Author Topic: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto  (Read 65364 times)

Offline th3_f15t

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition
« Reply #70 on: 14 March 2017, 20:15 »
Sold off the door cards I fitted a few posts back so decided to fit up my new ones:



Golf Rallye door cards that came with my leather seats. Finish off the interior very nicely for now. Also got my block and internals back from the blasters:




Really pleased with how they came out. Just got to get round to building it back up and dropping the 1.8 into the bay so she can be enjoyed for the summer. Missed my UD deadline but nevermind. Currently, my workflow looks like this...



That doesn't include the 6R list of bits to sort either!

Moving over to Flickr, sorry for the broken picture links!

Offline th3_f15t

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition
« Reply #71 on: 28 May 2017, 23:19 »
So due to moving about a lot and setting up my first home, things have been slow moving with this project. In fairness, things for my 6R have been non-existent but it's not been totally dead in the water with regards to progress. I've been acquiring bits and pieces along the way like all new engine bearings and hardware, the only bits I need now are new piston rings and new small end bearings for the connecting rods. However, I had an itch for a Mk2 Golf in my life and needed to drive one again so I only went and got myself a 1991 Golf GTI 8v big bumper 5 door! Because I got this, it's changed a few things up in my plans with regards to pace of the project.

I decided that rather than put all the effort into building a 1.8 engine to go in, only to then come back out again and sit about doing nothing, I'll use the rebuilt bottom end with a re-built head from the GTI and but it in the actual GTI as an entire engine rebuild, along with reconditioning the gearbox. I also have lots of spare parts and interior trim left over from the first Golf, so using them to sort this GTI out and get it back up to a better state. Think of it as a driving restoration project to keep the need for a Mk2 in my life at bay. So this weekend I gathered up everything and had a bit of a clear out of the workshop:



So all in, I'm taking the 1.8 litre GTI bottom end, exhaust system, gear linkage and shifter box and spare interior trim away from this Mk2 and donating it to the GTI to bring her back to life. I now intend to rebuild the 1.6 carb engine and get it running so I can firstly certify I know what I'm doing with regards to building an engine and prove it works, before stripping it out and selling it on to make way straight for the VR6/02M conversion. To that end, made a little more progress with the cylinder head off the 1.6:




Pressed in my new valve guides, next stop is to re-grind the valve seats for a perfect fit, rebuild the head up with the GTI cams and put it all back together. I may need to re-borrow the exhaust back from the GTI just to prove it runs but will see how things go. Also managed to strip the pistons and connecting rods right down:



Just need to get new bearings and piston rings as well as a final clean of all the old oil and build up before they're ready to be dropped back into the block. Still working out the finer details of how and when I'm going to manage 3 projects (don't forget about the 6R here) but now I'm living in my own home, with a garage, and working just 9 miles down the road for the foreseeable future, things may start happening again, least for 2 out of 3 of my projects! This one is still in Essex and I live in Dorset now...

Yeah, I got some planning to do! Also thinking of starting up a YouTube channel and vlogging the progress of the GTI instead of a written project diary. Because 2017 and all that...

Moving over to Flickr, sorry for the broken picture links!

Offline lemski

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition
« Reply #72 on: 29 May 2017, 11:34 »
Dorset??? Not that far away from me now mate.
Another mk2... Thats my next plan. Misses wants one so she might end up with a 16v while i build me a 20vt.
Good progress with the head though mate

Offline th3_f15t

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto
« Reply #73 on: 01 June 2017, 08:46 »
Introducing Hayley, the 1991 Golf GTI 8v:





She does have a grill, but it had an eyebrow spoiler on it which was attached with silicon so I've got to clean it all off and re-paint the grill but it's an original part and all the clips are intact so want to save it. It'll get a coat of satin black and a new red pin stripe. Generally she's quite tidy and solid, not as good as Harriet (the other Golf in this thread if you didn't guess) but really not too bad. The main issues are;

Damage to the rear offside:



Doesn't quite run as it should, so needs a tune up:



And a list of other jobs I want to do before MOT in 2 weeks from now:



I got her cheap as it was advertised as blue smoke from the exhaust but on the drive back, with my girlfriend following in the Passat, we saw no evidence of it so I'm hoping to get away with it for now. As mentioned, it'll get the 1.8 litre bottom end I'm building along with the head that's on it being rebuilt and a reconditioning of the gearbox too, but those are further down the line as is the bodywork. Right now, I'm focusing on sorting the exhaust as it sounds like it was blowing and it's too loud for a daily car and the gear linkage before giving it a tune up. I suspect, seeing as this car was going to be a track car at one point, it may have upgraded cams in it as it idles poorly but until I pull the rocker cover off and have a look I don't know. I have a spare GTI 8v camshaft anyway so that may get dropped in there when I rebuild the head. Already pulled the exhaust off:



And if you remember, I have a stock GTI 8v exhaust I painted already, including the manifold, but because this actually is a catalyst fitted model, I can't use the downpipes. I'm thinking of fitting a completely stock exhaust as a bigger exhaust on a pretty much stock 1.8 8v engine isn't actually too good for the engine (research natural aspiration scavenging to see what I'm on about). Generally going to tidy her up a bit, get her back (or as close to) stock as possible and address the MOT advisories from last year before getting her on the road as my new daily driver.

