Rear Beam/Brake compensator nightmare !!

[NickVR6 0]

Beam needs to come off and to remove it the brake compensator unit has to come off to allow the bolts out of the rear beam (not wanting to disturb the brackets).

 

Alen bolts on the compensator valve have been rounded off (no it wasnt us!). To drill them out the exhaust has to come off, but to remove the exhaust the beam has to come off. Umm what the hey are we going to do now?????????????????

 

Whish it had the nice bracket like the 16v holding it away from the beam, or the beam bolts came out from the car rather than out towards the centre of the car (congratulations Mr VAG once more!)

 

Am i in trouble with this!

 

Cheers guys

Nick

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Try the search mate.

 

The compensator is going to have to be cut off. Cut about half way across it's width and down, this leaves a bit of bolt left to grab onto for removal after you've hacked the compensator away.

 

New valve is £75 from Stealth...considerably more from VW.

[dinkus 10]

This is why you take it to Stealth and get them to do it... ;)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Exactly....and it still took 2 hours to cut mine off with air tools :? And that was after they spent 2 hours digging out a rounded off locking wheel bolt.... it wasn't a good day for me that one!

[NickVR6 0]

Sounds good Kev, but 3k on the cc already says its time to draw the line somewhere before divorce kicks in! Great price agreed though as looking last night they looked like £130 on etka !

[Supercharged 2]

Try GSF, they sell the OE part for about £55+vat IIRC...

[NickVR6 0]

looks like i need new exaust & cat, lots more susp bits that were past it, WBs, drive shaft inner gaiter, ronals wont fit with the lower ride and my speedies need new tyres and a refurb, let alone pinking etc. My bubbling in the head to matrix pipe has also licked off again.

 

The boys worked wonders yesturday though cant thank them enough, and they are still talking to me! We even showed the old girl some love at the end!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Sounds good Kev, but 3k on the cc already says its time to draw the line somewhere before divorce kicks in! Great price agreed though as looking last night they looked like £130 on etka !

 

Welcome to VR ownership is all I can say to that mate :?

 

I applaud anyone that wants to restore a VR to how they were in their youth and the rewards can be huge, but it can be a long & expensive path. Try and do as much of it as you can mate, save on labour.

[NickVR6 0]

Just been quote £30 to push bolt against comp valve, air tool the head off, knock it out the other way and put a new bolt in the other way round.

 

Sounds like a winner to me then its game on again! ??

 

Thats what my garage reckon they do every time as the comp valve never come off.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yep, sounds good to me!

[NickVR6 0]

Cool! cheers Kev, off to VAG now to buy everything etka have listed for a 94 vr, oh and pre 94 fr top susp cups, cheers for the info on that one!!

[2cc 0]

Hi guys, just thought I'd raise a thought on turning the bolt round.

Anyone know whether the shank/thread sections will be a 'not perfect fit' if fitted the other way round? ie the thread, instead of the shank taking load at the bracket.

Initial thoughts are that it should be OK, but there may be someing weirdly VW about it and I can't tell till we get in there again next w/e.

Somehow it seems too simple to just turn it round, VW must have put it in that way for a reason - other than pure Teutonic cussedness (apologies to Eric). :study: :scratch:

[Dixxy 0]

I'm having the same nightmere... turning it around does seem to be the best way... whats everyones thoughts.

[Dixxy 0]

Hi guys, just thought I'd raise a thought on turning the bolt round.

Anyone know whether the shank/thread sections will be a 'not perfect fit' if fitted the other way round? ie the thread, instead of the shank taking load at the bracket.

Initial thoughts are that it should be OK, but there may be someing weirdly VW about it and I can't tell till we get in there again next w/e.

Somehow it seems too simple to just turn it round, VW must have put it in that way for a reason - other than pure Teutonic cussedness (apologies to Eric). :study: :scratch:

 

Just got off the phone to the $tealers replacement bolt is £1.50 vs £50 +++ for a new brake compensator.... hope this is a valid fix for all concerned.

[Scruffythefirst 0]

I don't see the problem, dinku's came off fine, just unclip it from the axel and then drop the axel.

[NickVR6 0]

Its bolted to the axel though isnt it, with 2 alen bolts which had previously been rounded off by the stealers? It doesnt unclip does it!!??

 

Cheers

Nick

[Dixxy 0]

I don't see the problem, dinku's came off fine, just unclip it from the axel and then drop the axel.

 

I'm positive it doesn't unclip. Have you tried it on a vr6?

[saysomestuff 0]

I think Dunkus' [edit:Dinkus'] car was a VR '94 IIRC

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Mine's a 94 and it's bolted to the axle.

[Scruffythefirst 0]

It was a 94 VR. I'm sure there is a spring type thing attached to the compensator and the axel, it just unclips from the axel allowing the axel to drop without trashing the compensator. Then you can just unbolt the compensator as you can get to the bolts.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

That's the problem.... you can't unbolt the compensator because the two allen bolts sieze in. If you can get them out without rounding then you're very lucky!

[dinkus 10]

Yeah, my valve was only a few months old, thus came off with relative ease (and is currently being re-fitted to my new C 8) )

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Ah yeah, forgot you had an entire new axle put in!

[2cc 0]

Then you can just unbolt the compensator as you can get to the bolts.

 

Ha haaaaaaaaaarrrr, classic.

Whose been reading too many Haynes manuals then.

[dinkus 10]

Well in fairness, the one on my C did just unbolt... but that was because it was virtually new ;)