 'cos I want it back driving with the 1.9 turbo before rego comes around again!

[gldgti]

so got busy today :-)

carbide rotary burr tool....
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010478-1.jpg

the 1.9 8V head flows pretty well, but theres always something you can do to imporve things... the most beneficial place is right near the valves on the inside of the radius. There's a pretty obvious ridge there that i tried to photograph.....
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010476-1.jpg

and after some shaping....
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010477-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010483-1.jpg
after that, I gasket matched the intake ports.... normally this isnt the best way to do it, but I actually used the witness marks on the head and manifold from where thay had been bolted together for so long.... ought to be pretty reliable. THe fact I had to take a lot less off the manifold compared to the head goes to show that the stock parts are'nt perfect....
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010485-1.jpg
nowhere was that more obvious than the exhaust ports.... a full 4mm narrower and 5mm shorter than the ports on the exhaust manifold.... so plenty of blending out there...
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010486-1.jpg
cleaned head
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010484-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010487-1.jpg
I like what the block casting says :-D
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/08/P1010479-1.jpg

more to come tomorrow!

[gldgti]

Head is back on the engine today. Bottom end is all together. Pretty pictures to come tomorrow.

Only had to put a set of new big end bearings in, other than that it all looks great for boost.

[sports racer]

Got my fingers crossed for you. :banana:

[gldgti]

some pics.... things are coming together...a little slower than i'd hoped but they are.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010512-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010513-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010514-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010515-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010519-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010516-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010518-2.jpg

the turbo's sort of back-to-front from the normal setup for the diesels, but for once it will be easy to run the intake pipes....at the cost of the exhaust being a little tricky, i expect.

[gldgti]

Just ran some rough calculations for power - hoping I should be able to get ~90kW@4500rpm and 300Nm @2000 rpm with this setup. That will have the little turbo pretty much maxed out but in my experience the GT-15 takes a lot of punishment.

Should be a ripper! Looking to sort out the oil lines tomorrow morning.

[Dub Toffee]

Mate this is adventurous, really cool build :-)!!
Love the idea of a turbo diesel cabby

[gldgti]

Thanks mate, should be good fun - I used to run basically this setup in my mk3 TD (engine was aaz in my mk3 and it had no head work) but it used to break traction in first gear in the dry when boost came on....and 3rd gear in the wet... so in the cabbie it should be excellent :-D - and with less weight I reckon it will surprise a lot of other cars ... well it'll be nice anyway :-)

[Preen59]

Great to see some progress, Aydan. Loving it!!

[GoLfMan]

great project man! Love how you dive in and do everything yourself :)

[gldgti]

I've been punished with the flu overthe past week, still have it, but spent today doing some pottering around.

got the waste gate mechanism sorted... because I've flipped the exhaust manifold upside down, I've had to re clock the turbo so that everything is pointing in the right direction - that also meant making some modifications to the waste gate actuator. heres a quick video of it operating - i just use my bike pump to provide some pressure to the actuator. You can use this method to set the opening pressure if you want, but i'll be using a turbotech manually adjustable boost controller to regulate the boost anyway, so it opens at about 6psi (setting it low means i'll be able to run vacuum via a solenoid to the other side of the actuator diaphragm, so that i can electronically open the waste gate at any time - for instance on the highway, with the wastegate closed, this turbo can easily make 12psi cruising at light throttle.... i'd rather it was just spooling along gently at 2-3psi when I don't need any boost though, so thats the reason for being able to open the waste gate whenever I like. It also helps to reduce the pressure in the exhaust manifold during cruise, which helps fuel economy a bit.
http://youtu.be/S6rR3EX-c2E

also, I've been fixing Preeny's GLD's injector pump - here's what you get when you take the Bosch VE injector pump apart -
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010522-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010520-2.jpg
and here's the problem - seized vanes in the supply pump part of the pump.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/09/P1010521-2.jpg
new one is on the way and should be going in next week sometime. :-)

[Preen59]

Yikes. Thanks for the help on this one, dude. :)

[gldgti]

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010525-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010523-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010524-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010526-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010527-1.jpg

this is a quick video explaining the alternator setup and the tensioning mechanism..... I know I could buy a kit from INA, but that just doesnt make use of the otherwise useless parts I have lying around.....

A serp setup in my mk1 on a diesel engine for free? - thats why I do this stuff at all.
http://youtu.be/oCkxHdsoyoA

[gldgti]

Wow, I'm tired....

Big weekend - I thought I'd finished it at 6pm tonight and with a half dead battery from cranking it over I decided to roll start it down the street from my house.... this gives me about 8-10 attempts at a roll start before I get to flat ground and cant go any further...

Anyway, once i was at the bottom of the hill, having had it **almost** run a few times, I walked back to my house for jumper leads and a car. I thought it sounded like the timing was too retarded (it was) so I adjusted it in the dark on the side of the road and gave it another go.

To cut a VERY long story short, it runs, but only idling. I think however long the injector pump was sitting was too long, and the vane pump is not working (just like the picture on the previous page of Preeny's pump) ((which incidentally Chris I'm almost done with, sorry for the long wait)).

some pics, and a basic list of whats gone in:

> 1.9 TD diesel with GT-15 turbo
> long runner intake manifold
> 600x225x65mm FMIC
> 2" hotside and 2.5" cold side IC piping
> bigger brake booster
> mk2/3 alternator on a single serp setup
> 2" downpipe (its a small turbo OK!!!)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010528-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010530-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010531-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010532-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010533-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010534-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010535-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010538-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010539-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/10/P1010540-1.jpg

[Jarred]

loving it!

good work on the alt bracket mods too!

[GoLfMan]

nice work Aydan!

[Greg Roles]

I am real jealous of how nice the plumbing is on your setup, my TDI had so much crap in the way!

That intetcooler fits a treat, you going to drill some holes in the bumper?

Looks like a nicely setup system, should flow bloody well!

[gldgti]

Thanks for the encouragement fellas!


I am real jealous of how nice the plumbing is on your setup, my TDI had so much crap in the way!

That intetcooler fits a treat, you going to drill some holes in the bumper?

Looks like a nicely setup system, should flow bloody well!

I'm not going to make any mods to the bumper/support panel as it stands at the moment.... its kind of a wait and see thing. For the purpose of the car, being my wifes car primarily and not for track work etc, even if the intercooler doesnt work at peak efficiency 100% of the time, I don't think we'll notice. I guess the main thing is that it can cool off between boost spikes.... rather than it being able to cool well all the time.

