Project Plum - The Plan of Attack

[boost monkey 0]

I think the jaggy hats actually lock the nuts in place, as they can't turn without the cotter pin shearing.

 

Yup, but I don't mean the nut is going to slacken, I mean the pressed bearing race and the bearings themselves will bed in a bit with use and slacken accordingly. Just something to keep in mind, that's all -- you don't want to be driving around on a slack bearing for too long, and it's impossible to tell if the bearing is slack unless the wheels are off the ground.

 

The "jaggy hats" and the nuts effectively make up what is known as a castellated nut, by the way :). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellated_nut)

 

 

Oh i see, slack on the bearings. Interesting point! I'll bear that in mind, cheers! And castellated nuts? Doesn't "jaggy hats" sound technical enough? :nuts:

 

 

Shouldnt it be finger tight then put a socket and rachet on it and rest your hand on the rachet - the weight of your hand is how tight it should be.

 

If that makes sense.

 

Anyway...

 

Good work Monkey.... been following this thread and im looking forward to seeing it finished. :D

 

Cheers matey, I'm 18months in now and would like to say I can see the light.... just the wallet in that sense! :wink:

[Supercharged 2]

Great pics as always mate and looks like you've used the right amount of grease too (most people go overboard and pack too much in and it pops the rear seal out)

 

As for tightening the bearings, I was shown a few years ago by a VAG technician - do them up by hand as tight as you can with a socket then 1/4 of a turn with a ratchet to take any slack out, loosen again and tighten back up by hand until you can 'float' the washer with little or no force at all with a screwdriver.

 

You should check the play after 3-500 miles and adjust if needed (using a new split pin) but the last two sets I have done have not needed any. Get it right and they will last years and years.

 

The other trick I was shown to making them last was to work grease into them before you fit, If you don't do this them the lifetime is limited to 1-2 years.

[boost monkey 0]

Cheers mate, yeah it's nice to be able to catalogue stuff and flick back through it to see what work's been done! I forget quite a few of the little bits i've done like sorting the coil and alternator plus the water pump fiasco!

 

I rubbed some grease into each bearing before hand, and made sure the race had a film on it too. I'm not sure when it will next see another 3-500miles but I will try to set some kind of reminder to check the rear bearing play! :salute:

[boost monkey 0]

Had a moment of insanity and emailed VW about how much rear carriers (with guide pins) would cost:

 

Hi Jon

 

Both part numbers are available from VW. Total cost of both parts with your discount

£100.26 inc vat. If you need them for the weekend, let me know before 3.00 pm today,

and they will be here for you to collect between 8.30

& 12.30 tomorrow.

 

Ouch....but still tempted! Argh, I'm a new parts whore.

[CazzaVR 0]

Had a moment of insanity and emailed VW about how much rear carriers (with guide pins) would cost:

 

Hi Jon

 

Both part numbers are available from VW. Total cost of both parts with your discount

£100.26 inc vat. If you need them for the weekend, let me know before 3.00 pm today,

and they will be here for you to collect between 8.30

& 12.30 tomorrow.

 

Ouch....but still tempted! Argh, I'm a new parts whore.

 

:shock: Ouch indeed!

[boost monkey 0]

I've managed to source some guide pins all being well, so new carriers will remain a pipe dream!

[boost monkey 0]

Just sorting out delivery of guide pins and handbrake mech spring this weekend, so should have at least one side of the rear brakes done this week! Woo!

 

 

The offside caliper hasn't even been looked at yet, must do that. Maybe this afternoon's job...! :D

[boost monkey 0]

Huh. I actually updated this yesterday I swear. :confused4:

 

Anyways, here is the rear caliper:

 

 

 

 

The brake fluid has eaten at some of the paint that was on the caliper before I picked it up, which isn't a bad thing as it'll need stripping anyways. Prob nip out and get some nitromors and finish it off. I've still got spare seals to go in so that's all gravy.

 

I've sourced some decent condition guide pins and a handbrake mech through 3corsameal so those should be coming shortly! Cheers dude :salute:

[Jim Bowen 1]

just to note, that i have the rear calipers too that i have removed the handbrake things and pins from.

 

these are them, there were in the pile of stuff to be scrapped, but if they are any use to you, you can have them for free.

 

 

The garage that removed them said they weren't seized and worked fine. Its just the rubber bits are perished etc. I removed one piston to check it out and it looks all good still.

 

The only problem is they are quite heavy so may be expensive to post. I don't know how far away Oxford is from here?

[boost monkey 0]

:shock: oooh, they look good! Oxford is a fair distance from Essex in general I think. They will cost £6.85 Standard Parcels each to send from the box I have that another rear caliper came in.

