pete_griff

i would imagine it will be a trip to powerflow for the exhaust as i freaking hate doing them! it should be good fun anyway[/quote:x7ex59da] fair one - i hate exhausts too! :D

i know the supernatural is dod juice's "premium" wax, but is it supposed to be a long-lasting hard wax??? i just ask as i genuinely don't know and hard waxes like blue velvet etc are obviously supposed to last longer... by the way Vaughan, your car looks stunning in the pictues pal - a credit to you as always and one of my personal fave's on the forum :D

just been looking at the pics - that downpipe just after the cat looks like it will strangle things a fair bit. seeing as you'll prob need a custom one anyway, that'll be a good time to get rid of it - shouldn't need a cat to pass on emissions either being a 91/92 car :D if you're making a custom downpipe from scratch, if it was me i would try and retain the existing vw flexi joint (provided it fits with the diameter tubing you're going to run and won't strangle things too much obviously. i've got a feeling it'll be a bit small, but suck it and see) - only reason i say that is the oem items are decent quality and VERY flexible, so should be able to take a fair battering for a few years to come yet, unlike some of the cheapy aftermarket items you see.

by the way, i take it you'll just be selling the gearbox and running an o2a... or will that gearbox that came with the engine (whatever code it is), sit on the original mounts? be nice if that's the case - 6 speed goodness :D

weitec are just a cheaper subsidiary of kw anyway aren't they?!? no surprises that v1's are going to be similar to the top end weitecs...

at least you won't have chains to worry about then! if it's never had a clutch before and you're taking the box off anyway (assuming it's not the slave), then i would stick another clutch it in while you're there - that'll save you revisiting the same area again in future. the same also goes for the release arm; if you get the whole lot off and find it's the clutch, i would replace the release arm at the same time. also if you're replacing the clutch, seeing as you're running power a fair bit above standard, i would look at replacing it with an uprated item. helix are a good name, but i would get the pressure plate checked for balance before it goes on. helix used to be very good here and their plates were spot on every time, but i've heard stories more recently of their pressure plates being shockingly out. i can't confirm how true these stories are, but it won't take much just to get it checked and it'll save you a whole lot of hastle over fitting it and finding out the hard way.

there might be a difference in the track width i know vr's got wider track, but afaik all "later" shape 'rados had the wider track (can't confirm that though) if you've already got both beams then why dont you just measure them both??? :shrug:

looks good - if i was buying another corrado to do another conversion on, i would be going down this road. will be watching with interest :)

the 02a box can take up to about 350-400bhp before you start to have "massive" issues with it. afaik the valver box is basically the same as a g60 or vr item - they just have different ratios between the 16v and g60 (which i think share the same ratios) and the vr's which have longer ratios. somewhere in the depths of the wiki before it failed was a useful guide on box codes/ratios etc etc - google "o2a gearbox" and you'll probably turn up something useful. they should be able to hold around the 300-350bhp mark all day long and last a comparible amount of time to the normal powered cars, provided you're nice andsmooth etc when using them. afaik it's the same story with the drive shafts, but things like cv joints will obviously have to be considered. i.e. if your joints have been on there the life of the car, you'd be better off replacing them before you go seeking the big numbers. also - if you're really after better power figures, you'd be better of thinking about a transplant, or much simpler just sell the car an buy a vr! i know we all get very attached to our corrados, but if you're after more power in the same corrado-type format, then just buy a faster corrado. also, after driving your car, i would want to get the bushes renewed (esp the rear beam jobbies) and defo look at upgrading the brakes to at least g60 items if you really want to keep your current motor and tune it for more power.

from what you've said it sounds more like a dead clutch or a bent release lever. yes you can just undo the two 13mm bolts and whip the slave out of the top of the box. it won't affect the fluid in any way, provided you don't undo the line leading to it obviously. you should defo check the slave first, but my guess would be either dead clutch or bent release arm. you didn't mention the history of the car, how many miles it has done or what model it is (guessing valver from your username). if it's a vr you'll want to think about doing the chains/tensioners at the same time as it's pretty much a given they'll need to be done too unless you've got history/evidence to suggest otherwise.

interestingly the beams are also different between the mk2 and the corrado (uncertain about the old passat). found this out when helping Jon (boostmonkey) make up some new rears. the mk2 beam doesn't have the reinforcing "bits on the side" that the corrado beam has. i know that corrados are supposed to have passat rear-ends, but it seems they're pretty similar across the range, but with lots of little differences at the same time (if that makes any sense!)

you'll also need the 12v pas pump with a 24v pulley and a 24v pas/alternator bracket if you have the mk4 r32 lump then you can use the pulley and the bracket that come with the engine, if you have the mk5 then you'll need to get some elsewhere

that sounds a bit strange - which lump are you using? the mk4 had the fpr built into the fuel rail and obviously a mk5 requires an aftermarket fpr setup. what you've said suggests the fuel pump isn't man enough for the job and or/you're running the car too low on fuel... if you've had to run a different pump for whatever reasons and it's not working well enough then i would defo be looking at a different setup, possibly an additional in-line pump (e.g. bosch jobbie - can't remember the part number now - they're popular with the evo moddifying boys though) and a non-return valve if it's draining back over time. whatever fpr you're running it SHOULD sort the pressure in the rail out for you - you just need to keep that pressure up sufficiently before the fpr sorts it out for the rail. for reference, iirc the pressure should be circa 3bar in the rail...

