bruny

Yep, pretty impressive :nuts: :grin:

Some great piccies man, HD is awesome :lol: :lol: Nice work on the car as well :notworthy:

Had to change one on a T4 transporter this afternoon, still a pig of a job, but armed with my bent screwdriver from last time and having more room under the steering column, it only took 30mins. VW are still using the same system :cuckoo:

Matrix 006.JPG[/attachment:wfx2jmlv]Plastic cogs can be strengthened/modified by drilling out the centre and inserting small nut /bolt /washers. Think you will find perished foam on the direction flaps could be causing the problem by straining the mechanism :shrug:

Need to refill tomorrow to test it out, only thing not working now is the radio, but I wont have to drown out the sound of my old cam chain anymore so hopefully can enjoy another 105,000 trouble free miles of sowing machine smoothness and reliability :lol: :lol: :lol: AS IF!!! Still need to add up the costs, will post up when I feel I can face up to the reality of Corrado ownershipDSCN1307.JPG[/attachment:11w39ig3]

Finally the new heater matrix, sourced for half the price that the dealers quoted. Valeo, original equipement :DMatrix 004.JPG[/attachment:bk319als] Only took two days, really dont want to have to revisit this area again

Had to modify the air box to sort out some dodgy cogs, removed the perished foam from the flaps which must have strained the mechanism,Matrix 006.JPG[/attachment:3gxnzp81]

Wiring and cables looked complicated, but my flaps hadn't been working on demist so at least I could sort this out at the same time, oh and the squeaky fanMatrix 007.JPG[/attachment:pav09xd9]

While the system was drained down I thought it time to change the heater matrix which had been niggling at the back of my mind for some time, not looking forward to this job though. So passenger seat out , side panel out, shelf out, but then the glove box put up a fight :mad2:Matrix 001.JPG[/attachment:34refv0f]

Latest update, the front had to be removed again to get to the bottom of a couple of water leaks which showed after warm running with G12 in the system, turned out to be the new core plugs not sealing, think the 24v plugs are smaller than the old 12v. Anyhow 37mm plugs fitted and sealed tonight should sort that outtoday 005.JPG[/attachment:2p9xztcv]

Stealers quoted £105 for exactly the same part supplied by local motor factors for around £50, make sure its a ValeoMatrix 004.JPG[/attachment:3fha1vsv]

Kip VW is the man to offer advice on this one having nearly set fire to his 8v after his dodgey electric windows melted his wiring. Carry a fire ext./ remove door cards and dont use the windows for now :nono:

Got mine together again, still truamatised, hope I'll not have to revisit that area again. My radio isnt working, having upset some wiring somewhere, but just now I dont think that is a priority. Have not refilled the cooling system yet as I am still waiting for replacement core plugs to be refitted. It all had to be done, :shrug: but sometimes you just think is it all worth it :cuckoo:

Not many jobs on a Corrado worse than the ignition switch but the heater marix beats it I think :bad-words: working upside down in the drivers footwell for a couple of hours seems a pleasure, indeed a luxury, you should consider yourself fortunate. Just you wait until you have to waste 2 days, on and off, in the passenger footwell fighting with glove boxes that wont move, wiring that should never have been routed that way, plastic levers and cogs designed to last 10 years at most, perished damping foam on air flaps and bowden cables that twist and kink, you get it back together hoping it will last for another 18 years. Not a chance, and you will have forgot how the hell you did it last time. Think I've just turned into Mr Angry :help: Oh, I forgot to mention that bottom mounting on the Matrix housing that spins instead of undoing, you end up having to cut the little b~~ger off with a grinder, which scuffs the heat shield. Think I've done moaning now I'll just go away and cry :censored: :bad-words: :pukeright:

Ideally thats what should happen, could try not coupling up the return until you have flow to be sure its not airlocking, alternatively sqeeze the feed pipe. :shrug:

Neil, it could be the cable but I suspect its the perished foam on the direction flaps which will have put strain on the actuating lever and cogs. These can be modified by replacing the foam [allow for air passage through the flap holes though or moving position with the fan on will be difficult] The cogs and lever mechanism can be strenghtened with a small bolt and washer through the centre to clamp it in position. I dont know how successful this will be in the long term but heres hoping :shrug: Will put some pics on my gallery shortly. I've used the veleo matrix from motor factors, identical to the dealers but half the price :shock: Have not refilled the system yet but thought about priming it up first or I'm sure it will airlock!

Which replacement marix you guys used, dealers want £117, motor factors want for Valeo £50, GFS want 36+vat for Hella , I've been informed Valeo is OE, but avoid the chinese ones :shrug: Did you replace gaskets as well??? On with mine now, what a ballache of a job :bad-words:

Thanks Toad, first time I started it I nearly cried :( sounded awful, all cam followers noisey, after five minutes it did clear. After cooling, standing and restart, it was a lot better but still took a couple of minutes, only one follower slightly tapping. Hope as it gets more use it will settle quicker to sounding like a sowing machine :cheers: Going to tackle the heater matrix now, I may be some time :gag:

My rebuild costs will be double yours but I've had stuff plated, powder coated, new sump and sundries,still daren't add it all up yet :shock: Running in, I figured no more than 4000revs for first 100 miles, oil change, then give it a bit more :shrug: I dont drive it hard anyway. I am open to suggestions though. Rebuilding a spare engine is a good idea but I wanted to keep it as original as possible [ engine number etc] abit sad I guess but I'm getting hung up on concours :help:

Looking good iceviolet, thought I'd got mine finished but issues with leaking core plugs, going to replace them with geniune VW ones, dont want to have to strip the front off again, also the new cam followers seem to be taking some time to quieten down. Hopeing a good run will bed them in once I've sorted the coolant leak from the core plugs [and heater matrix :pukeright:] Cost wise you've done well, saves a fortune if you've got the knowledge to do it yourself :notworthy:

Yes I had it sand blasted with a really fine sand and then think he used coconut shell :shrug: before WD40 treatment as recommended. A year on and it still looks brill001.JPG[/attachment:1si6zexl]

Let me guess, its a core plug not sealed properly, just had the same problem :mad2:

Don't paint it after blasting, give it a rub with WD40, it stops it corroding but retains the alloy finishDSCN1198.JPG[/attachment:czpgs3eo]

Took mine to C&R in Nottingham a while ago and it did the same thing, Steve said it was the switch sticking in the black box, fuse type thingy, dont know what you call it, but its mounted in the top of the engine bay on the right hand side near the washer bottle. Dont mean to frighten you but he said if it sticks and runs too long it can be a fire hazard. He just disconnected it then reconnected, it hasn't done it since :shrug: Mine didnt stop running when the ignition was switched off, hope this helps

You guys are welcome anytime, let me know when you want to come over :wave: