pete_griff

i've heard that there are two types of sensor on the front. the far more common one seems to be the cheaper item which you can buy just the little sensor for at the end of the cable which bolts onto the hub carrier. however, i have heard of all "all in one" affair for the front abs which i believe is far more expensive... the first type i mentioned there should be able to unplugged right at the sensor on the hub carrier, leaving the long cable that runs up into the arch behind; check i that's the one you've got. if it is (which i would put my money on) then you're in luck as it will be a cheaper fix. that's definiely not gospel, but it's how i understand it... when i replaced my rear abs sensors they were about £65 a side iirc. interestingly the new ones i was supplied with had plastic outer sheaths rather than metal like the old ones. i'm guessing that manufacturers switched to an all plastic body when they realised that the metal type would just seize into the stub axles and always need beating out, hence damaging the sensors. for the cost of under £200 and a little labour tim, i would say it's well worth the money for the peace of mind when you know your braking system is functioning as it should be.

fair point, but i'm guessing that the problem only started happening after he changed the brakes over... changing the brakes for uprated items would amplify the problem from hat it was before so you would notice it more (certainly worth getting the geometry checked), but from the wording of his first post, i'm guessing the guy is fairly competent and would have thought of that... just my 2p

nice looking car in a good colur with some raelly clean looking paintwork there pal - good descision. if it was me i would bin the rear lights and badgeless front grille for OEM items, but then i'm a fan of the OEM "wolf in sheep's clothing" look and everyone's different. if you're thinking of getting different/bigger wheels i would consider getting some different brakes on there before you go doing things like the exhaust. if you drive it hard then the standard 280mm stoppers aren't up to much under repeated hard braking... a good choice and easy upgrade from the standard items is either the 288mm of 312mm brakes found on golfs, tt's etc glad you're happy with it - keep the pics coming :)

that's cool (wasn't criticising!), i also meant steam clean the inside of the block more than the outside just so you could paint it. if you steam clean the inside it obviously removes all the old oil/contaminants etc and the new oil stays shiny! (unless of course you did that after taking the photos, or i'm just being blind and looking at the pictures in some strange way...) please don't think i'm criticising like i say - just curious is all :)

one other thing worth checking - does your ABS light come on and then go out when you start the car? if not, there's a chance someone has unplugged/removed the light to get is past the MOT... i had an ABS fault with my car for a while on one on the rears(dodgy sensor); when i braked hard from speed the back end would always swing out really badly - needless to say i got that sorted fairly sharpish!

afaik it's actully a disadvantage to run a shortrunner intake manifold (due to loss of torque) - the forced induction boys do it due to the increased amounts of air pipework in the engine bay and to keep the inlet tract as short as possible to avoid turbo lag. if you want to change the inlet you're much better off considering a schrick VGI manifold... (alternatively, you could of course consider a 24v engine which came with a VGI manifold as standard! :norty: ) glad you're happy with the car by the way - hurry up and get some pics up!

nice :) you getting new valves & guides too? i'm not a big fan of grinding in valves - it's such a boring monotonous job, especially knowing how many you've got to go when you start! (imagine doing a 24v head! :? ) it's all looking good pal 8) i'm bit surprised you didn't steam clean the block/head before putting it all back together though...

i would check and re-check all fittings etc, especially where the pads st on the carriers. have you copper-greased them all etc etc. did you use any grease on the sliding pins that hold the calipers onto the carriers? also with the new lines - are all the bends nice and linear (did you use a pipe bender for the tight turns?) and are you certain that no crap go into the lines/brakes when re-assembling.... (all that is said without trying to make you sound like a bad mechanic by the way!) failing all the above and all the obvious things, what are you tyres like? - does the front left have less meat left/different tread/make to all the rest? bit of an odd one if it's all new gear - good luck fixing it and let us know how you get on...

check out this link - you'll see the order you have to bolt them together in. viewtopic.php?f=11&t=62901&hilit=pete+griff%27s+%27rado+r32&start=75 the top mounts just sit on top of the bearings and are then held in place by the stanchion of the damper bolting up through the top caps that are visible on top of the strut tops in the engine bay

it is! 4 large bolts underneath the car (make sure you leave the smaller ones in between the two either side done up or the engine will drop on your head!) and about 10 bolts for the slam panel. the only other things you have to worry about are ancilliaries like bonnet release cable, headlights (don't necessarily need to come out) and grille. let us know how you get on. once you get started it all becomes obvious and it's not all that difficult. it's worth getting hold of some new screws for the headlights from VW before you start if you're going to take them out!

the reason that people go for the 28mm thick discs from a leon is due to clearance issues on the lower ball joint - you're going to run into issues if you try and fit anything thicker... your only option is to run spacers on the inside of the discs (meaning obviously that your wheels will be spaced out as well unless you get the wheels machined accordingly), or you could just make do with either the AP kit (which is generally regarded as the best, but it's expensive), or you could get hold of a set of the aforementioned brembos off a leon cupra r - 4-pot brembos on the front along with the 323x28mm discs should be more than sufficient for a corrado - are you planning nothing but unbelievably hard track use on a regular basis?!? if not then you should be just fine with the leon setup... porsche 6 pots on discs of that sort of size for a corrado is a bit unecessary tbh! you're also better off focussing your efforts on the rear brakes as well (consider the 280mm rear conversion) at the same time (and obviously things like bushes, shocks etc without teaching you to suck eggs here!)