All the intake piping is SS mandrel bends apart from the silicone you can see, so yeah it shoud flow pretty well - probably a lot better than the setup I had on the mk3 (lessons learned ;-) )

The main restriction as I see it (apart from the turbocharger) is the airbox - its std mk1 fair which has a decent sized filter element but only has a 2" outlet. I did get an airbox from a '05 lantra that looked like it would fit but its very tight. Actually, I reckon the airbox from a late golf/octy/caddy/jetta diesel (all the same as far as I can tell) looks about the same external dimensions as the mk1 box I fitted in there, so that might be a good upgrade option.


I almost forgot - I managed to drive it into my garage from the lawn tonight.... after last night shenanigans I decided what it needed to run was a bit of fuel pressure to the pump (since its own lift pump doesnt seem to be working).

So, cue bike pump attached to the fuel return line, sitting next to me in the passenger seat, I pumped it up to a couple of psi (that is the fuel tank :-) ) and started her up and sure enough it runs like a beauty! ofcourse, with only limited pressure, its got bugger all advance so it will only rev up to about 2000rpm but it was plenty enough to get me where i needed to go and I'm pleased to say the engine starts and runs sweetly - I even managed a few psi of boost :-D

That means the injector pump will be coming out tomorrow for a rebuild :-( ahh well, could be worse.

[gldgti]

update - car is almost registered :-)

[gldgti]

Bit of an update for those interested:

> Got all the wiring sorted in the engine bay
> Fixed the injector pump. Took it completely apart no less than 3 times!
> Installed boost, oil pressure and EGT gauges
> Had to retorque the nut holding the oil coole onto the filter housing - after it had seated a bit it started pouring out oil everythwere.
> still got to sort a small leak from the sump gasket... this is annoying, it was a brand new gasket with the baffles but I can't figure whats wrong so tonight I drop the sump and am replacingthe gasket with a TDI (non baffled) gasket.
> Boost set to 8psi ( :-( ) until I can put a couple of thousand km's on the new bearings and get all the bugs ironed out
> gearbox and linkages work great!
> intercooler works great so far!


So how does it drive? Well keeping in mind its tuned totally smoke free, and only running 8psi, its still about twice as fast as the 1.5D (feels like!!!) and its REAL quick off the line! obviously the long runner intake is doing its job nicely!

I gotta say the strangest thing is the sound it makes - its unlike any other golf i've ever driven. kind of growls, huffs and whistles all at the same time - quite strange but kind of cool... I guess?

Anyway, hopefully rego tomorrow!

[gldgti]

UPDATE

Further to chasing the oil leak, I discovered last night it is coming from the only oil seal I did not replace during the rebuild :facepalm: - the intermediate shaft seal!

So thats the job for the weekend!

[Preen59]

Way to go, dude!

If you had have told me about the seal earlier I could have mailed you a couple. I've got them coming out my ears. FYI for people that don't know, the seal is the same as the 8v camshaft seal and same on most, if not all models as far as I know. :)

[gldgti]

Just for added complication, I replaced the intermediate shaft oil seal but realised it wasnt leaking from the seal, but from the IM shaft retaining flange O-ring seal.... why? Because when I dismantled the engine and pressure washed the block, I lost the O-ring and never replaced it - WHOOPS!

I fixed it all up and she's running like a trooper and not a leak in sight, its about the cleanest engine I've ever had in a VW bar none (not even the SKODA!)

Got the rego inspection passed this afternoon, so it'll be road legal tomorrow!

This was the pump for the 1Y engine apart:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/11/P1010541-1.jpg
Some corrosion on the cam plate....
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/11/P1010542-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/11/P1010543-1.jpg
I had to re-use the plate but it was easily cleaned up - I used some fine valve grinding paste and the little rubber wheel for my dremel to buff the cam_plate smooth. I'd say this method would be good for any injector pump parts..... speaking of which, I'm pretty adept and IP repairs now so if anyone needs any help, let me know.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/11/P1010544-1.jpg
These parts are 2 pump heads for the VE pump - the smaller plunger is from the 1Y pump,
it has a 9mm plunger (less fuel). The big one is from a TDI pump - its a 12mm plunger - that equals LOTS more fuel - so much infact, when I tried it (of course I tried it!) I couldnt get it to idel without smoking a heap. Sounded a bit like one of those diesel drag cars or a pulling tractor, and I imagine I could have melted pistons/turbo's in no time at all! Anyway, since this is a cruiser really the big pump head is going in the parts bin for my twincharge project, should give all the fuel I need :evil:

The completed engine bay:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/11/P1010546-1.jpg

Cabby with a new heart
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2011/11/P1010545-1.jpg

Vid for a bit of noise!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cHeEI2kRks

[Transporter]

Nice job mate. :)

[Greg Roles]

Wow, that's a huge effort mate, and when I look at all the parts on the bench, I have no idea what they are......

Have you bead rolled the ends of the plumbing at all? Is it in Stainless ( knowing you! ).

There's nothing quite like a total rebuild, and I'm sure it gives you immense pleasure to know it's all done right under the bonnet. Great to hear about it's fast takeoff too, that's new for a diesel!

Love to hear a video of it too Aydan, sounds like it's a unique noise.

[dubmc]

nice work mate, it has to be one of the few caddys that i can honestly say i actually like...i think that would be a great setup and it's good to see so many MK1 projects happening at the moment all of a different nature!

[Preen59]

Winner. Congrats, man. Really well done. :)

[gldgti]

Thanks fella's - makes it feel worth the effort when people appreciate all the work I've been doing :-)

Cog, you can hear it in the vid I posted at the end of my last post! For the piping - yes it is stainless (but of course!) and so I just put about 6 blobs of mig weld around the circ of each tube end - this is plenty for the 2" stuff and I put about 8 blobs on the 2.5" tube.

Got it rego'd this morning, drove it to work today - 35 degree heat, got stuck in traffic on the F3 because of an accident and she didnt miss a beat! I was a little concerned that all the excess heat loading coupled with the big intercooler infront of the rad might cause problems, but it seems to run just the same on the gauge as it did with the old engine.

A lot quieter in the cruise than the old engine - mainly because of the turbo muffling the intake and exhaust. Also, now I've had a chance to drive it at highway speeds I can confirm that it needs more fuel :banana:. I guess I'll have to just keep myself in check until I've run in the new bearings and then let myself loose on her.

Pretty safe to say once its all tuned up it will fly though - so I'm very much looking forward to that!

