General advice on a few probs of mine

Right…

The brakes on my mk1 1.6gl cabby seem pretty crap; The pedal is quite soft… The front pads and discs look ok haven't checked the rear shoes but they shouldn't make that much difference should they?! Think they are ok though, as the hand brake is tight and works spot on! Ive bleed the system through in the correct order to get rid of any little bubbles. Which seemed to make the pedal a little harder! If you start the car with your foot on the brake peddal i sofens up, which i think mean the servo is working..correct?!?!  Now im stuck. Ive never owned a mk1 before this so i dont know how the brakes should feel! What are they like? And any ideas what my problem, if there is one could be? and is there and tests i can do to check the brakes?  


Any one know what the mpg should be for a A reg Mk1 1.6 GL cabby should be…?
Any ideas what it should be with a webber on it?

Just got this car, and only probally getin 22-28ish mpg!

Im havin a few running problems too. on accelerating occasionaly it will hesitate, i had a guy tune the carb, he said it tuned really very well, and he set it to factory spec. when i got it the fuel return pipe was blocked off! I got a fuel seperator canistor thingy off a mk2 (the thing bolted on, on the rocker cover studding) and hooked it up! Should i have done this? mind you it hasn't made it any worse! in fact probally a little better! any ideas peeps? thanks

i don't have a cab - it's a hardtop. but just found the filter in the fuel pump (tank side). full of crud. cleaned it out and the car is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better. so much so it's like a new car!

mark

The rear brakes on a Mk1 are vital to good operation.  I'd pull the drums of the back and inspect the wheel cylinders - pull the rubber caps back a little and see of there is brake fluid weeping out.  Also make sure the shoues are ajusted correctly and not by the handbrake adjusters by teh handbrake level.

I'd also bleed the system right through to make sure you got new fluid in the whole system.

Problem could be leaky seals in the master cylinder, wheel cylinders etc.

cheers for your help guys! mark, is your motor injection, cos i cant find a fuel pump by the tank, its in the engine bay bolted to the crank case  :?
Crasyquiff.. cheers, brought some stuff of you on ebay the other day, spot on! cheers. Where bouts in oxfordshire are you?

yeah soz it is a gti and it's a hardtop.

not sure but if they see fit to put a mesh filter in a gti pump would they put one in em all? check if it has i'm sure someone will know!

good luck
mark

ricrhind,

I'm in Wallingford - between Oxford and Reading  

You seen my website? www.golfmk1.co.uk - lots of used stuff also  

wallingford  

I used to live in Benson!
Im out that way all the time as my girlfriend lives in Drayton st lenard. You know the place? You might know her brother actually he drives a mk1 gti…. Andrew Rogers.. ring any bells?

You got any cabby bits? Im after a black dash lower section

Just got this answer for the same question off another forum…

"dont panic mate - you've got mk1 brakes. they're meant to be like that, its part of the fun of owning 1. i've got 1 & they are shocking ! apparently the convertibles are even worse than the hatch, but i cant explain why. basically its 1980's tech, & the system was meant to be for a left hand drive, when it came to the uk they just bent the brake system to fit it to right hand drive - hence under braking it twists & the more the load the more it twists..  

the standard brakes are rubbish, my advice is be ready with the hand brake for emergencies (or upgrade the brakes - i havent). at least with the roof down you look cool before you crash (& die) "

Now im confused, are they really that bad?

Ricrhind,

Yeah i know where you mean but havn't spotted her brother's Mk1  

Soz don't have a cab lover black cover - the one for the stiffener bar?

RE: Brakes…

I just do not agree.  I have A cab and more Tintops than I can count and the brakes are all perfectly suitable.  OK yes:

- They are not as good a a f**d
- The RHD's do suffer a softer pedal due to the linkage play and flex
- They do require uprating if more power is installed
- When not in fine fettle they degrade quickly

But, adjust the rears correctly, change the 20 year old fluid, make sure there is no really significant wear in the linkage and they are fine.

ok bro ill do that. cheers!
yeah thats the cover i was on about! Let me know if you get one in!

will do

Hi chap i have just been through all this with my Cab for the MOT. The brakes are shocking compared to a modern car. I thought the same that there was somthing very wrong with the brakeeeess. Bleed, changing shoes and i even replaced the slaves on the rear. They do work and fade very quickly. I am now looking to upgade mine from a MK2 GTI. The is a peice of metal ive got to buy first, dont know the name of it but ive seen a picture somewhere that you can get the MK2 discs/calpiers to fit. I do belive as the other post sugest that the MK1 golf is meant to be the way it is. Might go as far as the get groved and drilled discs and better pads. Any how you are not alone on your quest of better brakes..
Andy