and the Beacons...

cheers pal, hopefully very soon it'll defo be running 100% and i'll be happy with it to go for remapping :norty: (and yes - wood if effing horrible and should never have found it's way into cars in the first place) Seriously Pete, tut tut ........ :nono: yeah...... ummmm..... apologies for that. Mic i'm never listening to a word you say ever again! (however if it's wet then donuts are on the cards no problem! :wink: ) that's the reason i bought this one (and the evo as well, but hey ho!) - hopefully once i've gone through it and am happy with it top to bottom i won't have to touch it for a while.... maybe ANYWAY! when was the last time you went out, just for a drive, just because you could?!? well i didearlier today to make the most of the amazing weather - bullying bikes when you're in a big inconspicuous car is great - to see them turning around thinking "wtf is that masive beemer still doing behind me?!?" - LOVE IT!!! i also promised you some piccies, so here you go. the car needs cleaning so apologies for that but you'll just have to live with it! also a couple of picsof the roads up in the Brecon Beacons and just how they looked today - priceless...

thought i would do a v quick update on this as it's been a while now. still loving the car. that doesn't mean i wouldn't sell it if the right car came along, but it would have to be something very very special now to make me part with the M5. replaced the following bits and bobs since i've owned it: ? Replace horrific interior wood trim with ally trim ? All oils changed at more than regular intervals (engine, gearbox, rear diff) ? OEM (LuK) Clutch, dual mass flywheel, spigot bearing, release bearing, pivot arm, retaining spring and arm guide, “short-shift” from E60 M-Sport 5 series. ? crank rear-main seal, rear-diff main seal. ? replace clutch slave cylinder with newer item and bleed system with new fluid. ? rubber “Guibo” transfer donut, propshaft centre bearing, re-grease rear proshaft cv-joint, gearbox mounts. ? brake discs/pads all round, handbrake shoes and cables. New pistons & seals in front callipers, new goodridge brakelines with new fluid and thorough system flush. ? air filters, fuel filter, FPR, spark-plugs, cabin filters. ? Water pump, thermostat, coolant, crank front-main seal. ? Aux belts and tensioners/pulley assemblies. ? Centre tie-rod, track-rod ends, front drop links. ? Rear tyres (pothole damage) stuff on the to-do list: - new mafs - new pre-cat lambdas - fit re-conned injectors - fit new vanos o-rings - fit new rocker cover gaskets - once all of the above is done it "should" be running perfectly - then it's REMAP time :norty: - track down one or two interior rattles that are driving me bananas!!! (car would be pretty much silent inside if it wasn't for those) - possibly then move on to think about paintwork and wheel refurbs changing the brakes/lines and fluid has made a bigger difference than i thought it would, so i'm going to be sticking with the standard brakes for the time being. recon i'll go for some ferodo pads next time though (would have originally but no stock around at the time); the red-stuff are pretty good fair play to them, but they're already developing heat-stress cracks through the braking material and i can seemyself having to change them sooner than i should do as a result. i do give the brakes a pretty hard time (and i recon they would fold under "proper" track use), but the pads should have lasted a little better than they look as though they will do - IMO of course... there's not much else i would want to change on the car if i'm honest. OBVIOUSLY it could be a bit faster, but then i'm hoping to re-capture a few lost horses with the new mafs etc and then boost things up again (probably see around a 30bhp increase) with the remap. the only mod i'm in any danger of making any time soon is to fit an ipod kit so i can use/control my iphone through the standard oem headunit without having to mess around doing it on the phone then the head unit etc. i'll try and get some decent pics of it up at some point now the ghastly wood interir has gone and the sun has come out to play :D

first things first - clean up all the oil you can then monitor it. only by keeping an eye on it and having clean areas to get contaminated by the oil leaking onto them will you find out exactly where the oil is coming from. if you're worried you have a water leak then get the system pressure tested at a local garage (or borrow a pressure tester off someone as they are very easy to use) - that will not only tell you if you have a water leak but you should be able to see where it's coming from (unless it's an internal leak which is bad news!). just by refitting/repairing your exhaust you shouldn't have caused any oil/water leaks anywhere as the exhaust and oil/water systems are in no way related. i know it sounds odd, but it's probably either coincidence, or you've never noticed it leaking before... as for the pops and bangs - could be a number of things. the most basic check you can do is to make sure your plug-leads are on tight - it's easy not to fit vr plug leads properly which causes missfires. also when were your spark-plugs & filters last changed? also how many miles has the car done and have the injectors ever been cleaned/replaced? sorry to be a bit vague - but you've not given anything that's distinctly diagnosable! start with the points above and get back to us as you turn things up...