[Dub Toffee]

Very Gutsy build mate well done and really in line with current manufacturing trends its great how diesel has become so popular.
Love the photos and cant wait to see it and get taken for a joy ride ;-) sorry the caddys not running yet lol
Who would have thought a turbo diesel cabby!

[gldgti]

Thanks mate - its nice to have a car that we enjoy cruising around in so much that also uses hardly any fuel, best of both worlds for sure.

After driving it home tonight can't get enough of the off the line torque, its quicker from a standstill than all my previous cars. My mk3 with the big turbo used to be slow off the line but had loooong legs, this is quite the opposite really but I wont have to lose the off the line accelleration when its tuned up!

I guess I should make a point that when I describe these characteristics I'm really talking about the way it responds to normal driving inputs rather than actually trying to go fast - its the characterstics of the powerplant that you get during normal driving that you live with 90% of the time - thats why i drive diesel :-)

[Jarred]

great work!! love your reasoning and DIY skills!

[Dub Toffee]

Can't forget to mention how fun it was seeing this puppy
in the flesh. Was a tidy project
That was running like a Swiss watch.
Thanks for a run in it mate, your going to so much torque when u boost this thing all the way :-D

[gldgti]

Thanks mate. New radiator is in and working great, probably a good thing given the extra heat loading of the big engine and intercooler up front.

Last night I fitted my new turbotech mk2 boost controller (good for 60psi!!!) and took the car for a little run - hit 22-23 psi easy as you like! But the little turbo probably wont last long like that so I've dialled it back to about 17psi. All the IC piping/connections are holding out no worries which is great, and the intercooler seems to be doing a great job where it is for now.

I've turned the fuelling up a little but this pump is seriously limited in its fuelling capacity - I can't make it smoke really which means all the extra boost only gives a little more power :-(

still, it lights up the tyres pretty well :-)

I think I'm going to need to put a bigger pump head on it mainly because its still slow at high speed/load. Just doesnt have much once your at freeway speeds, which just feels annoying considering how fast it is around town now. Anyway that'll be the next project.

Still no milage figures yet unfortunately, I've only use one full tank that I measured the km from and I forgot to work it out but its somewhere between 5-6l/100km which is great considering i've been using full throttle most of the time :-D

[hiho]

An inspiring build Ayden! Love your work

[gldgti]

Thanks man!

Little update for this puppy - I'm buying a house so my coilover budget has been put a fair ways down the list - I'd like to go for some weitec's when the time is right - but I was having major issues with the handling on the lowered springs and bilstein touring class shocks, because of the extra weight of the 1.9, the intercooler, pipework etc.

Anyway I've had a set of hottunings sitting around for ages doing nothing, so I fitted them on the weekend along with new Prothane rear beam bushings.

I never really liked the hotuunings for their insufficient rear shock length and seemingly rediculously high spring rate, but in the cabrio with the fronts wound about halfway up (ride height same as on the lowered springs) and the rears a touch higher than before, they are a lot more comfortable and stable than the springs/shocks I had before.

The extra weight of the cabrio makes a bit of a difference to the comfort factor, and then add in the heavier engine and the front is really quite good.

I still cant fathom why the hell the rears are so short, but its working OK, mainly notice it on large undulations when the car "drops off" an edge in the road - because there's only about 15mm of compression under the normal weight of the car, the back of the car falls rather quickly - other than that its fine really.

Anyway the "long and the short" of it is that the cars handling and comfort have improved significantly and I haven't spent a cent, so I'm happy.

To make it even better, the balance has shifted to the rear a bit making it simple and easy to drive it a bit like a pug 205GTI, if you know what I mean :-)

[gldgti]

UPDATE

First service yesterday, did liquimoly engine flush and MoS2 treatement, changed the oil cooler to an old one (the aftermarket new one I fitted during the build had crushed, making a seal with the oil filter impossible!).

Also rebuilt the injector pump with a 9mm head instead of the 8mm one that was on there - this equates to ~26% more fuel and has really livened it up, with more in it to go. no figures yet but its not slouchy!

[Dub Toffee]

maybe your both going to need a neck brace a helmet and a 6 point harness he he :-)
Nice work Man!!

[gldgti]

So the cabby is going very nicely now.

Boost control pretty sorted, currently running about 17psi. Fuelling is maxed out until I get some bigger injector tips.

The sun came out today, and wifey was away aswell so I took the car out to stretch its legs a bit ;-). A perfect evening for a drive and the car performed beautifully the whole time. It was a great opportunity to test the engine/trans setup out with some extended high loads. EGT's peaked out at only 1100 F so with more fuel its got a lot more power in it yet.


http://www.youtube.com/embed/tGF6Bk2Qr7U

[Dub Toffee]

Bring it on! SOLID build man ;-)

[gldgti]

purchased new disks/pads and shoes today :-) lots of work this weekend (changing the gearbox aswell!)

[Greg Roles]

Ahh, how I miss diesel tinkering....bloody business....hang on, it will end up paying for diesel tinkering.....carry on.

Jealous of the fun you are currently having all the same!!

[gldgti]

Thanks Greg -

well it was a pretty easy gearbox swap, the old box was a CHB and the new one is a DFQ - dfq has longer 4th and 5th gears and a large input shaft.

While i was in there I swapped out hte old diesel flywheel for a slightly lightened and balanced SEAT flywheel - engine revs very freely now and the idle is smoother.

The longer gears are much nicer and the car feels pretty fast now considering :-)

I managed to get the new disks and pads on the front (also swapped the calipers for some not so worn ones) but didnt get to the rear shoes yet.

Test run was a bit of fun though - thinking "right, get up it, through the gears..... wow thats quick... hang on, new disks and pads, not bedded in yet.... gently gently!

[hiho]

Glad the gearbox is a good one. What work was done to the flywheel? Is it possible to lighten/balance it without mounting the assembly on a crankshaft?

[gldgti]

Matt, I can't tell you what was done to the flywheel other than I can see that its a bit lighter than original, and it has non-original balancing marks on it too.

I dont see why you couldnt balance the flywheel by itself statically.... the only way to balance the whole assembly would be dynamically as far as I can reason.

[gldgti]

Finally found someone local to machine my flywheel, so I (again!!!) changed the flywheel yesterday for the original, now properly machined and lightened a bit to be just under 5kg (stock weight is around 5.8kg).

