wandee

That Ducati Desmosedici RR is bloody amazing. Now if I only had £40K.... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DUCATI-DESMOSEDIC ... dZViewItem Mindboggling collection Jay Leno has. Wonder what it's all worth in total?

Nah, I did the test in the correct fashion. Engine fully warmed up, coilpack LV disconnected, fuel pump relay and fuse 18 removed & throttle fully open. I've done countless compression tests before on other cars. Like I say, I wouldn't count a Sykes Pickavant tester as cheap and nasty. It's this one.. http://www.cromwell.co.uk/SYK5033140S and as you can see is actually a lot more expensive than the Draper one.. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/A1-QUALITY-NEW-DR ... dZViewItem . The Sykes one is a couple of years old so maybe needs calibrating?

Pretty sure the Golf has not had the head skimmed. I have a shoebox full of service and modification history and although it has had the ECU remapped there is no documentation of the head being touched. Whilst I am sure that there is nothing to worry about in the Golf, even if the compression tester is telling fibs, the Corrado may be a cause of more concern if the actual readings are closer to the ones taken with the Sykes Pickavant tester. Would it be possible for a brand new tester, ie the Draper one, to be a dud?

Yeah the readings are even but they just seem, in the Golf's case anyway, TOO high. We did the compression test on the Corrado as we sometimes think it might lack a bit of power and there is the odd puff of smoke from the exhaust from time to time.

Last week I gave my mate's VR a compression test to see if it was in good health. I used a compression tester that I have had for a couple of years. It's a Sykes Pickavant one so a pretty reputable brand I would say. When we carried out the test we were a little concerned with the results. Not disastrous but not as good as others have recorded on this forum. They were as follows:- 1) 150psi 2) 160psi 3) 155psi 4) 160psi 5) 155psi 6) 160psi All within tolerance of course but not as good as the 170/180 readings that most people seem to record here. I noticed, from reading the other threads, that a lot of people used the Draper 37442 tester to record their results so I went and bought one and did the test again. This is what we got :- 1) 170psi 2) 190psi 3) 180psi 4) 195psi 5) 180psi 6) 190psi As you would expect, we were overjoyed and just put the initial test readings down to a dud tester. I then decided to test my Mk2 1.8 Golf GTi, with 140K on the clock and pretty much FSH, to see how healthy my engine is. This is what I got. 1) 205psi (14 bar) 2) 205psi (14 bar) 3) 205psi (14 bar) 4) 205psi (14 bar) Now call me a miserable sod but I have trouble believing that a 17 year old engine with 140k miles behind it can give such spectacular results, even if it is a VW. And especially as the manual states that a new engine should only give readings of between 11 to 13 bar! Which leads me to my question. Is my mates VR as healthy as this Draper tester suggests? Or can these things really be trusted to give accurate results?

Keskins only come in 16" and above...dont like the spokes on em either...cheers anyway though.

Yeah, I know..it's the 15" that is the problem. Actually these wheels aren't for my 'rado but for a Mk2 Jetta. Those ones on that Golf aren't bad but not quite what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for a set of 15" wheels, five spokes in the "star" shaped fashion but with a deep dish rim. The closet I've found are Schmidt Modern Line but what I dont like about them is that the spokes are a bit too fat. The other set that I quite like are Lenso RS5, but the problem with these is that the spokes protrude "out" from the centre, spoiling the deep dish effect. To give you an idea of what I am really looking for have a look at this....ok it's actually a model(!) but the style of the wheels is what I am after. Obviously the dish on the rears is too much but the fronts look perfect. Is there a 15" wheel in the "real world" that looks like this?

Yeah it's a bit of a science working oout spring and damper rates!...just a pity it's such a fanny on taking these things off/on cos it would probably be fun playing about with them .

Yeah I know what you mean. I'vew actually got a set of AVO coilovers but took them off cos they were bloody awfull...bouncy at speed yet somehow hard as nail on bumps around the streets. Hate them I do!

Yeah I suspected that too...pity though cos I'm just looking to experiment with ride height on the cheap.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-Golf-MK2-3-Cor ... dZViewItem I'm a bit suspicious since they are so cheap...but the idea looks a good one. Bearing in mind my car will never see a race track, doesn't get thrashed and I just want to lower it for the looks...are they worth buying? Obviously I want the car to neither wallow about or feel like Freddie Flintstone's motor, so does anyone have any experience of them?

If you could give me an idea of the price I'd be gratefull. Also, if I was to have the OEM dampers I'd still like to lower the car, probably around 40mm. Do you recommend a set of springs to go with the OEM dampers that will give a comfortable but decent handling ride? I dont like to feel every bump in the road with all the interior panels rattling but I dont want something that makes the car lurch around too much. I need a decent balance of the two....unless there is a way to achieve this with the AVOs?

Care to explain that a bit more? I'm not that clued up when it comes to the mechanics of suspension. Any chance you could post these mate?

So from what I've described above, is that normal from a set of coilys?

See my response above. I dont know if they are ok or not to be honest. Also dont you need the proper tool to adjust them cos I didnt get one with the car. Are AVO coilovers adjustable for height, spring rate and damping effect?

How much are you looking for your suspension bits? They're AVO coilovers, and its the first car I've had with coilovers on. Dunno whether they are faulty or not but I'm not impressed. The ride is hard but at the same time bouncy! I know that sounds contradictory but thats the only way I can describe it!

Looking to de-coilover to OEM my VR6 on the cheap but stealer prices are prohibitive to say the least. I have the chance of a set of shockers & springs from a 1989 'rado 16V in perfect working order....so will my VR be ok with these on?

I need help deciding how low to go with my 'rado. Dont want to go too low as I dont want the out and out boy racer look. Just something subtle yet poised. I reckon I'm gonna go for some 16" wheels so if you have some photos of you car with a drop of between 30mm to 60 mm I'd be really gratefull if you could post it up!

Just a quick one...can someone give me a few tips on doing a compression test on my VR? Done loads on Mk2 Golfs but this is my first VR6. Any precautions/special directions? Cheers.

Cheers, I did have a look at the sticky thread but there is no one near me on that list, as I live in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Cheers...will have a look.

Probably been asked a million times before but I'm considering taking the nasty coilovers off my VR. If I was to get a second hand set of OEM 'Rado struts can I get any from a scrappy etc, or are they different for each engined car?

No I haven't tried it yet but will definitely do so this weekend. How many litres do I need for a Corrado VR6 gearbox?

Cheers, that sounds like the right course of action to me too. Is MT90 thicker/better than MTL?