Ralphead

We've got a pathetic excuse for snow down here. But a nice coating of sheet ice to compensate. I live at the bottom of a 1 in 5 hill so I'm going nowhere.

I'll have a look at that site, thanks. I've reported it on potholes.co.uk I've applied for records of the County Council's surveys and repairs to that road under the Freedom Of Information Act. Make sure you do that BEFORE a complaint goes in otherwise they can wriggle on it as well. Foretunately I've got a spare beam and a pair of mk4 calipers to go on it. Just need new brake lines and hoses, bearings, discs, bushes ect..

Black centres definitely. Where in Cornwall are you? I'm at Launceston.

Welcome, I've honestly never found a more helpful bunch of people than on here. And we are pretty damn cool.. I always fancied a 172 Cup, that or a 205 Gti. Hold out for a good 16v, theres a few about. I hope the 20vt Elise project goes well, ya nutter..

Yeah it does, I love those wheels and I don't love changing beams. It's the hole that you can't see for the water that did the damage, it make the ones you can see look like nothing. I measured it as approximately from five to eight inches deep and about six feet long. But being under stinking farm run-off water it's hard to tell exactly

So I hit a pothole the other day. I say pothole, this thing is more like a crater. I kept to the left to avoid the big hole on my right (to the left of the photo) only to hit the massive hole hidden underwater on the left. I'm not happy in the slightest. I've put up with various spring and tyre casualties over the years due to our shocking roads, I complain but haven't chased for compensation before. Well I'm nailing the council to the wall this time. One wrecked BBS RA, Yokahama tyre and a bent rear beam. It actually really hurt when we hit it and both the missus and me smacked our heads on the ceiling, I'm glad I was doing only 15mph. Watch out for those holes!

Thanks for all the help. I like the sound of the genuine kit. So I'd need, Corrado VR6/mk3 gti/mk4 rubbers (the same part?) Corrado VR6 top hats and mk4 bearings? I'd much rather hunt about for good bits than buy cheap pattern parts. I put Febi drop links on the front of mine and they're not looking good after 10k miles, sod changing my top mounts every year or sooner. Oh I'm running a Weitec fixed rate damper and spring setup, Ultra GT?, so no coilover complications. The front end rising a few mm is fine with me, it's too low at da mo. Sorry.

So. The top mounts on my 1990 16v need changing. I wish I'd done them when VW still sold them! I can't find any that I'd consider fitting, they all look crap. No one can make a decent quality top mount and retail it for a tenner with the bearing. So I found these. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-GALAXY-PAIR-OF-FRONT-STRUT-TOP-MOUNT-BUSH-BEARING-/330496872017?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Model%3ACorrado&hash=item4cf3260e51 No, I don't want them on my car but look at the fitment list! I know the Galaxy is a Sharan is an Alhambra but even so that list seems to suggest that if VW still sell a mount for any of those cars then by default they must sell one to fit a 16v Corrado? Am I being silly here by believing an eBay ad?

How much do you play with the tyre pressures? Tyres have the last word in traction so pressures can make such a difference. My tyre inflator for my air compressor failed and for a couple of months I was relegated to the the Tesco petrol station compressor. After a week or so the cars handling just didn't feel right. Last week I bought a proper gauge and found Tescos digital peice of crap is out by over 10 percent! Both ways! I had 45 psi in one front tyre and 38 in the other. As for camber, I was running 1.5 at standard height but actually went back to under 1 when I lowered my suspension by 40mm. More static negative camber isn't automatically good. The whole point is to have the wheel upright (zero camber) when cornering, therefore giving the biggest tyre "footprint" you can. What your static setting should be depends on how much your suspension compresses when cornering. My setup is not scientific and is done on gut feeling and a little maths. Track work should give you the oppurtunity to really test any changes. Oh. Dibs on those wheels if you change them, they're cool as.

If you have an LCD odometer then it'll be an electrical speedo. Mine was playing and it was the speed sensor as nrc said. I just replaced the top cap, I got it off a scrap diesel Seat of some sort. You can find the sender behind the gear linkage on the top of the g/box. Try cleaning the plug and socket and have a butchers at the inside of the cap, mine was clearly knackered. Don't lose the little magnet that lives under the cap! Mines a 16v by the way.

My feelings are to, as you say, disconnect the front arb to keep that inside wheel planted and raise the front ride height a bit to let the suspension do its thing. The wishbones should be at least level when static. If the ball joint ends go too far above the other end then you'll get extra negative camber on compression rather than zero, or near to zero, which is the aim when setting static negative camber. I'm running 1.5 degrees camber up front but I only drive it on the road so not really relevent.

Bugger. Thing is it moves smoothly and easily but just has no returning action. I've really got to crack on refurbing the original rear beam and get that fitted, I could do the valve then. Thanks for the price tip. At £150 I'd be fitting a bias valve instead.

Ah, my lever doesn't move by itself. I can position it anywhere and it just stays there. Hence where I thought there maybe another spring. I'll have to find out why it's not returning, would it just be hydraulic pressure? I haven't had a good look at it since bleeding the brakes properly. I moved the bobbin when I lowered the car, but got it wrong I guess so the spring came off. I get your explanation, I resorted to pictures cos I couldn't find the words..

Welcome chap, nice VR6, I like black. It's not all kids with bodykits and nice hair here, thankfully. In fact by the sound of it most members don't have any hair.. me included by the way

Thanks. Just it looks like the big spring can only pull the valve lever not return it. I'll fiddle with it when it's not so damn cold.

It's only the spring(s) which have come adrift. The lever is still on the valve and the valve is bolted to the body. I saw how the big spring attached when I changed the rear beam but I don't remember a smaller one. I turned the back brakes nearly right down and tested them, on private land of course.. Can you guess which bit I drew?

I bled my brakes yesterday and when I opened the compensator valve I found that the big spring was just hanging off the valve lever and not connected to the arm from the axle. It looks to me like there should be another smaller spring on the other end of the valve lever, is that right? I've left the big spring off completely for the minute so I don't lose it down the road.

I recognise most of the places in the articles photos but never saw the car around here. Would have been one to buy (and keep) eh?

Good stuff from Mr Redfox there. He speaks better English than a lot of British forum users. Not so much on here but sm ppl jus sound snd fick as schiit innit! Trying to understand the motives behind some morons actions can be useful for the next time you see the same behaviour. Or at least pausing for thought can chill you out before you react rashly. I only really notice tailgating more in the Corrado than the Volvo but when I get back in the Volvo (a tatty old thing that happens to be really fast) after a while I realise people are so much nicer to me. Or maybe they're just trying to get out the way!

I did wonder about running it dry but didn't want to risk pumping air in. I'll try that next time, I'll be giving it another bleed in a few miles just to make sure.

I see. I'll be keeping it real with the black one for now. Too many other parts to replace first.. ---------- Post added at 8:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 7:55 PM ---------- Oh yeah. When opening the compensator valve to bleed I found that the big spring was just hanging off the valve lever and not connected to the arm from the axle. It looks to me like there should be another smaller spring on the other end of the valve lever, is that right? I've left the big spring off for the minute.

Yes an original black one. I had a spare one the same and even better I knew where it was! What's the deal with blue ones?

The syringe sounds a good idea, as does the seals. Dealer? I think I've been there once. I went to take the Corrado out for a test drive now I can stop it. Thought I'd check all the levels first and the car thanked me by the header tank cap disintegrating as I unscrewed it. Gratitude eh?