Working towards running it in the Nationals Supersprint, so a bit of work to do to make it nice and tidy in aid of a day of reliable running :-)

[gldgti]

Well, its 4 times I've had the gearbox out now since the engine swap - needless to say I'm getting pretty damned good at it and also pretty damned sick of it.

Anyway, finally its running smoothly and once the flywheel and pressure plate are bedded in the clutch should hold too.

While I had the gearbox out, I took the oportuninty to do a few other things in aid of the upcoming supersprint. First, I swapped out the standard master cylinder for a later model 22mm one and associated booster. Also, I replaced the steering rack mounts with new red poly mounts (wow what a difference that makes!) and put a new (adjutstable) tie rod on the passenger side.

Tomorrow morning I have a 5 speed shift linkage kit to go in to make it "good as new". Basically, I'm just concentrating on replacing and refreshing things to make it reliable as opposed to fast for the supersprint - if I can go out and run it all day I'll be more than happy :-)

[abreut]

Great, looks like you are on track for Wakefield. Those poly steering bushes do make a difference, makes you wish they never moved away from the solid rack mounting in the early golfs!

The best thing to do with our old/modified cars before a supersprint is just get them out and drive them a bit and hopefully flush out any bugs. Thats the one advantage us guys with still-registered cars have.

[gldgti]

Indeed - took the car for a bit of a drive just now and man those bushings are so much better. So much, infact, the gear linkaage assembly moved (rotated) up quite a ways, putting the adjustment way out and causing the selector arm to foul on the turbo intake pipe, where before it cleared!

Anyway I modified the selector arm to give it enough clearance for the turbo intake pipe and made a new bushing for the main shift rod and its beautiful now.

We'll be driving the car all week commuting to work as I now have to try and run in the clutch assembly.

Your not wrong though mate - nothing like a lot of driving to bring all the little bugs to the surface!

[gldgti]

I promise a video tomorrow, but for now, let me just say....

WORKING TACHOMETER!

[gldgti]

April 23, 2012 8:20 AM - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM7krI_qjGY&sns=em)

[Preen59]

Nice work, dude! :)

[Greg Roles]

Yeah, good to see someone from the old crew keeping the diesel tinkering alive!!

I've gotten so darn busy, but in a good way!

[hiho]

Nice work Aydan!

DId you use the "W" terminal technique? How did you go about calibrating it?

[gldgti]

I bought a laser tachometer from Jaycar to measure the engine rpm. I have a mk2 90amp alternator which already has the w terminal, so that part was easy.

I simply connected the tach up to the alt, +12V and gnd (while it was still out of the dash) and then adjusted the varistor to calibrate - easy! checked it at a few different rpms and found it to be as accurate as I could discern from the needle, so no probs there!

[gldgti]

Been doing some more work prepping the car for the supersprint - heres a list of what I've done since I decided to run:

> poly steering rack bushings
> passenger tie rod
> fixed small oil leak (due to missing bolt in the front end oil seal housing - whoops!)
> fixed alternator mounting to eliminate a vibration problem
> re-routed intake and hotside boost piping
> re-routed crank breather hose
> got tachometer working
> new block water hose
> new master cylinder
> SEAT booster
> new pads/rotors/shoes
> new clutch
> machined flywheel
> got tacho working
> rear beam poly pivot bushings
> renewed and adjusted gear linkages
> fixed dash panel a bit
> tidied engine bay wiring
> installed fire extinguisher passenger footwell (added reingforcing plate to underside of floor panel in the process)
> battery triangle and tow markers
> secondary bonnet restraint (or is it tertiary!)
> swapped cheap crap tyres off for firestone firehawk wide ovals, 185/60/14 on the 6.5" BBS
> removed audio equipment from boot
> remounted boost controller
> changed coolant
> painted a few bits and pieces


still to do...
> new injector tips
> new injector lines
> alignment

I took the car for a run last night and the clutch seems to be bedding in well, I didnt encounter any slip even with some full power 3rd gear pulls, so its looking good.

for now, heres some pics...
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010630-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010629-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010627-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010626-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010628-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010625-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010624-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010632-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010633-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/04/P1010621-1.jpg

[Preen59]

Looks really good man. How do you think it'll go in the SS?

[jasn78]

Just read through the thread, and I really love the idea of a diesel cabbie :) Looks awesome man good work.

[abreut]

That's an impressive to-do list you ticked off there! 4 weeks to go you should be well prepared.

[gldgti]

Looks really good man. How do you think it'll go in the SS?

Thanks man. Well, I'm sure that trophies are well out of the question given the class I'll have to run in... (and that I'm a complete amateur) - BUT - I really hope I'll be able to run it all day without any hiccups and just get some laps under my belt, so to speak.

BTW - if anyone wants to come along on the day to hang out/help out/socialise, that's be awesome. Preeny?

[Preen59]

BTW - if anyone wants to come along on the day to hang out/help out/socialise, that's be awesome. Preeny?

When's it on? You know me.. I don't mind swinging spanners. :)

[gldgti]

Little update -

Been working hard on the cabby to get it tip-top for the supersprint, mostly on the clutch (urgh).

Since last time I posted on it, I've had the gearbox out another two times.

First, I found the input shaft seal on the DFQ was leaking a little bit which wrecked that clutch. Then I swapped the CHB back in with a normal pressure plate and a SPEC 6 puck sprung hub disk.

The 6 puck I was a little weary about because it got gearbox oil all over it once upon a time when a diff rived punched out of the casing in my old mk3, but I had tried to revive it in a bath of metho... anyway long story short it didnt work.

Then on saturday I put in a new 210mm stock disk with the spec heavy pressure plate - and this has finally sorted it - phew, with but a week to speare before the SS.

I also modified a plastic undertray from a mk3 turbodiesel to fit under the engine bay - this is to help with airflow under the front, get a bit of suction happening for better cooling and it also looks a lot neater! no pics yet sorry.

I think I'm all ready for the weekend, should be good!

[Dub Toffee]

Nice Work man should be heaps of fun to burn around in for the day!!
All that Clutch work you deserve a good run!

[Water Boy]

Most important thing for a track days after steering is brakes. Make sure you brakes can "last" the day, having good friction material and good fluid and doing a cool down lap will look after your stoppers!

[gldgti]

Most important thing for a track days after steering is brakes. Make sure you brakes can "last" the day, having good friction material and good fluid and doing a cool down lap will look after your stoppers!

thanks mate - yes I agree, I put new linings everywhere and new fluid already :-) I think they usually run the nats supersprint with a warmup lap, 4 hotlaps and a cool down lap per session...thats in the regs anyway.