its crap that you can buy a brand new bearing from the stealers and still have the problem with this squeak - crazydave has the same problem with his vrt - it would be nearly silent otherwise! if you've not had a clutch change done on the car, then the chances are that the old bearing is just telling you that its tired! nothing amazing to worry about, but monitor the noise - if the bearing goes then you may as well replace the clutch anyway (unless it's been done recently as i said). i HATE it when people sit at junctions etc with their foot on the clutch, even worse holding the car on the clutch on a hill. i changed the clutch on a friends 106 rallye ages ago now - the plates were perfect, the thrust bearing came out in literally seven different pieces! he doesn't keep his foot on the clutch anymore!

valve guides do not come as part of a head gasket kit and they definitely do not just push in and out by hand - they have to be pressed in and out carefully! you're on about valve stem seals - the little rubber seals that sit on top of the valve guides and stop oil that sits in the head travelling down the guides and into the combustion chambers. sorry - i'm not being a cock about it or anything, but just getting the facts right.

the first quote seems a bit steep - you can get a head skim done for £30-40! (the place i take mine in hereford will give the head a steam clean included in the price of £40) recutting the valves in is a royal pain in the arse and takes ages, but in all honesty anyone can cut valves back in! all you need is some coarse & fine grinding paste and a valve tool (basically a stick with a sucker on the end!). have a look online (i haven't checked personally), but there's bound to be a guide on how to cut valve back in. essentially, once you've done your first one or two you'll get a "feel" for it. like i said, it's not difficult, just a time consuming and monotonous job! despite the fact that grinding valves back in is a crap job - they shouldn't be charging you that much IMO. is that with new valves as well, or is that just all labour costs? it all depends on your engine and how it's been looked after etc etc (mine was a vr, so i can't comment with much authority on valvers), but when i did my head my exhaust valves were pretty minging, as were the guides. if you're getting the guides replaced then you should do the valves at the same time otherwise it'll just be false economy. try getting a quote from somewhere else, and get some piccies up so we can judge how good/bad your valves etc are... if it was me and i was planning on keeping the car for a while, then new valves & guides would be a good idea - it would also be a very good time to fit some new tappets, new camshaft and new valve springs - but i appreciate that you won't have an endless budget. you could always do the tappets & camshaft at a later date - but obviously, you'll only be able to do valves, guides & springs while the head is off. if you don't do them now then you'll have to take the head off again in future if you want to change them!

turbo is the way to go really, also the size of the cooler really depends on where you're going to mount it, what power you're ultimately planning on running, how hard yo'll drive the car on aregular basis etc etc. 16 is about average, but worth having a chat with someone in the know about the points above before you make your mind up. also worth keeping your options open and having a gander at the DG Autotech turbo setup - that's going to be very very nice once it's all sorted.

if you go R32 sump route then u will need the stubbier R32 oil pump too then from what i have read (it has a shorter "spout") iirc that's true! like i said - give Kev Haywire a shout and he'll tell you everything there is to now about it!

you'll certainly need an oil cooler if you're thinking of force feeding it - mocal are by far the most "recognised" cooler in the uk, but if another make is of the same quality then it won't make that much difference. i would also use a thermostatic take-off plate for the cooler to keep things nice during warm up. ref the block - you'll want wossner pistons and preferably a 2.8 block that's useable with good bores. also worth getting arp con-rod bolts and some forged con-rods too if you're going FI (don't know much about manufacturers of forged con-rods for a VR, but have a look around). while you're there it's probably worth seeing if the block will come with a crank. yours might be ok; have seen others on this form suffer even greater destruction than you but still have their cranks go totally unscathed - however... defo check yours out before you do anything further and see if you can get holdof a crank with the 2.8 block if you find you need one... i wouldn't bother doing anything with your block other than sell it for someone else to rebuild it if they want too. if you've going FI then you want nice thick, strong cylinder walls and the 2.8 is quite a bit more common than the 2.9, so that will help you keep your options open. the list you've got so far is pretty good - you'll want a helix clutch to handle the power, i would also consider getting a mk5 r32 sump to go on there seeing as you're going to be replacing the sump anyway. the r32 sump is baffled and i "think" they more or less go straight on - it'll be worth getting in touch with the moderator Kev haywire (or juan sheet at the mo!) as he's got one on his turbo vr. sorry to see your old engine like that - true destruction! have you got any comeback one whoever sold you the car, also didn't you notice that there was something not quite right when you looked at it? edit - the wossner pistons are by far the nicer way to go over a spacer plate (spacer plates will also put the timing out slightly due to the increased length the chains have to cover - nobody seems to mention that!), not to mention the extra head gasket needed (more room for leaks) and the fact that it's basically just not a "nice" way of doing it. you can run a spacer plate for ages just fine, and people on here have done; but if you're after real quality bombproofness, you won't beat the wossners. btw - do have you a beemer by any chance? (just seen your avatar, and i know what that little light is!)

looking absolutely great there pal - top effort, can't wait to see more 8)