[LD50]

wow this is looking fab!

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[LD50]

Oh cool – that sounds useful. I really *ought* to already have whatever I need since it was a working syncro when I took it to bits and I haven’t thrown anything away so the switch should be attached to the loom or the box or whatever. I might even have two since I think I’ve got two of those boxes, but sounds like something to check and remedy if it’s awol or I can’t find it, which is also entirely possible.

I’ve been a bit run ragged with work recently so haven’t even had time to test whether my high temp rtv gasket thing worked yet, but I will make a note to check for the switch when I do. I’m well overdue some garage time.

In other news…big day, sorta. I’m going to freeze any further spending on the audi since it’s a bottomless pit of despair and instead just use the bike for now (winter yay!) and focus all efforts on the syncro. At this point I think it’s probably easier to get my rather ratty but essentially functional syncro to a level of reliable function than the silver money vortex.

so I think now it’s bike and syncro, or bust. It’s the car I want and the bike I want. I think this is vaguely where I need to be.

I’m just looking at the syncro on the cctv and am realising that it should be pretty much all the best qualities of all the mk2’s i’ve owned, wrapped up into one car, with one of the most fun engines vw ever made (imho). *Excite*.

If the exhaust issues persist, I wonder whether it might be possible to make a nicer, more reliably-mating downpipe with something like a 2-into-1 collector and a couple of tight bends. As a process it might be a bit more repeatable than my current downpipe and could perhaps use stuff like v-bands to allow some adjustment. I don’t know if anyone round here has a plasma table, water jet or similar, or whether an engineering place could make a copy of the gasket out of 6mm steel but I would imagine that would make a much better mating surface than what I have now which I think might be 4-5mm.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by LD50.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by LD50.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by LD50.

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[LD50]

So I checked the downpipe last weekend – seemed better than before (now with the sealant), but there was a little bit of a leak still. I’ve since done a bit more sealant-ing, and am planning to give it another whirl this weekend (it seems to take ages to set).

I’m hoping that this might be just seal it enough to get it through an MOT. It’s not intended to be a permanent solution, but hopefully just enough to bail me out of my currently shitty car situation: broken audi, syncro not ready yet..thank god the bike works 😉

As a long term option I wonder if a minimal turbo setup might simplify the pipework somewhat…plus I have basically all the kit needed sat right here from when I was going to turbo the polo. will have to give it some thought.

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[LD50]

re the sump guard – yes the plan was to go a bit offroad… though that’s been postponed in favour of just getting an MOT for the short term…

re reverse-light switch – is that the bit which goes on the gearbox? That would be good – i think I have one on my original GU loom but would rather not hack it up if avoidable 🙂

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[LD50]

front indicators now working, list updated.

Side repeaters both work, missing one housing, will order a fresh set.

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[LD50]

So today I took the inlet manifold off so I could get to the exhaust manifold/downpipe join, took that apart and put some high temp sealant on both sides of the downpipe gasket. Hopefully that will fix the downpipe leak (which would be an MOT dealbreaker).

It had a fresh gasket on last time I put it together so I could see where the leak was from the soot marks on the gasket (sorry forgot to photo, now covered in goo and back in the car) – it was only a small leak and might have been partially because I seem to have forgotten (or been unable) to tighten one of the downpipe bolts.

This time all bolts definitely done up tight (likely thanks to the deep 17mm socket I probably bought last time and forgot to follow-up with), sealant on both sides of the gasket and when tightened down it squeezed out all the way around so hopefully we got a good seal. I’ll risk a bit of gloop on the inside of the pipes if it means we get closer to an MOT.

I’m going to let it set overnight or so before trying to start it but with a bit of luck we might finally have this leak sorted.

Remaining to-do list is currently looking mostly like this:

Mechanical:
– RR brake cylinder needs replacing (pipe twisted, may actually be ok, would rather replace tho. Have replacement cyl already. Could get messy re pipework so if possible to avoid, avoid). Maybe get MOT garage to do this?
– properly affix the braided fuel lines to the underside of the car. Need to make brackets for that, currently ziptied
– needs windscreen wipers, old ones are shot.
TO CHECK – timing/fuelling (get MOT place to sort it – do premier still exist?)

Electrical:
TO ORDER – side repeaters – must have some somewhere. Bulbs are working, missing one housing. order fresh pair
– Reversing gearbox switchy thing (probably not actually an issue for mot, only if need 4wd in reverse – REVERSING LIGHT?)
– sensors – oil pressure, engine coolant
– add coolant sensor to current expansion tank (should be easy, have part already)

Bodywork:
– pressure wash so we can see what’s muck and what’s paint
– do some filling/smoothing/electrox around welded areas?
– above windscreen small rusty patch – treat & fill for now, weld once mot
– scuttle panel small rusty patch – treat & fill for now, weld once mot
– electrox RR arch and sill
– driver’s wing mirror – looked to be a spare on one of the spare doors

DONE – fix wiring/plugs for the new front indicators
HOPEFULLY DONE – fix downpipe exhaust leak
DONE I THINK – fix stray cable on the FR headlight plug (soldering, easyish)
DONE – put the bumper and chin panel on

• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by LD50.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by LD50.

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[LD50]

I think it’s working now – possibly something broke in one of the auto-updates. Please let me know if you get the same issue.

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[LD50]

congrats on the MOT \o/ one day 😉 #sornlife

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by LD50.

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[LD50]

nice project – this is the sort of inspiration I need to get a move on with mine 🙂

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[LD50]

niiiiice!!

Don’t know if we’ve got any B2s but very glad to have one in that case 🙂

Lots of pics please

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[LD50]

Also (more importantly) congrats on the purchase! Lovely looking country 🙂

grinding noise… hmm i’d have to go with whatever the most inconvenient/annoying/rare thing to fix would be so I guess transfer box or gearbox issue? In any other situation I guess I’d say grinding sounds like wheel bearings but it’s a syncro so unlikely to be such a simple thing 😉

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[LD50]

Testing inline pic:

If this works all I did was open the (attached) pic from your post, right click, copy imge url. Then in the text click “img” from the menu, paste url and hey presto (unless it didn’t work then not).

And yes, attached pics are uploaded to the site so will stay with it forever, the old forum is littered with pics where the hosting service no longer exists or whatever :-\

The pics will still need to be attached first then go back and edit the post I guess. Occasionally posts disappear (which is very annoying but so far haven’t been able to track down or recreate the issue) so perhaps post-then-edit is a good approach anyway.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by LD50.
• This reply was modified 6 years, 3 months ago by LD50.

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[LD50]

oh that sucks. sorry to hear it :-\

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[LD50]

interesting. so was that the RHD downpipe or the LHD one? the LHD standard syncro downpipe is pretty decent (i think I have one somewhere) – 2 smooth pipes and little restriction, whereas the RHD one is with the round connector with clips and the flattened section.

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[LD50]

oh really? that’s good to know! just saved me an item on the list. nice 🙂

just fixed the headlight wiring, put the front bumper on and sorted a couple of other little bits…would like to do more but am exhausted so that’ll have to do for now.

Unfortunately the indicator bulb holder thing (i.e. the plastic insert the bulb sits in which gets slotted into the back of the indicators are a bit worse for wear. Does anyone have any big bumper indicators knocking about? A pair would be ideal but one would do. Thanks in advance 🙂

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