[gldgti]

Well we had a good fun day - weather started out freezing cold, spitting rain and winds gusting to 45km/h. It gradually died down and the sky gradually cleared after lunch.

During the familiarisation session, I could tell that there would be hardly any grip with the old road tyres and the weather conditions, and I could feel the back end wanting to step out pretty much any time I was cornering except when I had the right pedal floored. This is probably a lot to do with the old crusty tyres, the crappt hottuning coilovers and the 38psi highway pressures I was running :-)

Regardless, I went out there and attempted to drive it as hard as I could.

Had a little spin on the first lap of the first session after overtaking a beetle on the back straight, that was fun. No dirt for me though, stopped right in the middle of the track (DOH!)

After that, I didnt have any more mishaps as conditions got better and the grip improved (for everyone it seemed).

Steering was great all day, but the lack of grip probably didnt push the components too hard.

Brakes were also just fine - I did manage to heat the up very well indeed, but I never lost stopping power (I could just smell them bigtime!)

As for the engine - well, it ran like an absolute dream all day - except that I blew the boost hose coming off the turbo towards the end of the second session. I didnt realise it was that hose, so I went out in the 3rd thinking I'd fixed it, only to realise I hadnt, drive the whole session anyway with the hole getting worse and worse, turbo screaming and boost dropped to 8psi (not nearly enough!)

Found the problem after that, cut 35mm off the hose so I could reattach it and run again in the 4th session. Got 3 complete hot laps out of it before it blew out again! Knowing I couldnt shorten the hose any further, I ended the day there having completed ~65km worth of laps.

I tried to fix the hose with a bit of duct tape and some epoxy, turned the boost down to 9psi (the lowest I can go with te controller) and we headed home, wifey at the wheel. The hose held out about 20km, after which point I had a brainwave and connected the brake vacuum to the vacuum side of the wastegate, effectively reducing boost to 0psi and we drove it home that way without any issue. I might add that with no boost at all, it performs quite well still, soaring up all of the hume and F3 hills without a worry - making me glad I bothered to do what little port work I did and use the long runner intake manifold.

Anyway that was our day. It was fantastic fun and I learned a LOT. Should be able to go out there next time and give an even better account of myself and the car, hopefully.

For comparisons sake, I started the day doing high 1:35's and my best in the 4th session was a low 1:27.... I think sorting the rear grip would see a few more seconds off that easily - and If I could drive without looking at the guages all the time probably even more ;-)

[gldgti]

Well, after the SS, I've replaced the one remaining rubber hose with silicon, and added some Mad Max style boost control!

The Boost control is the best mod yet as far as I'm concerned. What I've done is to tee off the brake vacuum for some vaccuum supply, and run it to a solenoid valve (available from Jaycar). This supplies vacuum to the backside of the wastegate actuator when open - BUT - you need to bleed air back in when you want boost again, so a second solenoid valve is teed into the line between the first valve and atmosphere.
Using a good quality 2 way relay (that has a 81a and 81b terminal) its then easy to switch it using a simple toggle switch. So, I have a switch on the dashboard now: When its switched one way, the vent valve is closed and the vacuum one is open (limits WOT boost to about 4psi). When the switch is flicked, the vent valve opens and the vacuum one closes, and you get full boost (17psi!).

Why? Well, its a small turbo, and cruising along with 12psi on the highway has been making hte fuel economy less than optimal - before this mod, I was getting 5.7-6L/100km. Now, I'm getting 5.2-5.5l/100km, and also, its WAY cool having a boost switch on the dash :-D - particularly when you take someone for a drive.....

"yeah I suppose its pretty good for a diesel"

>>flick<<

"what the HECK does that switch do?"

[ByronRichesMk1]

"yeah I suppose its pretty good for a diesel"

>>flick<<

"what the HECK does that switch do?"

Hahahahahaha, I can only imagine that situation happening :P

[Water Boy]

Fast switch. I like it...

[gldgti]

Fast switch. I like it...

Well, you pay good money to have one in a brand new car.... why not have one in a mk1? :-)

PS - it has as yet remained unlabelled - perhaps I would complete the awesome just to label it "FAST"?

[Preen59]

Good thinking, 99!

Should be "Faster" switch. :)

[Greg Roles]

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/11860_5-1.jpg


http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/topgunheader-1.jpg

[gldgti]

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/11860_5-1.jpg


http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/topgunheader-1.jpg

oh yeah.

Got all the windows tinted yesterday... pics on weekend - its going to get a polish (first time for everything!)


ALSO - new exhaust is "in the pipeline"... pun intended :-). I have all the flanges, I just have to order in the bends and the tube.

Can anyone say "full mandrel bends, brushed stainless, 2.5" straight through exhaust, no mufflers"?

[ByronRichesMk1]

Can anyone say "full mandrel bends, brushed stainless, 2.5" straight through exhaust, no mufflers"?

Can anyone say, "Hell yeah!"? :banana:

[gldgti]

Well, the paint on this car isn't brilliant. Since we got the car, I have resprayed (myslelf) the front and rear bumpers, passenger door and boot lid. As well as that, its got lots of front end stone chips (we do a lot of km, in the country and on the F3 freeway).

That said, I thin she's looking pretty good. Also got 35% tints on Monday, VERY happy with the results of that!

Pics:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/P1010773-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/P1010774-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/P1010780-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/P1010781-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/P1010779-1.jpg

Also, all the steel for the exhaust is ordered, should be delivered next week! Woot!

[mk3pete]

looks mint man! very jealous

[gldgti]

Thanks Pete :-)

Also forgot to add that I finally got around to hooking up the VDO oil pressure gauge. Decided to put the sender on the filter housing rather than hanging off the end of the head in the breeze, leaving the idiot light on the head.

Oil pressure using Penrite semi-synth HPR diesel - 60psi cold (pretty much all rpms) dropping to 20psi hot at idle and about 50-60 at ~3500 rpm.

[gldgti]

Set to do the exhaust on saturday.... but I'm chicken-ing out on the straight through no mufflers claim - I have bought a glasspack SS offset (but straight through perforated) muffler. Will take a vid of the noise with no muffler for all the folks but I think the muffler will be going on. I don't need droning on the highway, which is all I'm worried about really.

If it seems quiet enough without the muffler I may yet leave it off :-)

[ByronRichesMk1]

Blast pipes perhaps? ;D
Don't even care if it's predominantly a JDM thing haha.

