HAD ENOUGH NOW! PLEASE HELP..Falling out of love with my car ol

Made a few posts of my progress on here and had help, so thank you! 

Today's issues 

Red hot manifold?! 
I've been tuning and tweaking my mk1 golf gti dx cabriolet 1.8 8v 
It's had new piston rings, head rebuilt and skimmed.. 
I've timed it with a strobe to 6*btdc, before that I set my co to around 1.5% ish and my idle is at or around 1000rpm steady no shakes etc. 
My exhaust manifold is glowing bright red? Sometimes at idle too. 
I'm unsure what order I should do the steps to tuning at you see and I've limited times I can go to garages and ask to borrow their exhaust gas analyst equipment haha
Some pictures 
I set the co this way then turned the dizzy to 6* btdc this would effect the reading I bet? Also if I move one the other changes. So eg I move the dizzy the co changes, I move the co the ignition timing appears different it retards it usually?! I move the idle screw which is wound in quite far now with little room for adjustment inwardly the ignition timing changes again. I'm stuck n lost with it 

Are you using the original Pierberg carb on it?

No it's a kjet 1.8 gti 8v 1987..? I'm so worried 

This is a puzzling one (for me anyway! lol)

I would set up the timing first, then mixture for CO. Your idle seems too high though. I think warm spec is about 8-900 rpm. I've got Autodata book with all the numbers in but not at home sadly.

If it's running too hot then I'd think too lean but 1.5% CO is good.

rubjonny may be your man to help. Have you checked out his tuning guides? you'll find them on the net no problem.

I think it's his for the MK2 you'll need - essentially all the same points to check mostly, but worth checking you've not missed something obvious.

Apart from the glowing manifold, are there any other issues, hunting, erratic running/idle etc?

Not usually no, it's bizarre it idles higher now I've just been to a garage and set the co again, and adjusted my dizzy following that… dove down the road and it idles higher than 1000  but the garage shut haha 

Glowing manifold is a timing issue, had it on g60 and the crankshaft pulley had worn the slot in the crank,timing looked good all marks lined up but it was out. Might not be same as dx but I'd double check timing


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It is a aftermarket 4 to 1 manifold so is thinner metal than the original manifold, that is why it's hotter, not sure if it should glow during tick over but if driven hard then yes it will glow red.
I've wrappped mine so can't say if mine glows during tick over.

I have a 4 branch on mine too and the only time I seen it glowing was when my timing was off and that was on idle in the driveway


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Timing as in ignition timing? Or timing asin cambelt? I've lined it all up right I think!? I mean wouldn't I be snapping/bending valves if my timing was off? I drive it daily etc I'm lost with this, every time I adjust anything it moves my ignition timing a little.. 
where should I have each thing? So idle when warm 900 not 1000? It's shaky at 900 and furthermore it would idle lower than that still during warm up? 
Co? Should I aim for 1% or 1.5% I read something   rubjonny said about 2%
And what order should I do it in?

gafo said

Glowing manifold is a timing issue, had it on g60 and the crankshaft pulley had worn the slot in the crank,timing looked good all marks lined up but it was out. Might not be same as dx but I'd double check timing


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  could you show me what slot you mean I'm having trouble imagining how that would look? Confused a bit but I think you may be onto something here ?

Think I just need instructions on how to set the co, and ignition timing correctly and in what order with the idle screw nearly wound in I'm struggling now 

You have to take the crankshaft pulley off to check the slot in the crankshaft. It's only a guess  but I would check timing marks are correct.


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It's funny you mention it that's all.. I think you mean the woodruff key ? It's like a slot on the crank cog ? If it is I think I get you… it's just that my timing belt cover doesn't line up with my harmonic balencer when the cam mark is to the top of the head however the punch mark in the bell housing on the flywheel does, it's that mark I've timed it off 

Yes, the slot in the crank , either way I'd check the timing . I know it's a pain redoing everything. But your only guessing otherwise. Triple check your marks on the pulleys etc.. never used marks on plastic covers . Used marks on flywheel and with a lot of help from all the folks on here got it right


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That's exactly the mark I've used, the flywheel mark, and the cam mark against the top of the head, I timed the dizzy with a strobe light too.. but that seems to move if I richen or lean the co as the idle changes… I am having trouble with this car so bad… wonder if there's a leak in the vac hoses? I can't find any new ones online too 

Do check your VAC hoses, if there looking cracked or the connections rough, bin them and buy good quality new ones!  

I don't know where to buy the in the U.K. but I'm sure many others do.  

The timing will move on a DIGi car 1. if it hasn't cycled the fan once.  Digi is very adaptive persay, as the knock sensor and things adjust it,  It will settle down a bit, and you have to remove the one big hose and plug it while you are adjusting… But then again as you are adjusting a digi, it electronically moves it to counter what you are doing…..(gimme old timey points any day.).  Which is why on my Digi's I do the static DVOM set of the timing.
Don't need the engine running and only the key in and on.

Vacuum hoses can be bought in Bulk, and about 3 Meters of the 2 different sizes are needed.  In the ETKA they list the MM diameters and show a "Bulk quantity."

Hose in rolls of 5 meters order unit 5' then it says 3.5X3 then in the next line it says shorten to 120mm. This is off one of the vacuum hoses for the Dizzy….

Over here I can go in to any good automotive parts place and get various diameters of Vac hoses by bulk, and usually they print the MM on the label as well as inch diameters for us that are Metrically challenged.

I think mines a k-jet.. I'm really unsure what a digi 1 is? I'm assuming that's dignifant 1? My reg is D636mub if anybody wants to look up what my car is lol I believe it's 1.8gti 8v k-jetronic head ache pain in the brain ache, doing my head in, can't just standard tune it ache. I'm literally just wanting to tune it to how it's suppose to be bog standard wise factory settings before the spark knock or whatever wrecks my pistons and the manifold melts, I'm gunna get stuck into looking at all my hoses right this second ps thank you so much so far guys btw

Just read your post: (cam mark against top of head) my cabby had mark on plastic cover and not to top of head


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Sounds like a timing issue to me - use a strobe light, the timing will advance as the engine is revved, if not you have a vac problem


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