LD50’s syncro… attempt #2, now #3 – It moves ;)

[ld50]

Ok well – it’s in!!!

I cleaned up lots of bits in the process and it’s all looking pretty tidy for a 20-year old car. The transfer-box bracket which I started off with fitted perfectly and didn’t foul anything. It all looks pretty encouraging.

I haven’t started plumbing anythign else in yet but hopefully Aidan will be up some time this week to go through the remaining bits of wiring.

It still needs a pressure fuel pump before we can run it but I hope we’re no more than a week or two away from firing it up.

Once it’s running the syncro will go back on pause for a couple of weeks while I finish off some bits on my 16v gti before I sell it.

full pics here: http://www.vwsyncro.co.uk/?arc=KR_Into_syncro&page=27&size=3&tpxbasketid=&search=&sortby=filename&sortbydir=asc&cols=3&cmd=do_search&i=0&big=0&gotourl=&p=9.Photos_LD50%2F_&basket_params=&basket_params_index=&noflash=&video_or_image=

[ld50]

Not really had much time to post updates, but I’ve been working on stuff still.

The engine is basically in and all connected up. The engine-bay wiring loom is there but I haven’t connected any of the wires yet, I’ve just been concentrating on making sure the mechanical bits all fitted.

I think the last bits to do before we can fire it up are to plug in the engine loom, fit and wire in the pressure fuel pump, fit the fuel feed and return lines and also the fuel lines from the metering head to the inlet manifold.

*hopefully* then we should have liftoff.

http://www.vwsyncro.co.uk/?arc=KR_Into_syncro&page=28&size=3&tpxbasketid=&search=&sortby=filename&sortbydir=asc&cols=3&cmd=do_search&i=0&big=0&gotourl=&p=9.Photos_LD50%2F_&basket_params=&basket_params_index=&noflash=&video_or_image=

[ld50]

Finally I’ve been getting some time to fiddle with the syncro and the sun’s so much nicer than frozen fingers in the snow. The gti needed a new head and a whole bunch of other stuff so I’ve been playing catchup for a while, but finally that’s all back together and running sweet so it’s back to the syncro.

I had some issues routing the new wiring loom and getting all the bulkhead seals in place and no matter what I tried, nothing would sort it. It’s been bugging me for weeks since I can’t really do much more without the seals in place.

Well *finally* I sorted it today and that means I can attach the engine bay wiring. Then I think it’s actually just a fuel-pump away from perhaps running on the KR…*finally* (drum roll please)

[Chris S]

TA DA – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t925JwYXhVA – I thank you! []

[ld50]

today I wired up about half of the engine-bay loom. It’s pretty slow going since I don’t really know the order stuff has to go in so there’s lots of laying and then re-laying of cables till it all sits nice and snug.

So far there’s only a couple of broken wires and only one or two plugs i haven’t been able to identify yet. Hot air gun has proven very useful for generally softening the protective casings and getting the loom flexible again without cracking the plastic.

[ld50]

Finally… got my fuel hoses for the syncro. Still got a couple of little gubbins for the fuel pump to get from vw but they were a major thing to sort.

They look very nice and solid, steel braided and nicely put together. Will post pics soon once I know what tomorrow brings

[ld50]

Hmm not sure what to do – been doing loads of car stuff recently but none of it syncro related so was unsure whether to post… unfrotunately I’ve had to do another broken sub-frame mount, and while it was all out I did a bit of an engine bay restoration too, this time on the gf’s recently bought tornado red 91 8v gti.

Just sprayed the bay today after fairly thorough cleaning up (wasn’t much rust). Other than that it’s had thick coats of electrox, shutz and now colour. So far as well as actually repairing the mount its also had a new clutch cable, engine and box cleaned right up and rustable parts cleaned and painted, new timing belt. All the knackered cloth wraps from the wiring loom also re-wrapped with amalgamating tape, wiring generally tidied up, subframe shutz’d too, driveshafts de-rusted and painted, front-cross-member de-rusted and painted, all manifold and downpipe studs cleaned or replaced and all mani/dpipe nuts replaced with new brass versions, scuttle panel area cleaned out, brake-pipes cleaned up, de-rusted and schutz’d and now painted, firewall degreased and cleaned back to original colour (it’s shiny!), brake servo de-rusted and painted.

I re-welded the front jacking points earlier in the year (in the snow with a non-auto-darkening welding mask!) and replaced with 2mm steel “armour plated” versions to ensure strength in the area. In doing that I’d already waxoyl’d the beams and that whole area so I reckon I should be able to give that a miss during this round but might well just squirt a bit in there for good measure. The rest of the underside looks mint and rust-free and it got re-shutzed when I did the jacking points for good measure.

