49 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

I don't think there are any other significant problems, it runs very smoothly and inaudibly at idle, hard to tell whether it is running from driver's seat, without looking at rpm.

Just a miniscule cracked vacuum line will cost you consumption over time. Ask me how i know.

22 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

who knows what this tool combination does?

(21mm socket normally for spark plugs, with important hex flats, and 7mm hex key shortened by about 25mm earlier this evening to fit under an obstruction).

No idea t.b.h.
Most fasteners are doublehex, as with most German cars.
That Allan key would not go onto any fastener that you would need to be able to access to get into some "easy access" compartment.

14 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Spritmonitor is saying 40mpg is about average, which sounds believable, given the age of most of these cars.

That's insane. Might as well drive the 1.4TSI then. The whole attraction for me is the low consumption and low maintenance paired with reasonable torque at low rpms.

Tool combination is for release of OE front struts.

21mm nut, 7mm hex orifice in the shaft of the damper, so hex key counterholds while spanner on the flats of the spark plug socket loosen the nut.

The 'water box' metalwork overhangs the strut tops, so there's limited space above the nuts.

More photos over the weekend, if plans work out...

Edited 17 April17 Apr by Breezy_Pete

eh nice.
I dumped the Monroe's in favor of Bilstein's. That rendered that tool useless (steps up to a 22m nut)

I could probably just hold the damper shafts (maybe with an assistant on the molegrips) cos the original dampers sre definitely not being re-used; but I quite like 'neat' workarounds rather than brutal ones.