 

I've refurbed my nearside caliper already (the one I lost the spring and grub screw for!):

 

 

 

 

If you would like to send me your offside caliper (left hand box in your pic?) then I could send you another £10? Would cost me more than that to treat this other one, and I tend to get nasty chemical burns from Nitromors! :gag:

 

Let me know mate, and I'll wire it over :salute:

[Jim Bowen 1]

yeah thats fine, they are a bit corroded on the outside, but i'd say less so than the one in your pic.

 

if you want to send the money the same as the other stuff i'll get it posted with the other bits asap

 

the one in left box still has piston in it and the rubber boot is split as picture

[Jim Bowen 1]

nice job on the refurb btw 8)

 

did you use hammerite?

[boost monkey 0]

No probs on the piston and split seal, I have another ready to go in :salute:

 

Yeah I used satin black aerosol on that caliper. God knows what I did with the spring though! :lol: That caliper came off the car, but the other side had a mk3 golf caliper on which is different, and won't be going back on.

[boost monkey 0]

:clap: I managed to replace one of the brake master cylinder lines at the front in car with everything in-situ! Well chuffed :grin:

 

On the 16v, there are 3 lines coming out of the cylinder:

 

1 line for the NSF caliper,

1 line which joins to one of the rearward lines via a female-female adaptor (saves making a single 7ft long piece from MC to BPR!)

1 line which T-junctions to the OSF caliper and the second rearward line.

 

I replaced the middle one today.

 

 

Starts at the top left corner of the cylinder...

 

 

 

and then twists under the servo...

 

 

 

...under the clutch master cylinder (this was REALLY tricky - there's hardly any room to squeeze it past without deforming the shape)...

 

 

 

...under the heatshield [removed] along with the other hydraulic lines...

 

 

 

...and onto the connection with the rearward line.

 

 

 

I'm having a hero day 8)

 

Sorry pics are a bit blurred, it started to rain so I was rushing!

 

I've taken the front left cylinder line out to replace: this one is the T-junction line. Hopefully bend that up this afternoon whilst I wait for parts to arrive to finish the rear.... always something to be getting on with! :roll:

[blue95 0]

Nice work dude! not easy to replace them lines....even worse when you have the abs unit in the way!

[boost monkey 0]

Thanks matey! Yeah Prodigal's been taking this opportunity to do his lines aswell, and has had a bit of a mare with the ABS unit I think!

[dirtytorque 0]

Thanks matey! Yeah Prodigal's been taking this opportunity to do his lines aswell, and has had a bit of a mare with the ABS unit I think!

 

how so mate?

[CazzaVR 0]

Nice work again, Jon! What's left to do? You must be nearly there now, surely!

[boost monkey 0]

Thanks matey! Yeah Prodigal's been taking this opportunity to do his lines aswell, and has had a bit of a mare with the ABS unit I think!

 

how so mate?

 

I *think* it was due to getting air into the ABS pump and then needing to use VAGCOM to cycle the internal valves to get all the air out. I'll ask him though, miht be getting confused.

 

Daily occurence.

[boost monkey 0]

Nice work again, Jon! What's left to do? You must be nearly there now, surely!

 

Thanks mate :D There's still some minor issues at the front to do (rad support, etc etc) but shouldn't be long now! Really hoping I can get it all done this summer tbh. I've whored out my soul to the temp agencies again so should soon ave some more cashola to bury in the money pit! :lol:

[CazzaVR 0]

Cool! Then it's turbo time :lol: Coming to National Day?

[boost monkey 0]

Ha ha yeah, I wishhhh!!

 

No, not since I got the ASBO.... but that's another story :eek:

[boost monkey 0]

So, I did the other line this morning.

 

 

Bending the new pipe to shape...

 

 

 

Master cylinder end is fiddly as the strut top is really close!

 

 

 

Look at those radii on the original pipe! No idea how VW did them, maybe cos they're steel they can take more punishment?

 

 

 

Same route as before pretty much...

 

 

 

Under the servo in tandem...

 

 

 

And the award for the most uninteresting and out of focus picture goes to....

 

 

 

Hello Mr. Bracket... Well hello, Mr. T-junction.... T goes on to the NSF caliper, which I'll do when the front is in the air (along with the G60 brakes I hope!)

 

 

Starting to think that I could do my front rad support and cross-member today. I propose using a jack to keep the engine steady as I remove the front mount and pull the rad off aswell to do both panels at the same time. Thoughts?

[fla 9]

superb as ever, Boost.

[boost monkey 0]

Thanks mate.

 

I found something a little unnerving when I did today's pipe; some of the flaky rust from the MC has got into the fluid pathways, so I'm thinking I might take the MC off and use some air to clean it all out along with all the new lines. Hmm.

 

Hell, I'll just take the MC off and paint it. Why not! :nuts: