Test fitted the brakes today. Tried to do heatshields but the stub axle bolts wouldn't budge. So deleted them instead.

Said before but old pads and discs on purely to get it moving. Will have new discs and pads when I can afford to.

 

Had to get a new master as I damaged one of the threads on the old one, can't be helped.

came with bolts to put into the bottom holes. Obviously they make the same master for ABS and Non ABS. Not a lover of it but if it works...

And one of the brake lines under the car started weeping when I put pressure to it, so getting a flare tool and doing it next day.

Put coolant to it and quickly lost it because of a dodgy O ring going into the heater box. Silly stuff. Got a box of O-Rings so that'll be done next day too. Really that's the worst of it now, all that's stopping me in my tracks. All things considered, it's not much.

Oh and I've been trying to see about fitting some driving lamps I originally got for the justy to this. Best place will be to put it onto the bumper in the grille. Have to see how much room I'll have with the intercooler though.

So after having to replace the rear right line (New genuine), I finally have brakes that work.

So been a while.

Was absolutely tortured with a coolant leak at the heater core. Wouldn't seal, wouldn't seal. So tried one of those adapter things from Skoda.

Didn't work.

Eventually got a new heater core because...

****ed. So that in, plus new silicone hoses to replace the crappy hardlines and FINALLY got it holding fluid.

Had to borrow some brackets for the Monte so sourced some ones new genuine.

Only €8.00 odd a side plus vat.

Exhaust, intercooler and a few other jobs and I'll be able to test drive it finally.

 

New clutch master now too.

Couldn't get the clutch to bleed right.

Got a Sachs one in it now.

Seems to be bleeding fine and behaving, pray it's not the slave as it's concentric.

Intercoolers on too.

 So a long while since I've updated.

This thing has broke my heart, everything that could have broke did.

Could not get the clutch to bleed at all, kept trying for ages until I spotted

Slave gone.

So of course that meant box off, the one thing I didn't want to do.

Got it out myself, barely. Brand new Sachs slave gone in, clutch looks fresh, so I didn't touch it.

Painted some stuff when it was off.

LH inner cv boot was toast, so got a new boot, didn't end well, cv was pretty cooked so I had to get a new driveshaft.

Getting the box back in was horrible, made an engine brace, worked well enough but still far too difficult. Dropped the subframe to get it in. May change out the subframe for a FL mk2 one, despise trying to line up the consoles and steering rack.

 

So after much heartache, it finally moves.

Brakes still having issues, clutch is low.

I'll bleed em through again. Might need to use VCDS to bleed the abs pump.

 

So with great difficulty, I got it on the pit to make life easier.

Have to keep at it now of course.

Glad it's moving don't get me wrong but Christ I should have been here a year ago.

I really can't express how everything that could go wrong has.

Pieced together a few other small things too. But the gearbox has been the main thing.

 

So got some parts of a wrecker mk2 and finally am bastardising a mk2 subframe into this.

Few odds and ends, full subframe a mid body brace and some decent condition cladding for the middle, SDI didn't have them, vrs were broken and had a hole for a fuel cooler. These ones should be just right.

Stripped and cleaned all up, wishbones looked ok but didn't use them. Used the spare wishbones with SuperPros castor Increase bushes, gave them a cleanup with the rest of the stuff.

So like the monte the subframe and arms went Scania Chassis Grey.

The brace went stone chip black.

And the 20mm anti roll bar (size up from a vrs) I did something special with.

Had some cayenne metallic in a can so sprayed it that.

The results are fairly impressive for an evenings work.

Did end up reusing most of the old hardware, Arb bushes were new and brackets were in decent shape so kept them for now. Will be getting new ball joints these are temporary.

Good evening in all.

Also put the vrs shell on a pallet to move it around. Works very well

More pain

Abs pump wasn't communicating, and the brakes weren't really working, pump appeared to be airlocked and since it couldn't communicate, I couldn't bleed it.