aaahhhhhh - you're right, i did think it was a 9 from looking at the front bumper... fair enough on that one. didn't realise the mr versions got so much more over the standard fq's (other than the bits i mentioned before) - do you know exactly what the differences were in the 8's? and yes, the 4g63 engine to go for is the 9 with mivec isn't it - they always seem to be the most sought after for coversions etc (don't know why mitsi decided to move away from the iron block with the 10 when they have had it so right previously...) anyway, glad you're happy with your latest purchase - how long will it be before "the bug" kicks in and you start throwing parts at it i wonder?! :lol:

does that man we'll be seeing an update on your build any time soon Mikki? :norty:

i had a feeling you were going to mention the fq-400! IMO it's a magnificently capable car, BUT... it has too many drawbacks to make it a viable daily option. the horrendous turbo lag, the turning circle, even worse fuel consumption etc etc - it would make a great weekend toy, but as a daily or even a regular driver it's a fair way off the mark. the latter evo 9 fq-360 had a much better torque curve and was much more "driveable", as is the new evo 10 fq-400 by all accounts... that's why (IMO of course) the fq-340 is the best 8 of the bunch out of the box the good thing about the evo 8 fq-400 (in case you don't already know) is that it comes with forged internals, motec ecu, janspeed sports cat, alcon uprated clutch and 6-pot brakes etc etc all as standard - so the path to much higher numbers is made very very easy :nuts: and yes, i'm all too aware of the draw to "improve" on any evo's already fairly decent figures! (mine never felt fast in a straight line and i would really like to have changed that...) so you recon it's much better than the 9 then just because it's an MR model? what were the MR to non-MR differences? - it thought it was largely just a change in suspension (slight drop and different damping rates) and possibly ARBs... tis true! the thing with evos, in the same way as corrados, is one you've had one you seem to get a serious (and involutary) hankering to get another one... there's just something about them that feels "right" - exactly like the feeling when getting back into a corrado from something inferior i've had a reasonably interesting car history and amoungst it was a subaru impreza wrx sti wr1. it was a nice car and i had it when it was still quite new, but it never ever left it's mark on me like the corrado or the evo. despite the evo being 4 years older than the impreza (and comparitively about 6 years older by the time i bought it), it drove much much better than the impreza could ever have hoped to and put a massive smile on my face in places where i would be left numb and distant in the impreza

really nice looking motor pal - i'm loving my 5 at the mo too :D

it's all about the Evo 8! :D best version of the 8 as well :notworthy: any plans for it? :norty: (not at all surprised you got rid of the r32 after owning your previous evo...)

:lol: loving reading through this! Kev i recon you should re-trade as a car "councellor" and highlight the error of people's ways! on a more serious note i totally agree with the points you've made - it is easier and SAFER to drive a more powerful car due to all the benefits they afford over 1 litre micras etc. that said, there are some fast cars, or comparitively fast (the evo being my case in point here) that still encourage you to drive hard all the time. if you've got ridiculous amounts of grip/power you're going to want to deploy it more readily and if the car "encourages" you to do it then you have to exercise LOTS of self control. as an example, even if i was just driving in a really chilled out and relaxed manner, if a nice bend came up (out on a country road here as i NEVER speed in town) in the evo it was a proper effort not to hoof it round the corner flicking the tail wide and grinning like an idiot! :nuts: this is another reason why i'm loving the m5 so much - i tend to do long journeys, so the fact the m5 promotes a relaxing, quiet environment (even while doing "adequate" speeds!) is a good thing and i get out at the other end of the journey feeling fresh and happy. in the evo, where the journey would undoubtedly have been more fun, i would get out much more tired and not thinking about whatever i was doing. NOTE TO SELF - MUST BUY WEEKEND TOY TO SCARE SELF IN! that said though, when you turn off the traction control in the bm it does transform the car from docile sleeping giant to angry tail-happy whirllygig! and it is good fun - guess i'll just be forced to "live with it!" (sorry!) :lol: by the way, am i the only one or do other people start to get really angry when they're a passenger with someone who just can't drive - especially the ones mentioned earlier who use the pedals like on/off switches?...

