Yay, I found out what the thing with 4 pipes in it is, it's the brake bias thing, so when heavy stuff goes in the back a spring presses a piston and puts more braking on the rear. I need to paint mark it before I disconnect it because it's calibrated. That's awesome, one less thing to panic me about dropping the axle. I'm now wondering if it's axle out first or tank out first because I THINK the brake line goes up over the tank. I need to spend more time under there with a big torch.

I tried to crack a line at the back but my spanners are too crap, after work I went and picked up a couple of 'correct ones' that wrap further round and just have a slit so you can get them over the brake line.

I took the cap off the master cylinder in prep to let the system drain (the fluid is decades old) and found that someone had popped the level sensor thingy out of the cap so it was actually open to the air all this time, hygroscopically poisoning the fluid. I've managed to pop that back in so it'll be ok for the future when it has fresh juice.

Later on I was watching a bit of old telly and felt a bit seen:

Well, that's torn it.

I think it's the humidity but in the time it took me to get vise grips on the flexy hex and crack that flare my hands were DONE.

But this is cool, now I've done one and the 'fluid' is falling out I feel like I'm just a paint marker, a couple of flare fittings, and 3 bolts away from getting the axle out!

I really need to park this and finish my solar panel frame because all the wood bits are in the middle of my garage and I'm going to break a leg climbing over them.

Normal brake fluid colour? Smells a bit dark.

The whole lot is going to get drained for fresh. It old.

entropy is such an arse, I've been welding on the polo for it's mot.

On 23/03/2025 at 17:24, skoda_cat said:

I got the engine drain out which was a fight, very galled up threads. when the plug CAME out no coolant followed and refused to till a screwdriver went in the hole and came out a horrible colour. Then we got a trickle. so I flushed it every which way till the water ran through.

Hi,

I’m have trouble getting my engine to run at temp and thought I’d tried everything until I read this in your thread. Could I ask where the engine block coolant drain plug is please?

Rob

20 minutes ago, Rsedmonds said:

Hi,

I’m have trouble getting my engine to run at temp and thought I’d tried everything until I read this in your thread. Could I ask where the engine block coolant drain plug is please?

Rob

Yeh, as you face the front of the car, with the bonnet open obviously, the drain is at the right hand side of the block at the bottom of the cooling jacket around the cylinders. It just looks like a bolt, it’s probably easier to SEE from under the car but only if you have the deflector plate removed but if you fumble around under there you’ll find something like a bolt head, because it’s a bolt :p

The channel inside goes in pretty deep, I had a wee rummage inside and a lot of snot eventually came out, followed by all the water I’d put in.

There’s pictures of it somewhere in this thread (page 2, it’s just under the valve cover plate) I recall thinking it was on the bottom of the engine but it’s on the front, the engine leans slightly forwards I think though. Good luck.

For the thread: the polo passed mot, no advisories.

Edited 10 March10 Mar by skoda_cat

12 hours ago, skoda_cat said:

Yeh, as you face the front of the car, with the bonnet open obviously, the drain is at the right hand side of the block at the bottom of the cooling jacket around the cylinders. It just looks like a bolt, it’s probably easier to SEE from under the car but only if you have the deflector plate removed but if you fumble around under there you’ll find something like a bolt head, because it’s a bolt :p

The channel inside goes in pretty deep, I had a wee rummage inside and a lot of snot eventually came out, followed by all the water I’d put in.

There’s pictures of it somewhere in this thread (page 2, it’s just under the valve cover plate) I recall thinking it was on the bottom of the engine but it’s on the front, the engine leans slightly forwards I think though. Good luck.

For the thread: the polo passed mot, no advisories.

I’m not seeing it, what engine is yours on mine is the 1.6 AEE engine?

On 11/08/2024 at 16:58, skoda_cat said:

It's a 1.3MPI petrol,

sadly for you.

Good luck with your explorations.

I had to use this inappropriate hammer to SMACK this lifting cup out of the hole it was rusted into with copious penetrating oil.
But with some light polishing and some lithium grease it spins like a top now, woo.

It won't stop raining so I can't welllldddddddd.

That's not even my jack, it's just on permanent loan. at least I get to restore SOMETHING.

Why did none of you tell me about frogparts? Am I going to get beaten to **** on import duty?

Awwww, they'll post seemingly ANYTHING to me except the gold-dust truck bed floor. I might actually have a go on a driving holiday to the czech republic, hahahahaha.

I've got a load of repair panels paid for which should hopefully ship on weds, should be enough to get an MOT on this rotten mess.
Best bit, they CAN get a bed repair and brand new tailgate protector using https://matkoakubko.com/ which I will be doing as a celebration the same week that the truck gets an MOT. Is this the year it happens?!

Frogparts so far seem INCREDIBLE.

Woohoo, this lot should help hide some crimes and make some repairs look a bit more professional for the MOT man. No doubt it will take me another year to get all this welded in, but it feels like a step towards road legality all the same.

It's kicking my ass. I've got the brake pipe unions apart, that's the easiest bit.
I need to get the fuel tank out to access the axle bolt heads, and to drop the tank the handbrake needs to come out. I've got ONE of the bolts out from the top, but the other is STUUUUCCCKKK, and i believe i need to undo nuts on the bottom of the back pair, but they're fully SLATHERED in thick rubber underseal, sob.
I thought I could get this thing done in a day, but I'm three days in and achieved NOTHING. Hahahahaha.

I did get an impact gun drrrrrrr thing which is super fun, but hells the rains of rust.