64 SPLIT

If theres oil in the dizzy cap then it'll be the dizzy drive shaft oil seal thats gone. Its an easy fix - just accurately mark the position of the dizzy with a scribe etc. undo the two retaining bolts on either side, disconnect the hall effect sender wire and out it comes. Marking its position helps when you come to reinstall so you don't have issues with the timing being out.

Cheers for the help guys - hopefully this will cure some of the running problems! :? :)

anyone able to help? I'm concerned that this is causing the ECU to receive the wrong info and making the car kangaroo as a result :? :(

Spotted this vac hose on my '91 1.8 16V that's t-pieced off the tube to the left of the inlet manifold. The main section of tube goes down to the airbox and up across behind the engine where it splits off and one section goes to the ECU. The offending bit of tube is t-pieced off the red connector in the photo and is only about 6inches long. I can't see any obvious place for it to connect to, and although there is a definite suction when the engine is running it doesn't seem to alter the engines RPM etc. when its blocked or unblocked. Anyone able to help?!

Got the in tank pump out, but no idea whether its this one thats causing the problems or not - is there an easy way to check?

Broke down last weekend and had the AA come out and assess my 1.8 16 Valve. He said it was the fuel pump that was seizing (ampage draw was around 7A instead of about 5A so I was told) and this had been causing the #18 fuse to overheat (idiotic previous owners had upped the fuse to stop it blowing!). Anyway, I bought a new Bosch fuel pump and filter from GSF and fitted them yesterday and today. Primed the pump a good few times and it eventually fired into life. Except when I take it for a drive the problem is just as bad (if not worse!) than it was before!!!! I can't accelerate without the car holding back and then kangarooing down the road. Only the lightest of touch on the pedal will let me accelerate. I'm thinking it may be a problem with the in-tank pump, but how the hell do you get at it? I've lifted the boot carpet and removed the cover plate, but I can't tell how you're supposed to remove it as the large plastic 'cap' that I would have thought unscrewed is jammed solid, so how does it come off? Also, whilst the AA man was checking over the car he noticed a vacuum hose that goes nowhere - its T-pieced off the hose that goes from the main airbox at the front left of the engine bay to up behind the engine where it splits and one section goes up to the ECU. There's a green t-piece that goes off to what I think is like a vac. advance unit in the very left hand side of the engine bay, then a little further along the hose is this red t-piece with the section of hose that goes nowhere?! When the car is running you can feel a definite suction through it, however it doesn't seem to alter the cars running whether its blocked off or not. Anyone able to tell me where it should go?!

My valver has developed a scary problem with the brakes - they are all in excellent condition (black diamond x-drilled n vented etc.) anyway, the pedal has a really reassuringly firm feel to it, however the other day when I was driving it, when I came to slow down I noticed the pedal had gone softer, and the pedal would travel a good inch or two further before I felt anything and then it wasn't as positive as usual. Where do I start checking cos I really don't want this happening if I ever have to slam on!! :shock:

Just ordered a new fuel pump and filter from GSF as my pump has died. Anyway, I just want to make sure that I'm gonna have everything I need to do the job as I need to get my car back on the road as quickly as possible. Is there anything I need other than new fuel hose clips? I noticed most of the pipes seem to be solid ones? Do these come as part of the new fuel pump or do I have to reuse them and if so do I need new seals etc.? Any help muchly appreciated. I'll get some pics of the process to post up afterwards as I can't find a good 'how to' thread on the subject only the fuel filter.

check the ampage draw at the fuse box (think its number 17 or 18) - a healthy pump should pull around 5A - if its not working then its either pushing fresh air (in which case the amps will be very low) or if the amps are high then it could signify a seizing fuel pump.

This may sound stupid but is there only one fuel pump or is there an auxhillary one too (ie. one at the tank and one by the engine)? Without a manual I've no idea and no idea where to start looking for either the fuel filter or the pump and don't wanna start pulling things apart trying to find out!

My '91 16V has got a really irritating misfire. It usually occurs during acceleration - ie when pulling away from a junction - sometimes it will just start to kangaroo as it hiccups on and off the power. It will judder forward but if I change up into 2nd or 3rd it usually clears and the car will begin to pull and drive perfectly. Its happened only twice at higher revs in 3rd or 4th around 3-4K with a less violent hiccup. I haven't got a manual (yet!) and so I don't know where to start looking first, however I have noticed now n then that there's quite a noisy electric buzzing noise coming from the car - don't know whether this is the fuel pump or something? Help pleeeeease cos it makes me look like a learner driver!