[gldgti]

So I wussed out and used the muffler :-)

was a long day - started at 7.30am and finished the exhaust at 4pm... stopped for 10 minutes in the middle :-)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0259-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0260-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0261-1.jpg

Made a 3" tip, by flaring the 2.5" pipe out to the ID of a 3" sleeve over the end, and TIG fused the end together... more pics (of the outside) tomorrow
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0262-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0263-1.jpg

[Preen59]

Tidy. Well done, Aydan.

[brasstinman]

Nice work :)

[gldgti]

phone vid of no exhaust sound..... not sure how well this worked...

1.9 td no exhaust - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skVEo5g-sPw&feature=plcp)

[gldgti]

more pics
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0264-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0265-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0266-1.jpg

[Preen59]

Top stuff, mate.

[EwenHayton]

very tidy job, And sounds mint. Also i like your seats in the they look awesome with i had new upholstery. Looking good anyway nice to see another cabby on here

[gldgti]

Thanks mate. The seats are retrimmed GTI seats.... main reason I wanted them was because they sit 20mm lower than the stock cabriolet seats.... Ok, im half an inch under 6 ft, so not the tallest man around, but it just felt all wrong!

Took these pics today when swapping in yet another gearbox.... happy now with the ratio's (this is a '6W' code gearbox, from an Austin Maestro!!!) which appears to be the same ratio's as the 4+E gearbox of mk1 turbodiesel era.

I have fitted up one of my new 5 speed conversion mounts -

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0268-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2012/08/IMAG0269-1.jpg

And I might say they fit wonderfully and look the part, I reckon. ;-)

[gldgti]

Its official - I am old.

I'm still a couple of months from my 27th birthday, but yesterday evening I put standard springs with Bilstein touring shocks in the cabby.

My goodness, it is awesome.

The ride - unbelievably smooth.

The grip - just as good through the corners when not accelerating, with less traction when cornering hard but I don't care.

The height - well its a cabby so the standard springs seem to be slightly lower than a normal hard top mk1, but the heavier engine has made it a tiny bit lower I would say... looks fine :P

Anyway, I guess this means I am officially OLD.

[Transporter]

Now, you made me realize that.... I was born old already. :(

[Jarred]

hahah, bugger!

[gldgti]

hehe, sorry Transporter ;-)

I should probably mention that the wife and I have been doing about 4-700km a week in the cabby of late... we've been commuting in it instead of the Skoda because my wife is still on her L's and learning to drive (and she's older than me!) and she prefers driving the cab to the Skoda. Anyway, with all these km, and taking the car up to coast periodically to visit olds and inlaws in an area with extremely poor roads... .well, that was enough.

I'd like to think I havent gone completely soft.... even if I have :emo_baghead:

[gldgti]

Well my wife finally got her p's last week (on her first try, but after 10 years holding a learners permit) so the car really is hers now :-)

Happy days :-):drinkbeer:

[DynamicDubs]

Hi Pal,

I enjoyed the read. Nice car, how's it going now?

Cheers

[gldgti]

Car is going well! We're averaging about 5.5l/100km with daily F3 runs, and a rough 0-100km/h of 8.5s. The clutch is still the biggest issue, theres just too much torque for a reasonable clutch with an 020 box.

In light of this the plans are for me to finally get the 1.6TD engine I've had apart for about 5 years back together, and swap the long block over - so I'll be keeping the turbo setup and all the accessories from the 1.9, and just changing the head and block to the 1.6. Hopefully this will mean less of a torque punch down low which is murdering the clutch, and a bit more of a revvy engine characteristic which suits the chassis and gear ratios better.

It should also help with the steering weight which is pretty heavy for my wife at the moment.

I'm also working on a set of ATS type 5's in 15x7 for the car. Should be a couple of weeks away.

[abreut]

That's awesome economy you're getting there, and still gti-like acceleration. With the clutch, I used a 5 puck ceramic clutch in my 16vt setup up until very recently when I changed to the 02A box. But that 210mm ceramic clutch never slipped. It was a bit grabby though and takes some getting used to, but it was still a sprung clutch so it wasn't ridiculous. Something to consider.

[gldgti]

That's awesome economy you're getting there, and still gti-like acceleration. With the clutch, I used a 5 puck ceramic clutch in my 16vt setup up until very recently when I changed to the 02A box. But that 210mm ceramic clutch never slipped. It was a bit grabby though and takes some getting used to, but it was still a sprung clutch so it wasn't ridiculous. Something to consider.

Thanks for that info. I did try a 6 puck organic lining setup with a sprung hub but it still wouldnt hang on. The feel was still too harsh though for a daily for my wife. I think I would live with it OK but it was just a bit nasty. That and if someone ever wants to borrow the car they end up stalling it heaps or doing nasty things to the gearbox :-)

[EwenHayton]

You let people borrow your Golf.......??????? :yikes::yikes::yikes:

I wouldnt let anyone drive mine not that i know anyone who would want to lol

[gldgti]

haha - yeah mate, anyone can come and drive my cabby (or the skoda).

Ever since I sold my old mk3, I've made a point of trying to ensure that my vehicles are ok for anyone to just hop in and drive if need be. For one thing, it ensures you always have it working properly - and it also kind of helps to keep the modifications a bit sensible. Finally, it means I never have any problems getting through rego inspections. Plus, I love when people borrow the car and then when they give it back tell me what a nice car it is to drive :cookie:

In the past, I've driven peoples heavily modified cars (my own included) and sure, sometimes they look great, or go fast in a straight line, but often there is something really really compromised about them - shoddy workmanship, bad ride, bad steering, bad clutch or gearshift, bad brakes, too much noise or vibration. Usually the owner overlooks all the bad stuff :-)

[EwenHayton]

i think in the your last sentence you listed everything about my car lol!

[gldgti]

Your car is still being built so it doesnt count ;-)

[gldgti]

ATS type 5's are getting tyres fitted today :banana::biggrin:

crappy phone pics :-)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/01/IMAG03391-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/01/IMAG03401-1.jpg

[gldgti]

So as a direct result of the above post, we've been using the cabby as our daily for about 5 weeks now, doing about 140km each weekday.


This means its really racking up the km compared to before as a weekender, and some issues have come to light:

> both front wheel bearings noisy
> cv joints generally worn/noisy on acceleration
> front end bushings tired
> also noticed the rack bushings needed doing.