To the point i was ready to rip it out and put the non abs kit in it.

This evening I said I'd give it one last go, stripped all apart, then back together again and it's communicating.

Ran through the bleeding process twice seems better. Not driven it yet but we'll soon see.

Getting there.

May invest in a stud and nut conversion sooner or later.

Very annoying fitting wheels with no locating screws for the discs.

So finally took it for its first spin outside in a long time.

It runs, and drives. Had an issue where it died, not sure if it's the battery that was in it (very possible) or a charging issue. Well used to this from it's original incarnation. 

Put a bigger battery in it and seemed fine.

Issue with the power brakes, seem to want to suck down and hold the brakes occasionally. Brakes work fine thankfully, clutch is very low but works fine. Just different to what I'm used to. 

Would say finishing stretch but not quite yet.

Certain other projects detracting from this as usual. But we're getting there.

 

 

 

So full exhaust on, need to fix the way the backbox mounts.

And got sick of the barn dust so took it around for a wash.

Got a jack and lifted it up to clean better underneath too, should have done a long time ago.

Few more odds and ends on the way too.

Also cleaned up the handbrake cables, just tied them to the beam.

So got some of the vrs' panels on

And a new set of lamps

Nice DPA ones with black inserts.

New Lamps looking nice

Taking it out for runs, fairly good so far.

Very smokey.

 

Boost wont come on until 3000, only wants to make .5 bar according to my gauge.

Double checked lines to vac box and all seem ok.

 

But starting, stopping, steering and changing gears.

Having a problem with the oil pressure sensor, comes on after 2000 rpm,

Didn't do it in the vrs, and changed the sensor for an identical one off the old ASY Lump, so presume wire.

Since it's a simple tap into the oil cooler I don't see why I shouldn't fit a gauge of my own there too with a fitting, to be sure.

Wiring around the coolant temp sensor into the rad is rotten and the plug for it basically pulled off, looks fixed before. Can grab some loom from the SDI loom and make new.

Wiring for the fans is hooked up, as is the bonnet catch (can't remember if that's ever worked on the vrs) 

Gave it a lube service, genuine filter of course. Fresh fuel, air and Pollen done previous and no miles so no point changing them.

Used an oil flush and coolant flush, no harm in it.

Oil was black but fine, coolant (water) was very slightly mucky. Filled up with G12 now.

 

Oh, New Ball Joints and Track rod ends on it too. Lemforder units.

 

Abs Fault in it seems to be a sensor and map sensor fault also.

 

So this has been torturing me as usual. Running driving then wouldn't.

VCDS said cam sensor no signal, so prayed it was just that. New one sourced, fitted easily.

Cleared the code fine but still will not start.

Pulled fuel lines, lift pump is priming, it is getting fuel to the hard lines to the engine.

Rev counter is showing revs, cranking well. Belt seems fine no teeth missing etc etc.

Only hope is injector loom. Pulled off the valve cover for a look and...

It all looks very fresh. The parts car had 216k on it, I don't think this head has near that in it. 

Cam and all looks fresh, lifters etc look healthy.

Very nice surprise to see. But doesn't solve my problem.

 

Map sensor code still there but was there when it was running so not too worried about it, yet.

 

So had to put it aside for a while due to ongoing work in the shed.

But I now have functional pit lights, and better overhead lights.

New injector loom, new cam sensor, no luck.

Got a crank sensor, got the specific socket for the crank sensor and stripped.

No access at all so front came off it yet again.

Damaged the rad taking it off so gonna get a new one, plus oil filter housing had to come off so more gaskets to get.

Lucky an ez out got it out easy.

Wasn't much torque on the bolt even, threads looked fine just the head was rotten.

I may just end up cleaning down the front of the block and painting it at this rate, plus fix any scabby wiring, since I'll be waiting for parts to come.

 

Well lovely frost hasnt done me any favours, but I stripped the front of the engine off, and since I am committed to burning money on this thing I've gone far deeper than I need to.