hey pal, cheers for that post. that is one lurrrrvly kit :luvlove: :luvlove: :luvlove: i'm really not looking to modify the m5 though and plus i have zero spare cash at the mo due to recent clutch/brakes etc etc. that's a really good steer andd the kit looks very nice, but thankfully i have no cash at the mo so i'll leave it. and you're right - i do hate you for pointing that out to me! :lol: cheers pal :thumb right:

bonjour pal, good to hear it's all going well for you out there. building an engine out there wouldn't be a bad idea - don't think it would be overly cheap to get it back to the uk though... (and take it from me - couriers are notoriously $hit at looking after your belongings!) the longer you spend out there, the more you'll get used to the heat - you'll just be sweating lots! checked out your facebook photos the other night - looks like you're keeping busy :D

hey gents, thanks for the replies - glad the car is getting such a warm reception. i'm pleased with the way it's driving now it's had the suspect mechanics sorted. just gotta get those injectors cleaned and then a remap and it'll be somewhere near where i want it. i really can't wait to get the paintwork sorted, but i recon that's going to have to wait until ater the winter (and when i've got some money again!) Except the brakes :D hey pal, i seem to end up doing this with all my cars whether i want to or not... i bought the car knowing that the clutch needed doing, but i only found out about the brakes after driving it properly hard on the twisties fo the first time. they looked fine from the outside, but the insides of the rotors were buggered from where the sliders had seized. i'm really surprised bmw put sliders on it after going to all that trouble with the discs... (anyway, that should hopefully be all sorted after the ONLY mod the car is going to get in the form of the brembos...) it's an all ally block, completely different to all the straight 6 lumps and afaik it doesn't have knicker-seal linings! as for vanos, the only thing that seems to go on these (touches wood) is the little rubber o-rings that seal the oil ways and allow the vanos to retain oil pressure. they are a relatively cheap/easy fix if they go wrong. other than that, it tends to just be catastrophic mechanical failure which is obviously bad news for the rest of the engine anyway! any chance you're going to make it to stealth this coming weekend - you'll have to take it for a spin if you do... hey pal, thanks for the comment - i HOPE i'll be keeping this one for some time to come now... i know exactly what you mean about the exhaust - i'm glad for that reason alone that i took it to DG and didn't do it on the floor. the exhaust weighs about 19000000000 tons! and undoubtedly it will be monumentally expensive to replace! it seems to have lasted fairly well so far though, so hopefully it'll be going strong for a while yet... your motor is defo in good hands at DG - wish i had the time to do something like that myself in all honesty; i love building engines, it's kind of theraputic i think! i'm afraid i don't have any 263's to offer you - i was just thinking that it would compliment other things in your new lump rather nicely AND wouldn't loose you any points on the concours front...

hey Kev, glad you approve pal. it is pretty pornographic isn't it! i'll get a similar shot (ust without the chains exposed) of my actual car before long hopefully - going to get the injectors out and get them cleaned up before it has a remap...

fair play pal, you've really got stuck in with this one - good effort. great to see a classic corrado get the restoration and love it deserves. sorry about the dash for you pal, hope you manage to sort something with that (i would have been raging if my dad did something like that to my stuff!) please say you're going to keep it original by the way; not sure how many campaigns are left "whole" over here, but there aren't more than 4 at most now are there?...

hey pal, evo had to go (if you want reasons then PM me as i don't want to talk about that on an open forum...) the evo was great fun, but i never thought it was that fast in a straight line (really due to the 'rado, which would have poo'd all over it!). however... in the bends and in the wet it would defy physics! i will always have a soft spot in my heart for the rado, truth be known i would have liked to have persivered with it, but family/girlfriend etc had got sick of it by then so it had to go. i actually ofund out earlier tonight that the lad who bought my engine has the whole car up for sale somewherefor 5k - if i really had it and was financially comfortable (so not now basically!), i would buy that in an instant!!! also i never got round to getting the rado properly setup suspension wise (had corner weighting etc lined up, but was always busy fixing things on it or too busy at work), i recon the rado would have been somewhere near the evo in the dry, but the difference would be night/day in the wet unquestionably. as for the new motor.... when i first did a long trip in it i parked up at the other end and had an epiphiny! i literally stopped and looked around a bit in amazemet; i felt exactly the same as when i got into the car 2 hours previously. i know that sounds like a really old man thing to say, but i hadn't taken much longer, if at all than i would have done in the evo and i felt great at the other end. when i parked up from the same trip in the evo i would have a big sigh, slob around the car for a minute finding my phone/wallet etc then maybe think about moving! the M5 is also much more rewarding in a straight line; it doesn't "feel" as quick as the evo as the evo was obviously all or nothing when the turbo came on-stream. the m5 just "wafts" you up to speed and it's only when you look at the speedo and hear the wind noise get louder that you realise you're being very naughty! it is obviously a fair bit less fun than either the evo or the corrado, but it makes up for it in so many other ways. also when you turn off the traction control it will do donuts on a 5p piece! :grin: lastly the main ethos with the M5 is that i don't have to work on it, don't have to modify it to get what i want out of it - i just get in and drive it, simple! but for all you wondering, i still miss the corrado dearly and would heartily recommend the r32 transplant as long as you sort out all drivetrain/running gear etc beforehand :) cheers pal, glad you approve. i really really want to get this thing to the ring and let sabine take me round in it (or anywhere else she want for that matter! :wink: ) i'm bloody jealous of you for getting that shotgun ride - bet it was amazing! :D

hey pal, no worries. it was nothing important anyway - just fancied a quick chinwag and to make sure you'd given me the right number. hope you won the pub quiz?! glad you approve of the new motor, you should defo hav a go in it when you see me at stealth - and make sure you're not as SHY as when you drove the evo! (the traction control is designed for 2-year olds driving in the wet with lead weights attached to their feet!)

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