So, after a bit of a shop locally and with GAP (whole new driveshafts with cv's fitted!), I had some parts collected for this weekend:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010849_zpsdf24a056-2.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010856_zps14fd4431-2.jpg

I have recently refreshed the front brakes (about 10 months ago) but I have really neglected the front end of this car since we got it, what with all the attention being given to drivetrain. The only thing I've really replaced has been the passenger side tie rod (shocks and springs not counted here!)

Before shots:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010845_zpsc4a9a2ae-3.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010846_zps73aee2dc-3.jpg

For those Mk1 peeps that are new to the game, I thought I'd do a little step by step for the wheel bearing replacement.

First thing after the steering knuckle assy is removed from the car is to press out the hub from the bearing inner race.
Usually the outer half of the inner race comes off with the hub. This time was pretty typical for me - one hub basically fell out, the other one took me over 2 hours with a blowtorch and numerous screwdrivers and prybars to remove the inner race from the hub.

After the hub is out, remove the brake backing plate and then use some right angled cir-clip pliers to remove the cir-clip from both sides of the bearing. Then, set up the knuckle in your press (I have a very cheap 12tonne press that seems to do everything I ask of it with a little innovation) supporting the knuckle under outer face, and using a suitable mandrel (2.5" tube is ideal) press out the bearing:


After cleaning everything up with the pressure washer, de-greaser and then a lick of paint, you are ready to reassemble with your new bearings.

Use some spray on high pressure lithium grease to lubricate the inner bore of the steering knuckle, and insert the outboard cir-clip.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010850_zps5d19132c-3.jpg
Then, press the new bearing in until its up against the outboard circlip.
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010851_zps91f58bcf-3.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010852_zps64d586e9-3.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010853_zpsd8adf61d-3.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010854_zps42126a14-3.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010855_zps2f507210-3.jpg
Don't forget to bolt the brake backing plate back onto the knuckle, or you'll be in a mess!

Then lubricate the spigot of the hub with the lithium grease, and press the steering knuckle down onto the hub by pressing down on the inner side (the cv joint side) of the bearings inner race (VERY IMPORTANT!!!) Do not press the bearing on using the cir-clip, the bearing outer or the knuckle - this will damage the bearing!
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010859_zps20471b98-3.jpg

On to the other stuff - pressure washed all this junk so I could clean it up and paint it:
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010847_zpscd37f79a-3.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010848_zps4a0e81bc-3.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010860_zps2cabbf1e-3.jpg

After
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010862_zps3b48e5fd-3.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/02/P1010865_zpsf11b783e-3.jpg

[Water Boy]

Super sprint again this year?

[gldgti]

Yeah I reckon so. I will try to make the show'n'shine aswell.

[gldgti]

Bodi Windschott yawl!

Whats that you say? Let me show you....
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/03/IMAG0361_zps5448fc24-1.jpg

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/03/IMAG0362_zps1059c9dd-1.jpg

and the proud owner
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/03/IMAG0363_zps3d4ef329-1.jpg

So, does it work? Well, incredibly, YES. Its fantasic actually, my toupe stays on all the time, even on the freeway! :facepalm: :rolleyes:

More importantly, my wifes hair stays out of her face while she's driving, and no sore ears after long runs at 110km/h. So overall WIN.

I bought the kit from an ebay store and I have to say the quality is excellent, the fit is perfect, and it looks great too I reckon.

[GLDoldcoot]

I like the Wheels Aydan. Next time you feel like cleaning some suspension parts, Ive got lots here you can practice on. I cant get 'em as clean as you!

[gldgti]

I keep telling you to buy a pressure cleaner!!! :-)

[gldgti]

This weekend the cabby got some more love - of the dynamat kind!

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG0491_zpsb089163b-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0491_zpsb089163b.jpg.html)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG0492_zpsa18e7387-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0492_zpsa18e7387.jpg.html)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG0493_zps687b0951-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0493_zps687b0951.jpg.html)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2013/09/IMAG0494_zpsf7b0a19a-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0494_zpsf7b0a19a.jpg.html)

I bought the 36sq foot kit (~$185) and we used 7 and a bit of the 9 sheets.

Areas covered:

> Boot floor
> body panels adjacent to the back seat (outer skin and the inner skin)
> under the back seat
> front door skins and door inner panels
> parts of the raintray
> parts of the firewall (engine bay side)
> underneath the bonnet

This, I have to say, is about the best money and time i think ive ever spent on the car. It has totally changed the feel of the car. The doors now shut with a nice thud. Concrete roads now sound only marginally louder than tarmac ones. Bass is HUGE, and all the other frequencies are so much easier to hear - I had to completely change the EQ setup to make it sound reasonable, there was so much sound energy being lost and drowned out by road noise before.

If I was to recommend just one mod for a mk1, this has got to be it.

The basic methodology involved a lot of finger tapping. Basically, find the most resonant parts of a panel, and lay the dynamat on there first.

I found you dont need 100% coverage to make a big difference. Ofcourse, the more you put on, the better it will be, but its nice to think about it and get the best bang for buck, and add less weight if possible.

I found with most areas, there comes a point when you know that you've acheived a significant amound of damping just by the sound of tapping your finger on the panel in various places. You will notice huge differences before and after.

Concentrate of large flat areas first, and then selectively apply around them until you are happy. I guess if cost and weight are not major factors, just put it everywhere.

either way, the car now feels much newer and nicer than before.

Also note, we didnt do any on the floors or inside the firewall low down, because in a cabby this is already thickly (about half and inch) treated from the factory. In a normal mk1 however, you would need to do these areas aswell for good results (probably the roof would be good aswell).

[Dub Toffee]

thats a really good mod mate, nice one :)

[EwenHayton]

Do you think if i got one i could stash my children underneth it???

That was meant to quote the wind diverter thing you have lol

[gldgti]

Do you think if i got one i could stash my children underneth it???

That was meant to quote the wind diverter thing you have lol

Yes, it easily conceals toddlers, picnic baskets, or even an rpg launcher :wasntme:

[gldgti]

This is going to be a great share.That engine was slow .

? I'm confused.

[gldgti]

So for the past week I have been building a new downpipe in preparation for todays turboswap. I built the downpipe a little at a time, for about 10 minutes every evening before I left work. This is not the downpipe build method I would recommend unless you like a challenge, but the good news is that today, the turbo swap went without a hitch and the downpipe is the best I've ever made.