How do you flip between MFA1 and MFA2?! When I cycle through the items on my Rado it always says MFA1 - wondered why it said '1' when I don't seem to have a '2'?!

Sounds like the auto choke to me. On my Rocco the auto choke kicked the revs in at start up at 2K then straight away dropped them down to 1200, then as it warmed it dropped the idle down to a nice n low 700RPM - beautiful idle. The auto choke is dead easy to change - though I'd check the carb for air leaks too - on high mileage engines the throttle shaft can develop leaks as it wears - in which case its easier to do a straight carb swap than rebuild. Do the auto choke first - cheap and easy. Then if the problem isn't cured move on to the rest of the carb.

i've got a 7 slat grill with black VW badge going spareif you're interested?

The previous owner has fitted an aftermarket stereo set up in the car. Speedo (dial guage) works fine, but average speed and MPG on the MFA don't work. Is there a way to get it working again with an aftermarket stereo installed? I've read on here that there should be a blue wire with a white trace behind the stereo but I've looked and can't see one - only wires coming from the actual headunit itself ?!

try remove the cowling around the steering column and stalks and check that the large multiplugs on the left side of the steering wheel are fully inserted and not loose. I had a similar problem with my 16Valver and was just the multiplug that had worked loose.

The MFA on my 16Valver only shows oil temp, outside temp, time and elapsed journey time and not the MPG (which I'd like to know as it seems to be pretty crap at the mo!) and something else doesn't display either which I can't remember! Also the rear spoiler doesn't activate at speed, only off the switch, so I was wondering if both things could be related - ie. is there a sender off the gearbox that feeds info to both items that may be knackered? Where does MFA get its reading from for the MPG?

Thanks for the info skimask! I figured it should work, but didn't want to attempt it and then find out that it wouldn't run properly afterwards as I need the car to get to work n back. I'm considering replacing the whole unit myself as the hall effect sensor has become very dirty due to the oil leak as have the electrical connections to it.

anyone? :?

Got an oil leak into the dizzy cap on my valver which is causing an odd misfire. I've just had the MOT done and the garage quoted about £45 to swap the seal for me, however, I'd prefer to do the work myself as I know a new seal is only a coupla £'s. Problem is I've never worked on a Rado engine before and don't have a working timing light anymore and I haven't got a manual so I want to find out - if I make a clean score mark from the dizzy body to the engine block before I remove the dizzy, can I just swap the seal and then refit the dizzy and align the marks to keep the timing spot on?

Been quoted £110 for the whole job, parts & labour. Does this sound a fair price or a rip-off - not had this kinda work done by a garage before so not sure :?

I'd do the work myself but 1) I haven't got the time as I need it for my daily hack asap and 2) I never touch the brakes if it means bleeding them - my thinking being that if I mess it up then I'm putting myself and others at risk. If I pay a professional to do it then they shouldn't mess it up but if they do then at least I have some kind of come back! I had a real 'mare once trying to bleed the brakes on my '64 splitty after I'd replaced the master cylinder with an uprated unit (it was drum brakes all round at the time) and rather than improve the braking which was pretty good before, it just got worse and with no 'feel' to it despite going through 4 bottles of fluid to check!! Ah well, I guess I'll see what they say today...

Just had my Rado fail its MOT on a few things which need replacing - n/s & o/s rear steel brake pipes from the flexis to the calipers, o/s rear wheel bearing, o/s front ball joint. I've priced these up from the GSF website and if I've looked at the right parts I get £7.50 (x2) for the brake pipes, £6.75 for the wheel bearing and £9 for the ball joint (all +VAT). What I want to know is on top of those kinda prices (if they're correct) what kind of price should I be expecting for the garage to sort it all out? As I've moved house its a new garage I've had to go to and they're ringing me on Monday to give me a quote for the work, so I want to have some idea of whether its a rip off or not! :)

Cheers guys - I think I'm gonna drain the system at the weekend and refill completely - seeing as I haven't got a manual (yet!) what's the best coolant fluid to use and how much will I need? I read on the other post about G11 and G12? What the hoobastanks is thems?! Never heard of em before and can I get it from Hellfords or the likes? Fully agree with you guys about the 'Evian' thing - I used 'Hadrian' (only because that's my name!) in my Scirocco to refill the coolant on there - the water round here develops a horrible scum on the top of it when its boiled so I avoid using it for the car!

Car - 1.8 16V Exhaust - Custom built Cobra full stainless system with stainless oval DTM tailpipe which fits perfectly in the gap on the back bumper. Beautiful tone and nice n throaty when the go faster pedal is pushed hard! Even better for the £305 it cost (including a big discount mind ;) ) it includes a 25 year warranty. woooo!