Committed myself to prettying up the front of the block, enough rust on the front of it, you'd have swore it came out of the titanic.

Wire wheeled it all off and soaked it in rust removal gel, which was a mistake.

None of my tape would stick to mask it off, so I slathered it in hammerite.

None of it will ""really"" be seen so I suppose it's not going to matter much. Had bought black VHT paint to do it initially.

Have bought a lot of new parts for it.

-Oil filter gaskets

-Thermostat and flange

-Oil pickup pipe

-Timing belt and water pump kit

-Tensioner and belt

-Timing belt tool

-Yet another oil and filter.

-New set of glow plugs.

Least the frost is over so I can put it back together (again)

Never ending pain.

Timing belt and water pump done.

Little drama here, water pump was poor so well I changed it, no clue when it was last changed so atleast I'll be starting from "now".

Building all back up.

I even took some time to paint up the tinware, it won't last but I tried.

 

So last thing to do, just about was the oil pickup tube.

Pulled out the lower gearbox bolts, soaked in oil, odd.

Cracked the sump taking it off, typical.

Also damaged the rear main seal, if it wasn't leaking before it is now, so needs replaced, which means box off... Again...

On the bright side, 

This engine looks spotless, I'm about 80% sure it's either been refreshed or it's a much lower mileage unit than the vrs was (given the rust on the outside, I'm leaning towards being the original vrs lump was stripped and rebuilt at some point.).

Especially how clean the head looked, this is quite the fresh engine atleast.

Have a new pickup tube here, though it's not blocked, there is scuzz stuck into the corner so ultimately glad I'm replacing it.

Considering I bought this with a blown turbo, it's well I had a look.

Been amassing parts to do the rear main seal, and fix what I've broke.

-New gearbox bolts from darkside.

-New sump

-RMS on the way

-Rear main seal tool

-Solid shifter bracket bushes

-New metal coolant pipe on route (not related) 

-Magnetic sump bung (see blown turbo)

Put one of those in the monte on its most recent service (November?) anyway, it's soon due for another so we'll see how much **** it's picked up.

Clutch alignment tool I've to get, atleast I'll have it.

All things considered, parts are silly cheap so I'm not too worried.

And atleast I'm not paying for my own labor.

Had to get another sump as the one I got was wrong,

Rear main seal and oil pickup is done and dusted.

Pulled clutch and flywheel off to said seal,

Since I loathe removing gearboxes, and have had to do it twice now I've opted to replace it. Was an oe clutch and DMF on it, the hot spots on the plate and flywheel sealed the deal for me, clutch wasn't gone gone but I'm not doing it again. Dmf was fine itself just the hotspots on it and I know you're not meant to reuse them as such.

Did have the option of going single mass. Get trade rates thankfully. So only meant it was 20 euro in the difference between a single mass sachs setup and dual mass Luk. I like sachs stuff as it is oe, but LUK is decent enough and keeps the dual mass. Didn't want to deal with the chatter you get with a single mass either.

Another car got but won't really effect this, it's not something that's going to consume a lot of money.

Back on 4 wheels,

New lift in, godsend.

Mx5 took up more time and money than id thought but its in decent shape, justy is broken again but thats nothing new, so got more time to get on this.

Subframe back on, driveshafts back on etc.

Radpack built up with new rad.

Snazzy stud and nut kit installed, and back on 4 wheels.

Repaired some more wiring, again.

And had it running, not for long but still. Bit long to crank, so further fettling needed.

Also fitted an oil pressure sender, a spare from both mx5 and justy parts. Ran it to a gauge in the engine bay testing it out.

Oil pressure is strong so good signs there.

Will be routed to the 3 gauge thing in the din.

Dont know if i mentioned but ive a serviceable set of underbody "cladding" and exhaust tunnel heatshielding from another parts car which will go on in time.

Engine sounds well 👍

Gaz

Had this out for its first "drive" in a long while. Was well over due a wash. Not a long drive but it moves fine after all that work.