Black ABF Corrado - they call it Magnum

[Diamond Hell 0]

TBH Sean, I can't take any credit for it and it's actually dead easy, particularly the limited alignment I did the other night - I kept it really simple and assumed that the wheels front to back were reasonably close, which means I'm never going to have alignment as close as a Hunter machine will deliver, but it's a start.

 

Put simply you put the string down either side of the car, in line with the hubs on the (assuming same front to back) wheels.

 

I tied the steering wheel straight, having checked the indicators were cancelling at the sample height either side.

 

Next measure the distance from the front and back hubs to the string and adjust the distance of the string so it's the same distance from the front and back hubs.

 

Now you'll be able to see what toe you have front and back. The rear isn't really adjustable, the front is adjusted in/out on the track rod arms.

 

For argument's sake we'll say you want 0 degrees toe on the front, so you adjust the track rod ends until the values you're measuring at the front and the back of the rim are the same.

 

On my car I've given it a heap of camber on the front, too - I know I like this set up and I know the max you'll get on the 'narrow-track' platform is around -2.0 degrees, so I just dropped it in. Do the camber before the toe, as the toe will change as you add camber.

 

If you want a more accurate set up and to check for front to back alignment and to know how to make a camber gauge and then use it there is a guide here, which I would strongly recommend you read:

 

http://www.northloop.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?13232-DIY-Wheel-Alignment-Camber.-A-how-to-guide.

[Diamond Hell 0]

Explaining a lightened flywheel to an insurance tele-agent.

 

Oh that's hard work.

[Diamond Hell 0]

A little light servicing tonight. Oil and filter change and then swapped out the plugs for those which went in the last ABF when that went in:

 

 

For these

 

 

Doesn't like being drowned - gets a right hump on and needs to sit for a couple of minutes after immersion, as it won't rev up, just gives what can only be described as an almighty lambda cycle. I'm not sure what's causing this - pulled off TPS, idle switch, knock sensors, dizzi hall sender trying to stop it mucking about.

 

Probably replace the crank sensor next to try and sort that out and alsos check the engine loom carefully to see if there's any issues.

 

When it's not drowning it's now running a lot happier and we're on a from-top-of-tank MPG measurement at the moment.

[Diamond Hell 0]

Replaced the crank sensor last weekend. That was fun NOT.

 

Engine bar on, front crossmember off, front engine mount off, starter off (for a quick re-grease), pull crank sensor and replace with new.

 

The new one was from SES at £18 instead of £36 from GSF/ECP. Now it's in everything seems a bit sharper from the motor, but I haven't been able to find a HUGE puddle to drive through to test the water ingress issues since replacing it.

 

While I was under the bonnet I did a bit of tidying on the wiring too.

 

Annoyingly there seems to be some water ingress in the drivers footwell. The car is missing the wiper motor cover on the scuttle, so that's been replaced with some DPC membrane and gaffer tape for the moment, to see if I can stop the water coming in, if it's coming in from the scuttle somewhere.

 

I also stripped down the driver's door and found this:

 

 

Which is another potential for water ingress, so added a bit more DPC and gaffer tape in there too.

 

 

Next up - back out with George to suck out as much water from the driver's footwell as possible!

 

Any other suggestions for where water might be coming in from would be ideal. As far as I can make out, it's only in the driver's front footwell.

 

Slightly concerned about the amount of petrol it's using, but coming out of only running VW TDIs for the past couple of years I was always going to suffer shell-shock going back to a petrol motor. :bonk:

[davidwort 0]

I think someone had water draining in through a missing or damaged speedo or throttle cable grommet the other day

the worst possible cause is corrosion under the window seal, usually at the point the A pillar meets the bonnet and wing, the outser seal is just push fit so pull it up at the bottom/end and see if there is any rust

careful with those door membranes though, there are little drain holes in the inner door skin and ideally the membrane should be stuck with mastic just below these to prevent water sitting in between the door skin and the membrane where it always finds a way in

[Diamond Hell 0]

I'll take the DPC fix for the moment - just need to stop the carpet being innundated to start with.

 

What other potential popular leaks are there?

[seanl82 23]

Yeah I had it coming through the throttle cable grommet where the missus parked in facing up an incline. the grommet is split to feed over the cable in situ and there was a gap which the water found its way down. worth a check there anyway.

[Diamond Hell 0]

Shot it out the window yesterday - 24mm TS-E on Canon 5D2, just because it was there.

 

My Corrado by Thomas Cowley, on Flickr

[Diamond Hell 0]

Water ingress appears to have stopped. The last change I made was to remove the tarry stuff from on the scuttle - it had come loose and was floating around and there was some particularly wet muck around the accelerator cable. Who knows which of the changes I've made have stopped the leak, but it's great that it appears no further water is coming in.