Am basically hoping now that the paint is on I can carefully put the motor back in and with a bit of a buff of the paintwork it’ll be about as close to “a new mk2” as I’ve ever seen.

Then I’ve got to replace the pipework on my gti for the lovely shiny items I have sitting in my front room (4-2-1 manifold and full scorpion system) and fix the boot latch so I can get into the boot again… and *then* I can weld up the side of the syncro and get her running.

I’ve been doing just a few hours every other day but it’s really let me cover a surprising amount of ground relatively painlessly. It’s been good to have stuff I *had* to do to get me back into the rhythm of it and hopefully I can carry that momentum on to the syncro

[Chris S]

[] Nice one!

[mk21147]

Sounds good, any pics?

[ld50]

actually yes…

http://www.vwsyncro.co.uk/?arc=Red_GTI_8v&search=&sortby=filename&sortbydir=asc&cols=3&cmd=do_search&p=9.Photos_LD50%2F_

[Chris S]

Looking good!

[ld50]

wehey -subframe back on and engine in now. Still needs hooking up but it’s in and none of the new paint damaged.

I actually found a new way of putting the engine in … i have it on a dolly anyway and found if i leave the front cross-member off I can just wheel the dolly into place, and lift the engine a couple of inches onto the rear mounts. Then lower the engine a bit, botl the cross member onto the front mount and then raise the engine so it holds the cross member in place and bolt it up. No heaving engine over the cross-member, no damaging the paint with the pulleys or the edge of the gerbox… very painless indeed.

[ld50]

been a bit quiet on the syncro front recently due to workload but am back on it now and have been making some progress, though at this stage it’s digging around online and figuring out a plan.

I had a fuel pump setup ready to go for the new motor but the pipes and housing were all looking a bit worse for wear. Apparently though most of the parts to replace those bits are no longer available and the later pumps seem to be mostly in-tank pumps which don’t fit the syncro tank without modification (which I don’t want to do).

So whilst it’s looking like it might be a bit of a pricey option, I’ve been putting together a list of bits I need to produce a fuel delivery system/pump assembly out of aftermarket bits. There’s actually some very nice bits available and I reckon I should even be able to build it all up into a nice little mountable rig, much like the original setup.

The wiring is still a bit of a mystery to me, especially as I want some sort of safety shut-off so it doesn’t keep pumping in case on an accident (e.g. loss of oil pressure might be a good trigger to stop pumping), but I’ll get the mechanical bits in place first and then worry about the wiring. Wiring does my head in but as long as I go one step at a time and with a little help I’m sure I’ll figure it out

[ld50]

ok plan b – Just bought a 16v fuel pump assembly from PVL (thanks!) and have found someone who sells replacement hoses on ebay to make it all nice and neat o/

I still don’t know how the wiring+relays works but if I can get it set up manually then I’ll no doubt be so excited that I’ll have the impetus to figure out the wiring proper.

Fitting the awesomely shiny 4-2-1 manifold and equally shiny scorpion system to my 16v gti next week first though so hoping the weather doesn’t get any worse.

[ld50]

Well a sad day for me…I’ve been working on my 16v GTI to fit the lovely new stainless system I bought for it, and have managed to get the old system off, but in the process have discovered several significantly-sized holes underneath. A couple of them could be patched without a problem but one on the other side is pretty big and another is at the front at the corner of the wheel arch. It could be bodgable but that’s not really my thing and I feel like it’s really fighting a losing battle now so have decided to strip and scrap her and put all my effort into the syncro instead.

That does mean I have a complete 16v exhaust system for sale now – stainless 4-2-1 manifold with heatwrap + stainless zipties, (definitely fits too, tested today on a spare head – sometimes they don’t quite fit).

To go with the manifold there’s a stainless de-cat pipe and a full scorpion exhaust system, along with styainless bolts and copper flashed nuts for connecting the pipework up, new manifold stufs and brass nuts as well as all gaskets etc, all brand new.

I’ll be keeping the wheels, motor+box, doors, speedo, fuel pump, steering wheel, stereo, relays, lights and a few other bits and bobs but if there’s anything particular folks are after get in touch and I’ll let you know if it’s up for grabs.

RIP baby 1987-2011, the fastest and most fun car I’ve owned to date.

(The syncro should top that with the 16v motor but this was actually more fun than the stock syncro, which is saying something)

*cries*

If anyone in northampton has a set of crappy steel rims I can put on it so I can get it onto the truck then please let me know

[Author]

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