davidwort

I've been wondering about these things for a while since they became a popular fitment by VW (and their failures seem a popular topic of discussion with mechanics), I know it's a pretty dull subject but this video is pretty cool:

so did the Corrado rear integral ARB change in diameter in 1991/2 then?, the 16v and G60 part no.s seem to be the same but updates after the 'L' chassis number.

yeah, there's a whole load of part number alternatives and the only ones the same as the 16v/G60 Corrado are the G60 mk2 golf there is also a change from chassis no. 50 -L-035000 (round about 1991) would be good to know if it's only minor fittings (like the ABS) that are different as that would open up a whole load of options for much later parts (in better nick) mk3's possibly.

I don't think they're very critical, but I'd imagine the joint could get quite warm from the exhaust downpipe if you remove it, bad for the rubber boot too.

outer one I take it, was the boot already split and let in water/corrosion?

relays, particularly unshielded ones exposed to the weather under the bonnet often stick, more likely that than a bad earth, but if the lights go out when you switch the headlight switch from dip to sidelights position then that's how it should behave isn't it? - unless the sidelight bulbs go out too. All sounds a bit odd, doesn't take long for connectors to corrode though, one winter and you can get problems.

from what you describe it sounds like the relay is still being 'switched' in the dim dip/sidelight (first switch position) setting with the ignition on, difficult to understand if you have disconnected the dim dip circuit. The relay circuit diagram is pretty simple, just duplicated for left and right and dip and main beam. You use the dip beam feed from your cars original loom to switch the relay that then feeds power direct from the battery to the +ve connector on the headlight unit for dip beam. Usually a second relay is used for main beam. The fourth connector on the relay is then just an earth (preferably straight back to the battery). A sketch of your current relays and wires to the relay and headlight would be a good starting point.

I've never been 100% about this, but the resonator/suitcase centre box may be the same as a mk2 16v GTI, the front silencer (small straight pipe definitely is) and downpipe with it's integral silencer is. This would open your options up as more factors do mk2 parts.

they change on engine numbers after 131 460 on the 9A Jim, check your registered keepers document or boot sticker (I know your cam cover isn't original so the sticker on there wouldn't be right even if it was still readable) I've got a feeling it's only the very very last 9A engines, when parts were moving over to the ABF type mk3 16v engine.

heatshields, they only last about 10 yrs, my second is looking a bit tired these days, I'd probably just buy another one from VAG, at least you know the steering rack will be properly protected then, I think mine was about 20 quid, a few years back though. But heat wrap may be OK.

You don't have to remove the inlet manifold although it might make getting at it a bit easier. I'd imagine a fair few studs would come out of the head as you say. A good collection of spanners, sockets, wobble extension bars etc are needed as some nuts are awkward to get onto, the manifold to downpipe ones are sometimes easier to get at from under the car with long extension bars. And it also does you back in leaning over the thing! you also need the gasket to the downpipe from manifold as well as the four separate ones to the head. I'd definitely soak them too some time before doing the job, can only help, they don't usually break (studs) but do pull out with the nuts.

little or no difference, the late 16v heads have slightly different water ways around the inlet ports but as a standard head it makes no difference, the only 16v heads that are majorly different are the mk3 16v ones, these have different valves and associated parts and breathe slightly better in standard form.

it's often the cage that holds the bearings in one of the CV joints that cracks open, you need at least a new CV joint, the driveshaft itself is probably fine. GSF probably do both inner and outer joints, or if your wallet can take it try VW for a price, you need to find out if it's an inner or outer joint though, outer one is the worst job as you need to undo those massively torqued hub nuts.