 

Also had a chance to check whether changing the crank angle sensor had cured the running issue I'd encountered when hitting big puddles.

 

 

No problems - drove through that little river like a trooper. :thumbleft:

 

I also washed it the other night and then polished the bonnet and waxed it - that's a start on the paintwork then.

[seanl82 23]

I raised an eyebrow when you said washed, but polish and wax! I don't buy it! :lol:

[Diamond Hell 0]

Screw you - this isn't a red Golf3 you know!

[Diamond Hell 0]

Powersteering belt needed adjusting:

 

 

You just don't get that sort of torsional rigidity from an uncaged Golf

 

Also I have the MFA saying 99.9MPG at the moment, which is a bit frustrating. As I changed the clocks before it went back on the road I thought I'd have a look to see if I needed to fit a vacuum pipe.

 

I'm guessing these clocks don't need a vacuum feed for the MFA?

 

 

Annoying.

 

Spent some time sorting the interior last night, too. Annoyingly the radio seems to come on when it feels like it. :scratch:

 

But at least it's clipped in, not hanging out of the dashboard.

 

I also spent some time stripping the heater controls to try and get the fan to work on more than 1 and four.

 

After taking off the bit with the top track it now works on 4.... although it was working prior to having the switch cover put back on (I put the wrong one on first - DOH!). I did test it and it's definitely the bloody switch, not the resistor pack. The question is whether I risk stripping it down again to try and make it work - the copper on the rotary switch appears to be *quite* delicate.

 

MPG is hovering around early 20s. Not happy with that. I'm wondering if the stat is stuck open, as the temp only ever gets to 70Deg C. Worth banging one in there to eliminate it - if the temp comes up where it should be the fuel consumption might become bearable!

 

Finally here is the hardest-won piece of trim in the car:

 

 

Yes that means the fusebox is back in where it should be. In the end I had to un-solder the joint in the starter feed to the switch because it was that pulling the fuseboard forward and down. I'm guessing the feral electrician (alarm bodger) had cut length out of the wire when he butchered the wiring. Once that was 10cm longer everything went into place *relatively* easily.

[Diamond Hell 0]

VW have obsoleted the ABF stat. Time to play aftermarket thermostat roulette then. :scratch:

[seanl82 23]

There's a surprise! I got two duff ones in a row from eurocantparts last time I bought a stat from there. Went to VW in the end, where they were available at the time.

 

I also notice your momentary cleaning frenzy didn't extend to the interior then. :ignore::lol:

[Diamond Hell 0]

Some things can't be rushed.

[Diamond Hell 0]

Stat changed..... for another genuine one out of another ABF I had lying about .

 

The one from SES didn't open halfway. Rubbish.

 

Car still indicates it's running at too low temperature, but pipework suggests it's at the right temp when IR gunned.

 

The Corrado decides when the stereo comes on, which is interesting.

 

New set of Michelin PS3s in 195/50 R15 at the end of the week. I REALLY want to put 16" rims on it but the cost of tyres is significantly higher and I'll lose sidewall profile, so am more likely to wind up with bent rims and pinch punctures. This is a practical daily, so we'll keep the 15" rims, for now.

 

Next up is a bit more paint renovation and then re-bushing of the front control arms with TT bushes. It's too sloppy for my liking at the moment.

[Diamond Hell 0]

Four lovely new Michelin PS3s fitted today at £68 a corner

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]77479[/ATTACH]

 

No more worrying about the nasty old rubber on it when I crack the throttle any more! :dance:

 

And yes, that is my ride height and it is standard.

[Diamond Hell 0]

Lordy, I've not said much since I put the new tyres on it!

 

Control arms were stitch-welded and had TT bushes in - pretty much standard for any Golf2/3 platform car I run. I also replaced the rear beam bushes, so the whole thing is tight as a tiger and really works for 'fast road driving'.

 

The Michelins really are feckin' great.

 

Got this rather fine shot a while back, which summarises why this car, really:

 

 

Finally got round to polishing it, too:

 

 

That was mirror-glazed to sort out four years of accumulated grime from sitting in the workshop. I need to get out the Super Resin and wax it before it gets covered in winter road grime.

 

Despite the ride height (which some may view as catastrophic) the front splitter is in a right state.

 

It continues to delight me regularly. The only thing it *really* needs is a tubular manifold to open up the ABF. I do also have a Golf4 tower and shift assembly to fit to it at some point in the undetermined future.

 

I've spray-glued the sunroof lining back on twice now, but the bloody thing refuses to stick up there nicely. :scratch:

 

Mrs Hell would like me to sell it 'so we can get something newer'. I am unsure about this course of action.... but offers are always welcome.....

[Diamond Hell 0]

Now for sale:

 

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?t=89827

[Diamond Hell 0]

Now sold. That's all, folks!