But don't worry, Harriet isn't going to be abandoned. She just now gets to go straight to the 3.2 VR6, 02M 6 speed widetrack swap...
« Last Edit: 31 July 2017, 18:28 by th3_f15t »

Moving over to Flickr, sorry for the broken picture links!

Offline lemski

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto
« Reply #74 on: 01 June 2017, 09:13 »
Ummm just take cat out. Its a mk2 so the mot tester wont look for one as a rule.
Looks like the twin to my car. So i might bring the golf when i pop by...

Whats the list say i cant read your writting

Offline th3_f15t

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto
« Reply #75 on: 03 June 2017, 09:55 »
I'll likely chop the straight pipe for now and fit the front silencer I have, effectively make it a connecting pipe/cat bypass. The list is rather long, main points on it are:

Fitting rear trim
Fitting under dash and centre console trim
Gear linkage
Rear wheel bearings
Replace brake lines, fit 22.2mm GTI 16v master cylinder and 280mm front brakes
Sort out the slam panel and bonnet (get rip of the bonnet pins)
General tune up things and service

Mainly focusing on the previous MOT advisories for now, want to give it a clean bill of health.

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Offline th3_f15t

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto
« Reply #76 on: 26 June 2017, 20:55 »
Feels like ages since I posted but it's been just 3 weeks. In that time I've cracked on with the car, the joy of having my own place with a garage now! To start, fitted the replacement exhaust:




Got to sort one of the rubber hangers out as I couldn't maneuver the exhaust into place while laying on my back so the exhaust tips foul the rear bumper currently. Also stripped off the grill, threw the damaged spot lights out and painted it:



Need to do some finishing touches but it's now satin black which looks a lot fresher than the stock, faded black plastic. Also got some new crystal spot lights and will get some matching headlights at some point. I managed to fit some of the interior trim left over from the first Golf:




So there's also two new rear wheel bearings, two front outer CV joint gaiters and anti-roll bar end links with new bushes waiting to be fitted in order to address all the previous MOT advisories but still need to sort a replacement windscreen. I want to get this car put through with no advisories, which brings me onto the next issue...

It wouldn't start, it fired up and tried to idle but as soon as it did, it died. Very occasionally it's just about hold it for a few seconds but the moment I touched the throttle it died. So I started checking everything out, and when I got to the oil breather, it was FULL of custard. Opened the oil cap to find this:



Bought it with the seller saying it probably needs a new head gasket as it was putting blue smoke out, but we didn't see any on the drive home. However, it used nearly 2 litres of water but there was no visible sign of loss outside the engine. I confirmed my worse fears:



It's garbage inside! Literally just water around the valve train and the water was just brown when I drained it. So off comes the head, stripped down and gave it a small clean ready to get it stripped and skimmed:





Bit of wheel cleaner inside the head and a lot of the burnt on oil can off with just a light once over with a dish brush. Going to "borrow" a lot of the parts from the other 1.8 build to get this one sorted and drivable again, hoping to have the head sorted by next weekend.

The only worrying thing is I can't see any splits of obvious points of failure in the head gasket and the surface of the head appears to be good (waterways seem corrosion free mostly which is a first for me!) but going to get a machine shop to check it over. Hoping that the gasket just failed generally and water seeped in from a few places. Going to drop the sump, change the oil pump for a new one, clean it as much as possible with the block in the car then flush the engine with oil and coolant cleaners then see how it goes.

I'm not going all out on it just yet as I want to use the car for the summer so it's Roadkill style all the way (go watch that show on YouTube if you've not seen it).
« Last Edit: 31 July 2017, 18:28 by th3_f15t »

Moving over to Flickr, sorry for the broken picture links!

Offline lemski

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto
« Reply #77 on: 26 June 2017, 21:08 »
Oik cooler gasket gone letting the 2 pass each other? Head gasket muc
St be gone if hea using water though. Or theres a cracked cylinder head

Offline th3_f15t

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto
« Reply #78 on: 27 June 2017, 17:57 »
I'm hoping the head isn't cracked, but will investigate the oil cooler as well. Hopefully that's the point of failure...

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Offline th3_f15t

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Re: Mk2 Golf 3.2 VR6 Kamei Edition + GTI 8v Mini Resto
« Reply #79 on: 08 July 2017, 12:06 »
So, been doing bits and bobs to Hayley over the past few weeks, also been acquiring parts I'll need:



New head and inlet manifold gaskets, 2 oil filters, valve guides, valve oil seals and head bolts. The other bits I need like gaskets and studs I already have in the workshop back in Essex so I'll repurpose those rather than waste them and buy more parts. Also want to grab my standard camshaft, as this one has, as I suspected due to the poor idle, a 272 degree camshaft (trying to confirm brand at the moment). That being said, I did get myself a Dremel for £10 (rather than £40, bargain!) and been reading up on port matching and gas flowing a head so may give that a go, for a laugh...

So that aside, I've prep'd the block face ready and cleaning the piston faces and bores a little bit:



And now working my way through the valve train. To start, soaked everything in wheel cleaner:



Wrap the valve in tape and load into the drill, then use wire brushes and sandpaper to clean them up:



And the result of about an hours work:



Working through the remaining 3 cylinders now as well as cleaning up the head. Will get it professionally milled and new guides in after I've finished going over it with brushes and the Dremel. Got some other bits to show soon, but not been taking loads of pictures as I've been cracking on, but stay tuned...
« Last Edit: 31 July 2017, 18:27 by th3_f15t »

Moving over to Flickr, sorry for the broken picture links!