Shocked to see this on the news yesterday BBC article Richard Lloyd was one of the golf GTI pioneers in the UK, racing an early mk1 in the late 70's and early 80's and then moving on through that to co-found GTI Engineering at Silverstone circuit. My dad worked for him for years and I can clearly remember going to race meets to watch their Group C (le-mans) Porsches and their Slick 50 championship mk2 16v. The first time I ever sat in a Corrado was their demonstrator in 1989 and having a ride home in it from GTI International. :(

always wondered what was in the Synta Gold bottles

it's the built-in inner joint on the tie rod though, they do wear (over 100k generally) and can show a lot of play, inner joints are not an MOT item so rarely picked up as worn. Easy to check, engine off, full lock and rock steering, a mate holding the tie rod will feel/hear any play as a knock.

on a 16v I'd fill it with Synta Silver or any other branded 10/40 Semi synthetic and change it every 6000 or so, I've run a 16v for 12 years now on mainly synta silver (or whatever similar I could get for a reasonable price) and hot/cold weather, starting and full belt running it's been fine, tappets relatively quiet and I've done a lot of miles. You'll always get a wide range of recommendations for oil, but personally for a daily driver 16v, I think fully synthetic is a waste of money and if it's too light you'll burn more and the head will sound noisier, you could easily spend the best part of 100 quid a year on oil if you used something like Mobil 1, and 16v's always burn some oil too. There's no doubt that a top quality fully synthetic will keep protecting the engine under more extreme running conditions and extended oil change intervals but I doubt you stress your engine or do the miles where you'd get any kind of payback on engine wear. Turbo car, regular track days then possibly it's that bit of extra protection.

I'm sure if it's just the bearing that's gone then a starter/alternator refurb place could fit a new bearing for you, can't see it costing more than 30 or 40 quid to re-con. (Hours work charged plus the cost of a bearing?)

look nr the end of this thread, PDF of the settings. I'd go as close as you can get with your modified bits to the settings in here, works fine for me on 35 ish mm lowered, although I'm still on 15's.

err, that sounds like a bottom ball joint (one the end of the wishbone), not a track rod end.

just get a good brand mineral oil or semi-synthetic 10/40 quantum silver is ideal as it's basically what VW specified and dealers sell. I've found the FUCHS 10/40 semi from GSF to be just as good on my valver. Halfords own 10/40 semi would be fine, it's just usually more expensive than the above. The machining tolerances and components like the tappets won't thank you for going to a lighter oil like a lot of more modern engines have and you'll just burn it off quicker.

You need a timing light, ideally one you can set the strobe/timing on, this allows you to dial in more advance than the factory 6 degrees on the factory timing marks a tiny rotation of the distributor (a mm or two) will move the advance several degrees.

a 2L bottom end on the 1.8 fuel system will need a rolling road setup to get the best out of it as steveo29 says the WUR mod is nothing more than drilling the top off the tamper proof cap on the back of the Warm Up Regulator (needs to be removed from side of head to do this) and adjusting the small allen key grub screw to alter the control pressure of the system. This will basically run the system a bit richer throughout the rev range and needs to be done so it's not too high on emissions for the MOT but fuels a bit more for the top end (k-jet tends to lean out a bit up there anyway.) Couple that with adjusting the base setting on the distributor to something like 7.5-8.5 degrees (instead of the standard 6deg +/- 1 deg) running on super unleaded and you can easily get another 10bhp at the top end than you would from just leaving it set up as it would be for the 1.8 normally. without the rolling road you'll have trouble setting the mixture right (WUR adjustment) and could end up with pinking loosing you power if you over advance the distributor, even if you don't hear/feel pinking it can be starting at loose you a bit of power, the rollers will detect this. you can do a basic adjustment of the WUR by simply adjsuting the grub screw a tiny amount (say 1/4 of a turn) and making sure you can't feel a loss of power(leaned it off) or over richened it - in which case you'll soon get sooty spark plugs, in fact the plugs can tell you a lot about if you've got the mixture right, what you want for the K-jet is just a little amount of black soot appearing on the shoulders of the plug/end of the threads but nice clean burning electrodes, then it won't be far off the max that it can be trimmed to on the rolling road, ignition really does need the rollers though, as I said, and a lot depends on the condition of your head, has it been poilished and gas-flowed and is it already coked up at all or a clean rebuild, a flowed/polished head is often more resilient to pinking.

yep, exact same stuff in my 1990 with the red top, no problems in years of use :) despite the fact the reservoir top on the 1.8 cars is red and actually has ATF marked on it :? - in very small print

VAG dampers are slightly different part numbers but it's only ratings, corrado being heavier esp on front, but the design is the same GSF sold me rear dampers for a 16v golf, TBH I think non gas ones for the rear would have made it better though.