CO, idle
Since changing the breaters and the airbox boot, the car has been running like a bag of spanners. To be honest, it had never been running right, but it took a bit of tuning to realise.
Now that I was confident the the ISV was working and the air leaks were fixed, it was time to set the CO and idle.
Having managed to find a long enough 3mm allen key I followed the guide in the MK2 maintenance section (disconnect breather and bung up air box, disconnect red lead for ISV, then set idle to 1000rpm, lean out mixture until car almost stalls, then richen it slowly until you get a smooth idle).
I noticed straight away that the car idled better. I took it for a drive, and what a difference! The car had been pinking before, but now that had gone, and I am no longer fighting with it pulling away from me at low revs.
I think it is still slightly out as it hunts a tiny bit (+/- about 50rpm) sometimes, but it is a lot nicer to drive now. It finally feels like the car it should do.
Replacement gearbox
I picked up a replacement box a while ago, as mine was about to throw its diff. I cleaned it up the best I could, ordered new seals from VW, and then sent it off to a local VW specialist for a swap. The same garage had also done the clutch, so they offered the gearbox swap at a reduced price.
The box feels nice now, a lot smoother, and no 2nd gear crunch like the last one. I had supplied some Redline MTL to the garage so that probably has something to do with it. It's so smooth that I can change gear with one finger!
Replacement glass
My passenger window had a massive chip in it, so I got a replacement pane from another forum, along with a replacement rear screen (the elements for the demister were broken in mine).
I swapped the passenger window over while doing the electric mirrors - it's really easy - just lower the window until you can access the bolts. I removed the window rubber and the inner window scraper to make it easier, and the pane just lifts out. Refitting as always is the reverse of removal.
The rear window is a little more tricky, but I had done it before. You need to work the seal out from the inside until you are about 2/3 the way around, and then you should be able to slide the rest out. I tried using the string trick again to fit the new window, but it didn't work quite so well this time, and I had to fit most of the seal on the new windo by hand.
The elements work fine on the new window but the glass is pretty scratched unfortunately, so I may replace it again in the future.
Speakers
I realised that the right front dash speaker had stopped working. It turned out to be one of the connectors on the speaker itself, but I took the chance to upgrade it to the JBL speaker to match what was on the other side. While testing it, I found out that the rear speakers were wired up the wrong way round (left on right, right on left) so I ventured into the dash once again to sort it out
Grille strip
The colour strip under the grille was the only thing that let down the front of the car now. I had a spare one knocking about, so decided to paint it with the leftover paint from the bumper.
I used the technique that is becoming familiar to me now - I sanded down to the metal, reprimered, sanded down with 1200 grit, then a few coats of colour, followed by several coats of lacquer. I let it harden for a couple of weeks, then flattened with some 2000 grit, before polishing up.
I also managed to find a grille with almost all the clips intact, so gave the trim a coat of tornado red, cleaned it up, and attached the newly painted Royal Blue trim to that. It still has damn eyebrow spoiler holes though.
Replace foglight
There was a lot of condensation in one of the foglights. I had a spare, so decided to replace it. When I removed the old one I was met with a gush of water. Surprisingly the bulb still worked...
Heater hoses
The heater hoses were fitted with a bypass valve, and I decided to remove it before winter came in order to improve my heater. I am pretty sure the matrix has been replaced as loads of foam keeps coming through the vents (the foam on the vent doors is brittle after 20 years, and when you disturb it while replacing the matrix, you end up with it flying through your car for the next 12 months).
In order to lose as little coolant as possible, I went for one pipe at a time. I made sure the new pipe was corked at the matrix end, and then detached the old pipe at the cylinder head. I then put the new pipe on as quickly as possible. Once it was on, I removed the old pipe from the matrix, removed the cork from the new pipe and connected the other end to the matrix. I then did the same for the other pipe. I topped up with water and G12, then bled the system. Now my heater is even hotter!
Bodywork repair
I booked the car into a reputable local bodyshop. There is a big dent on the passenger lower rear quarter, and also the big vandal scratch. In addition, I asked him to sort out the spots of rust near each rear window, and a spot on the rear panel. He told me he would spray the whole rear quarter on the passenger side.
The car was away for 3 days, but I've got it back now and it looks loads better! I think the lacquer could do with a flatten and polish in a couple of weeks though. He did do a couple more bits as well, such as a rust spot on the driver's door, and the scratch on the passenger door, so was pleased about that. The only one criticism is that it doens't look like he removed the passenger rear window, as there is a small paint defect near the seal. Still, it's a lot better than it was, and I should be able to hold off a full respray for a couple of years.
Roof rubbers
The ones on the car were shot, but I have some in better condition. I asked the paintshop to do the passenger side one, since they were spraying that side anyway. He did it, but told me it was a nightmare job, which didn't exactly fill me with confidence for the driver's side.
I removed the old seal by getting under it at the back with a screwdriver covered by a cloth. I then just peeled it back off the car - I wasn't bothered about damaging the old seal.
I fiddled with the new one for a while, then relaised how to do it.
I started at the back. There are two things to think about when replacing the seal. The first is the bit that fastens to the clips - the bit that's actually on the roof. The other bit fits over the lip on the shell - this is the outer side of the rubber.
I lined up the rubber, then starting at the back, I pushed the side of the rubber over the lip, just enough to get it started (it won't go all the way yet). Next I used a 1/4" drive extension to push down on the roof rubber over each clip, until I heard it click into place. After a couple of clips, I then went back to the start and pulled the side of the rubber outwards while pressing down, to get it completely onto the lip, and have it sitting flush. I did this all the way along, and found it quite easy! The only thing to remember is to feed the end of the rubber on the windscreen side under the wing before you start on the A-pillar clips (i.e. think ahead!)
Exhaust backbox I have managed to pick up a full VAG 16v exhaust system for pretty cheap, and in good condition. The main bit I was bothered about was the backbox, as the Timax one bugs me a little. Unfortunately I snapped the bolt for the rearmost exhaust hanger, so had to go and get it welded on. All done now - the backbox sits a lot better and sounds good too!
I'm sure there are lots of other bits I've done, but that will do for now! I'm taking the family to te seaside tomorrow, so hopefully we'll get a few pics of the car!
