VR6 Campaign

It's a messy job doing CV joints, and fun trying to re-assemble and pack with grease - especially when you slip and your balls pop out on the garage floor! (Oo-er!)

Hairyarse said

especially when you slip and your balls pop out on the garage floor!

     

       

I'll be sure to keep my balls under control! 

Going to have a go at removing the outer CV joint tonight,  more mess  

I did learn the hard way when I did a pair on my 944 a few weeks ago - my balls did fall on the floor and rolled under the Golf! lol

I realised that ideally you need three hands to do it well

Great, I look forward to doing that job then. 

I'll do it on the floor on a sheet then I can't lose them. 

I'm winding you up a little, it's not all that bad - actually a lot easier than I thought. As long as the orientation of the outer race is right so you get plenty of swivel (I got it wrong on my new one, old one was match marked so no issues) then all you need to do is be slow and cautious and it all slots in to place

In case you need it for reference - http://www.outfrontmotorsports.com/cv_assembly.htm

 

Had a go at the outer CV joint this afternoon between the baby sleeps and feeds.  I'm going to have a go at the inner one tonight, then hopefully fit it tomorrow.

Started with this:








And ended up with this, quite pleased with myself!!

Had a go at the inner CV joint last night, what a mission!  

Put the boot on, put the CV joint together making sure the inner wider parts aligned with the outer thinner bits, then smeared the joint itself with grease and started to tap it onto the shortened shaft.  At this point i realised i had forgotten to put the spring washer on before the joint!!       

After a bit of stifled swearing i got the joint off again, which by now had fallen apart, (no balls on the floor though   ).  Put the offending washer on then had the messy job of getting everything back together.  I ended up putting the inner part of the joint on first and then managed to get the circlip on after about 20 minutes just looking at how to get it on.  Eventually used a 24mm socket and hit that with the hammer and it pressed the circlip on.
I then constructed the CV joint again, managed to do it eventually and got it all cleaned up.

I have no photos of the during process, i was too covered in grease!!






This was about 11pm last night, but i knew i wouldn't be able to sleep as i'd be wondering if it fit.  So i started to get at the front passenger wheel and running gear, not easy when the car is parked in the garage about 18inches from the wall.

Managed to get the wheel off, undo everything and attach the driveshaft to the gearbox flange, so much easier on the passenger side than the drivers side as you get to it (wall included).  I then slid the hub end in and it fit, well pleased i bolted it all up again and took a couple of rubbish photos to celebrate  

Nice skills dude. Top work. Looks like the desired result to me

smudger1980 said

Nice skills dude. Top work. Looks like the desired result to me

Cheers mate. 

Might try and see if it has drive later, but got to be careful as I have no brakes fitted yet!

Need to bleed the hydraulic clutch so I'll have to ask the wife nicely, might have to reinstall the seat for that quickly, or not lol. 

      I'd wait till you have brakes mate with that engine in it

I was going to start putting the cooling system back together replacing the standard VR6 hoses with the Samco kit that came with the car.  This made me wonder how i was going to fit the Mk1 heater valve on the hose that leads to the heater matrix within the car.  After some searching i found that the possibility that the VR6 needs a constant flow of coolant around the system, which if i just put the Mk1 valve in would restrict this flow.  

I'm unsure whether the VR6 does need a constant flow of coolant around the system, but to be sure i have ordered two T-piece reducer connectors and will join the two heater matrix hoses the engine side of the Mk1 valve just to be safe (marked in green in my CAD drawing below       )

    

So tonight i thought i'd make a start anyway and removed the old thermostat.  The whole housing comes off on the VR6 which was a bit worrying as the crack pipes that runs infront of the engine block to the water pump is a known weak point.  Luckily i got the housing off in one piece leaving the crack pipe unharmed.  I gave the whole housing a good clean inside and out and replaced the tired looking thermostat.  I think i'm going to flush the whole system as it didn't look good to try and get rid of some of the sediment as this may cause the engine to run slightly hotter i guess??








I forgot to take any pictures after, but it's all clean now and a new thermostat is in place, all bolted up and ready for the Samco hoses when i get my reducer connectors.

I also had a quick go again at the Mk4 Golf rear brake calipers i got last week for the sum of £20!!  Came with the carriers, hand brake cables, pads and discs but i don't need all those bits,



Gave a quick cleaning up with a battery drill with wire brush last weekend when i got them





Then today whilst the baby was awake and i was allowed 30mins on the car after completing my other chores around the house i had a go at them with the power drill and wire brush and they came out really good i think.  I'm going to give them a coating of black hammerite this week ready to go onto the car next weekend hopefully.

Nice results on the brake calipers mate. Hope the solution for the heater matrix works ok for you bud

Not done a lot on the Mk1 for a few days as i'm waiting for the bits to come for so that i can try and plumb the coolant system back together with the MK1 valve installed on the coolant pipe to the matrix, but with my custom bypass hose to allow the constant circulation of coolant around the VR6.

I got a load of bits from the main stealers yesterday and some bits turned up today.

Seat springs, inner arb clamp, grommet for heater wire to valve, a load of jubilee clips for the coolant pipes and a few other small bits.




T piece reducers for the Samco hoses that will hopefully allow me to connect to the original matrix with Mk1 hoses when they turn up.








And after scouring the internet for hours i finally just thought sod it and went for the following banjo bolts to hopefully connect some MK4 to Mk2 conversion brakes hoses to the MK4 calipers i have cleaned up.  Neither the calipers or conversion hoses came with the banjo bolts.  They fit ok, so i'll just have to try them out once the solid brakes lines are done, as there are none on the car at the moment.








I'm looking for small jobs to do whilst i wait for bits to arrive so i had a go at the front drivers seat.  I split the back part from the lower bit ages ago due to the lever hook not working when i pulled the seat release mechanism.  The problem wasn't the latch or wires as these were in tact.  Nor was it the spring (which i bought 4 of from the stealers!)  It was the actual hook itself had seized.  After a bit of mole grip tugging and a load of WD40 it now moves really freely and now i've put the new springs on it all works as it should.  I'll put the seat back together again now ready to put in at a later date.  The mole grips left their mark on the bit that had seized, but they aren't visible once the seat is back together.

Exciting stuff mate. Hope the T piece mod works for you

The coolant pipes etc i was waiting for arrived yesterday, so this morning i got to work on the car.  I started with this:






Started putting the Samco hoses on, i went and bought 60 jubilee clips (yes 60 assorted jubilee clips    ) so renewed all the clips as i put the new Samco hoses in.




I didn't want to cut the Samco hoses as i wasn't sure that it would work, so i have installed them all as their original lengths which isn't ideal, but i thought i better test it first!!








The heater matrix was a real pain to attach the hoses on my own, so i undid the whole heater motor in the scuttle panel and then had room to attach the hoses from the inside.  I then filled the whole system with some water and Holts rad flush and ran it up to temperature, and have finally drained it and ordered some new G13 coolant for it to come later this week.



Video of the car running whilst it was getting up to temperature

Awesome mate. I bet you're delighted    

smudger1980 said

Awesome mate. I bet you're delighted    

Yeah well happy that it all worked and there were no leaks. 

Can fill it with coolant at the end of the week and then run the engine again so I can try my first oil change ever, got the bits just need the know how!! 

It's amazing how quickly you can get through jubilee clips!  

Top work and it sounds… well  

I've got through quite a few, especially with my heater valve mod! 

Exhaust is leaking at the moment so will have to look at it once I can get underneath the car. But the car sounds lovely, doesn't come out on the video as well as I'd hoped