inlet manifold removal
Posted
Settling In
inlet manifold removal
Posted
Settled In
Had a fairly slow water leak for a little while. First the hose from the inlet manifold's water outlet died because it rubbed on the exhaust manifold and melted…later realised that this is the hose that should be plugged into the carb's water inlet. I've got a Weber conversion so no coolant channels on the carb - the previous owner had just bent the Pierberg hose around to join onto the metal water pipe that runs around the side of the engine to the water pump and it was too long. Temporarily patched the hose up with tape - there was still some steam escaping but I couldn't locate where from. Assumed this was the hose repair not quite holding.
While replacing that hose with a shorter piece that routes more directly, the outlet on the metal water pipe cracked! £40 and a lot of swearing later I replaced that and it all looked OK. Lots of steam when I first started it back up, but I assumed that was from the spilt coolant burning off. Went for a spirited drive and all seemed well.
Until yesterday evening…had a little steam coming from under the bonnet as I parked, but this was replaced by billowing clouds when I shut the engine off. Very hard to tell where it was coming from but there was loads of water on the top of the inlet manifold and it was just boiling away all around the carb/air filter etc. Tried again this morning in the light (I had to get back home…) and same story - very little steam with the engine running, then huge clouds of it as soon as I shut it off. Quite embarrassing when you've just pulled up in a petrol station!
So I'm guessing I'll have to take the manifold off. No much looking forward to it, but the tips here have been really handy. GSF had a gasket but no o-rings, so I've got one on order for tomorrow. Fingers crossed it's that and will go away once I've replaced it…if not, is there anything else I can try? Promised the other half we'd go to her parents' for New Year so I'm not going to be Mr Popular if we spend NYE on the hard shoulder
Stone
"Klaus": 1987 Clipper Cabrio, LA7Y, 1.8 Weber (auto)
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
Posted
Settled In
To add insult to injury the leak's got worse now! Seems to be quite a lot coming out from near the inlet manifold hose barb, but I'm fairly sure the hose is the right size so maybe the inlet casting's cracked? Applied some K-Seal as a last resort to get me mobile again, but I'm not convinced it's going to last
If anybody's near M1 J9 and wants to show me how it's done in exchange for my undying gratitude and all the tea you can drink, let me know…failing that I'll have to get it booked in
Stone
"Klaus": 1987 Clipper Cabrio, LA7Y, 1.8 Weber (auto)
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
Posted
Old Timer
1985 Cabriolet GL
Posted
Settled In
Pics in the morning when it's light, but it looks like the leak was definitely from the inlet coolant channel. The o-ring that was in there is different to the replacement I bought - totally flat at the outer diameter like a top-hat shape rather than the round cross-section of the replacement one I got from GSF. I tried a bottle of K-Seal as a last-ditch attempt to get it sorted for New Year (my other car needed a wheel bearing doing and I was trying to avoid driving it) but that failed. Obvious why now I have it apart, there's plenty of sealant forming an annulus around the far end where it's tried to stem the leak, but it's not worked because the rubber flexes so the water can always seep back out. The gasket was pretty mangled too - it was one of the cardboardy ones and looks to have started to 'melt' post-leak - so fingers crossed with new gasket and o-ring it'll all be happy again The other bright side is that the K-Seal will have fixed any leaks in solid parts through the whole system so it should have sorted any impending failures at the same time. Touch wood it'll be OK when I reassemble it, it needs an MOT now…
Hat tip to all those going before who've made it so much easier by documenting everything!
One question though - what's the required torque when I do the bolts back up? Cheers
"Klaus": 1987 Clipper Cabrio, LA7Y, 1.8 Weber (auto)
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
Posted
Settled In
The central hole is way smaller on the old one, surely it can't have deformed into this shape?!
Stone
"Klaus": 1987 Clipper Cabrio, LA7Y, 1.8 Weber (auto)
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
Posted
Old Timer
1985 Cabriolet GL
Posted
Settled In
Which is lucky really, as his MOT had expired and my Corrado's just been condemned with chassis rot. Took him straight out and he immediately sailed through with only one advisory Just need my winter wheels refurbed so the salt doesn't destroy my polished lips, but an absolute result. They're built to last! edited to add: You don't have to remove the carb to do this - save yourself the bother of setting up all the cables again! At least, I didn't and it went just fine; there's more than enough space. One of those jobs you could do in under an hour the second time round with the right tools without having to work everything out again - though if I ever have to do it again I will be sorely displeased…!
"Klaus": 1987 Clipper Cabrio, LA7Y, 1.8 Weber (auto)
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
Posted
MOTY 2013
Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.
My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:
VAG Documents & Downloads
You'll need to sign into google/gmail for the link to work! (its free!)
My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:
VAG Documents & Downloads
You'll need to sign into google/gmail for the link to work! (its free!)
Posted
Settled In
I seem to be burning it (poor running coinciding with occasional bursts of white smoke from the exhaust) but it will still run if so richen up the mixture with lots of choke.
Lots of steam on stopping at lights etc, after a run there are always wisps around the inlet / carb flange n particularly on the battery side - and a small puddle of coolant on the inlet manifold and on top of the air filter housing.
Starting to wonder if the inlet manifold's coolant channel is cracked and admitting wisps of coolant into one cylinder. Hoping it's not the head gasket, but then there's no mayo on the filler cap or dipstick and none in the coolant…
Got no other way to get to work at the moment so I have a powerful incentive to get it sorted! Anything else I can try?
Stone
"Klaus": 1987 Clipper Cabrio, LA7Y, 1.8 Weber (auto)
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
Posted
MOTY 2013
mk2 golf one is the same anyway so you shouldnt struggle to get one
Hello my name is John and I'm a dub addict.
My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:
VAG Documents & Downloads
You'll need to sign into google/gmail for the link to work! (its free!)
My wiring diagrams and other documents have moved here:
VAG Documents & Downloads
You'll need to sign into google/gmail for the link to work! (its free!)
Posted
Settled In
Night and day difference, no more hesitation, random missing or clouds of steam. This morning I got 75% of the way to work before it started again…again it looks like coolant's coming out around the base of the carb flange so the inlet must be screwed. Will have to acquire a new one and see if it helps.
"Klaus": 1987 Clipper Cabrio, LA7Y, 1.8 Weber (auto)
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
1995 Corrado VR6, LK4Z: RIP
2003 Golf R32, LB5R
Posted
Newbie
thanks a bunch.
Posted
Newbie
Sort of…oh yeah one last thing…4 doors are not cool.
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