Author Topic: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?  (Read 627662 times)

Offline DUBbleChin

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2970 on: 04 October 2019, 22:50 »
I spray tinted my rear lights for the R20 look.  :rolleyes:

Masked off the white sections and applied 2 light coats.
Machined polished them the next day.
I'm quite pleased with them although they're not as dark as they maybe could be.

As it was:


As it is:



« Last Edit: 07 October 2019, 09:15 by DUBbleChin »
Nov '11 Candy White GTI, 5dr, heated leather, Rns510, DCC, Revo stg. 1, Sachs clutch, MST cai, Jetex 3" cat back, H&R springs, 19" TSW

Offline mrjp

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2971 on: 15 October 2019, 19:12 »
Started replacing all the pads and discs, but only managed to do the front right. Carrier bolts there were lovely and rusty on the top, so wouldn't budge, but a bit of blow-torching and some firm wrenching sorted them out nicely. Everything then ground to a halt when I rounded out the little securing bolt on the front left disc, so will be back at it tomorrow, beginning with a bit of drilling.

Offline joe6

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2972 on: 15 October 2019, 20:06 »
Those disc locating screws can be a 'bother'. Found an impact drill usually works. Electric versions currently £36 in Lidl.
Mk6 GTI Carbon Grey, 2010 Bluetooth and voice fitted, a few VCDS mods still a comfortable family car. Red Scirocco 2011 twin charger stage 1 - enjoyable drive now gone.  White 2016 Polo GTI (roller skate on steroids) replaced with an Indium Grey 2019 7.5 GTI PP.

Offline mrjp

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2973 on: 16 October 2019, 22:26 »
Drilled it out, all good. Bigger issues in the back where the phenomenally inaccessible spline nuts had seized entirely. So difficult to get any kind of force into them due to their positioning, eventually got them out with more heat, some rust eater and a lot of swearing. One corner left! I'm knackered...

Offline mrjp

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2974 on: 16 October 2019, 22:41 »
Oh, and I may have burnt off my left eyelash and singed my hair when the blowtorch decided to flare while I had my head in the wheelarch.  :whistle:

Offline joe6

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2975 on: 17 October 2019, 12:00 »
Pictures?  :smiley:
Mk6 GTI Carbon Grey, 2010 Bluetooth and voice fitted, a few VCDS mods still a comfortable family car. Red Scirocco 2011 twin charger stage 1 - enjoyable drive now gone.  White 2016 Polo GTI (roller skate on steroids) replaced with an Indium Grey 2019 7.5 GTI PP.

Offline mrjp

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2976 on: 17 October 2019, 17:42 »
My wife already laughed at me, I don't need the internet giving me more of the same.

Offline mrjp

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2977 on: 20 October 2019, 20:53 »
So, learnings from doing the pads and discs.

First off - the fronts are easy. If you don't shred the torx head when you're removing the screw that secures the disc, then you're golden. Just don't tear off the cable on the pad with the wear sensor.

The rears are not pleasant. In fact, it's the worst thing I've ever done with tools. Getting the caliper off is fine, but the two splined bolts that hold on the pad carriage are an uttery misery if they've not been off in a while, which given how long it's been since you last changed the discs, they will be. My amateur advice from doing it:

1) Scrub out as much rust as possible around the bolt using a wire brush. Be careful not to damage any of the nearby cables.

2) Get a good quality spline bit, or preferably, a couple. These Laser ones are what I used, they're hard as nails. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0038717EK/ref=pe_3187911_185740111_TE_item

3) Get a good quality, 10mm, drop-forged ring spanner to put on the end of the spline bit. Get something well made like Halfords' Expert range, as it's going to have A LOT of pressure going through it. You will not get these out with a socket set, the torque required is horrific.

4) Get a substantial breaker bar. You won't be able to put it on the spline bit, but you'll need it to apply pressure to that ring spanner, as there's not enough room in the wheel arch to get good leverage. There's just enough room to get the spanner on the spline bit and use various parts of the suspension assembly as a fulcrum. Don't use the shield behind the rotor as it's made of cheese.

5) If it's still not budging, apply some heat. I used a blowtorch, but BE CAREFUL. You're at the fuel tank end of the car, there's wires wrapped in rubber, and you don't want to burn off all the grease down there. I needed a good 90 seconds of direct heat onto the carriage assembly, as that's the bit the bolt will seize into.

6) Get the top bolt off first. Get it off and you'll be able to rotate the carriage around the lower bolt a bit, and wriggle off the old disc. This gives you direct access to the tip of the lower bolt, so you can apply heat DIRECTLY to the bolt and carriage, which will make getting the awful, awful bastard out a lot easier.

7) Do all this on some good quality axle stands, and don't even think about doing it while it's on a jack. There's way too much wrenching around.

Feel free to correct me, but that's my experience. I'm very glad I don't have to do it again for a while.

Offline joe6

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2978 on: 22 October 2019, 09:22 »
Useful advice. Think mine will be the same to get off. Discs have been on nearly 10 years but still OK at the moment. I think that drying the brakes out by a short run after cleaning the car has helped keep them in good nick and no stones to create grooves in the discs.
Mk6 GTI Carbon Grey, 2010 Bluetooth and voice fitted, a few VCDS mods still a comfortable family car. Red Scirocco 2011 twin charger stage 1 - enjoyable drive now gone.  White 2016 Polo GTI (roller skate on steroids) replaced with an Indium Grey 2019 7.5 GTI PP.

Offline joe6

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Re: What have you done to your Mk6 today then?
« Reply #2979 on: 24 October 2019, 16:50 »
Took advantage of the good weather yesterday to clean up the rear suspension arms and coat with waxoil to keep the gravel rust spots at bay. Wheels off and clean, body wash and polish with Bilt Hamber hard coat. Oil and filter change. Whole day gone!!
Mk6 GTI Carbon Grey, 2010 Bluetooth and voice fitted, a few VCDS mods still a comfortable family car. Red Scirocco 2011 twin charger stage 1 - enjoyable drive now gone.  White 2016 Polo GTI (roller skate on steroids) replaced with an Indium Grey 2019 7.5 GTI PP.