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/05/IMAG0564_zps5a8eff36-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0564_zps5a8eff36.jpg.html)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/05/IMAG0565_zps07bec8b0-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0565_zps07bec8b0.jpg.html)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/05/IMAG0567_zps855e7d08-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0567_zps855e7d08.jpg.html)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/05/IMAG0568_zps0c98e33f-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0568_zps0c98e33f.jpg.html)

I decided to do it in 2 peices for ease of fitment/removal. It also features fully floating flanges so you can get it all to sit just so, and it all seals without gaskets ;-)

So, last weekend I pulled the GT-15 out (which by now must have more than 300k km on it) as it was leaking oil from the centre housing, and swapped in the T3 which is a much larger turbo. Unfortunately no pics yet - tomorrow maybe.

The swap was a pretty involved affair, as I have had to fit a new intake manifold (PD160 from the van configuration TDI engines) as the T3 is mounted 'high' rather than low. I have had to re-do all the intercooler piping, intake piping, moved the airbox to the other side of the engine bay, fit a new diesll clutch cable rather than a petrol one for clearance, moved the fuel filter to other side of engine bay and relocate the washer bottle aswell... plus the above downpipe. I also took the opportunity while the manifolds were off to do some more dyna-mat on the firewall directly behind the engine.

Good news is that the culmination of all my efforts has come together nicely and the car is now much sweeter (or you might say meaner). The fit on the new exhaust has decreased NVH by a LOT, which is a blessing as the rear view mirror was just a bit too vibratey before. Also, the engine is now totally devoid of instant boost and clutch burning torque.....however, it is a LOT faster overall. The GT-15 was very much a 'one hit wonder' setup, a big lump of torque at the low end and stifling restriction up top.

The T3 just makes pleasingly loud spooling noises at low rpm, and wakes up from about 2500rpm onwards until you are screaming along at silly speeds with a grin from ear to ear.

I honestly wonder what made me put the GT15 in the car in the first place.

Anyway, the setup is now certifiably funsome, and especially good if you like to make a cloud of smoke followed by a quick getaway.

Hopefully I'll post a vid tomorrow or something :-)

[sports racer]

Sounds like a lot of work but well worth it.

Torque wise how does it feel now? Any guestimates to power and torque figures?

Cheers

Paul

[gldgti]

Sounds like a lot of work but well worth it.

Torque wise how does it feel now? Any guestimates to power and torque figures?

Cheers

Paul

At a guess.... perhaps 250Nm @ 3000rpm and 110hp @4500 rpm.

with the GT-15, I would guess more like 300Nm @ 2000rpm and 90hp @ 3500rpm

[gldgti]

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/05/IMAG0577_zps695c07ca-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0577_zps695c07ca.jpg.html)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/05/IMAG0570_zps01f9e020-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0570_zps01f9e020.jpg.html)

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2014/05/IMAG0578_zps6bae22d1-1.jpg (http://s167.photobucket.com/user/gldgti/media/IMAG0578_zps6bae22d1.jpg.html)

vid uploading to youtube now...:-)

[gldgti]

sorry no skidz :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucWlwQEa8a0&feature=youtu.be

[mitch750]

thats fast as!

[abreut]

Nice one! Just in time for wakefield too. That should be a good test for it.

[sports racer]

Very impressive video. You've got a bit of grunt in 4th gear and with all that torque I bet you can do the same 70 to 100 time up steep hills.

Looks like you have a close ratio gearbox, what speed are you doing at 3000 rpm in 5th?

Cheers

Paul

[gldgti]

Nice one! Just in time for wakefield too. That should be a good test for it.

I wish! Unfortunately I can't make it this year :-( Will be at the show'n'shine though, but probably bring the audi as its not been to any meets yet.

Your right though, this setup is way better suited to track work compared to the little turbo. I can't believe I did that supersprint 3 years ago with the small turbo and the stock exhaust :-)

[gldgti]

Very impressive video. You've got a bit of grunt in 4th gear and with all that torque I bet you can do the same 70 to 100 time up steep hills.

Looks like you have a close ratio gearbox, what speed are you doing at 3000 rpm in 5th?

Cheers

Paul

Thanks Paul. Actually the gearbox is the longest I can find in stock 020.... the 70-100 is in 3rd. At 3000rpm in 5th its about 130km/h. The box is a 6A which is a weird code, but the ratios are pretty close to or the same as a CHD as far as I can tell.

Nice thing about this turbo is once its spooled up in any gear, you can keep it on boost between gearchanges. I think you can see that when I go from 2nd to 3rd in the video.

after taking the vid I went to get fuel. Leaving the fuel station it was pretty busy so I accelerated hard to get into the traffic, and from top of first to second it held enough boost to lose traction in second, which in the dry on a concrete road it never could before!

[sports racer]

sorry no skidz :-)

But you smoked it in 2nd. :thumb:

[Mysticality]

Hi all!
Reviving an old thread.
I've owned this little Cabrio for a couple of years now.

The turbo started to leak and the shaft seized, so a K14 has been put in its place - 12-14psi or so is what it puts out now.
The front end had an altercation with the back of a postal van so that's been all rebuilt.

When I got the car:
https://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2020/12/27879471_1208552739275170_27514222094938-1.jpg

Now it looks like:
https://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2020/12/37122950_912751515593305_867098303005720-1.jpg

I'd been wanting this car for years. When gldgti put it up for sale in 2016 or so, I just didn't have the cash. It disappeared.
Then in 2018 I get a Facebook message - a share from Marketplace. Someone up near the Qld border had put it up for sale! For $7k.
I message him; time passes; he messages me back saying he's ruined the steering column and will now sell it off for about half. The deal is done, me and gldgti jump in the Touareg with car trailer and drive overnight to go pick it up. There and back in my one day off! Fantastic.

I've had it for over two years now and its been brilliant.
A little tough of a ride and my back has never been much good so we will see - but for now, this is where she sits. :D

[sports racer]

Always good to see a revival thread and I'm jealous - I was looking at buying it but never have any money.

I used to daily my MK2 (until I hit the back of a truck) and now drive my MK3 between Braidwood and Canberra every day - 200 ks round trip. On both cars the suspension is a mix of standard shocks with aftermarket springs so they are nice over bumps but still handle well through roundabouts and corners. Something to consider if you don't have a good back.

Cheers

Paul

[defratter]

It is amazing how many great results you show here. I am from Galveston Beaches Live Webcam - United States - World Cams (https://worldcams.tv/united-states/galveston/beaches), and I would never be able to achieve anything like that on my own. You have really excellent skills for it. It is always interesting to read about such projects and see the pictures. Post more of your transformations please. They are all worth attention.