Gear Box woes.

[Peter Jones]

The pump's ok but the metal pipe is blocked solid between the pump and the expansion tank outlet.

When I pulled the pipe off the pump no water drained from the expansion tank until I undid the cap when it drained back into the motor and out of the pump itself.

With this pipe blocked no water can get through the manifold or the heater core and no water is flowing past the temp sender.

Tomorrow I'll bypass it with some hose and see how I go.

The bad news is that the head may still be cracked as a result. My mechanic told me the best way to check for water getting into the cylinder is to run the engine up to temp, then pull out the plugs and put a cold screwdriver into each plug hole. If there is any water in there condensation will form on the cold screwdriver. I got a wet screwdriver in no1!

I've pressure tested the cooling system with the motor both hot and cold and it holds 10psi no probelms.

No work on the gearbox yet.

Pete Jones

[Golf Loon]

Which golf is this in? You wont be fixing a 1.6 motor surely?

[Peter Jones]

Yep, it's the 1600. This is just the hack to get me to the station. This is second on the list of cars to go.

First we get both golfs reliable.
Then we sell the BMW (ongoing liability!)
Get the 59 Beetle on the road.
Then sell red golf.
Then I buy a split screen Kombi!

Of course the new VW diesel EOS could be pretty tempting along the way too!

SO I don't want to over invest in the red car. The clyinder head work won't cost me much, if anything at all. My "mechanic" owes me a lot of favours and now mostly specialises in cylinder head reconditioning.

Actually I quite like the way the 1600 drives, it's very civilised. It's pretty good around the 'burbs but it needs a 5th gear for longer trips.

One day it will be a good project car for an injected late model motor and box (for someone else). It's ex diesel so it's got the tank and no polution gear, chassis is straight. Rust in the usual spots.

As much fun as a 2.0L 16v would be, I'm trying to stay focused on the end game!

Pete

[gldgti]

i like that - staying focussed on the end game.

im kind of the same...a petrol gof would be/is great fun (thanks mollins for our numerous drives) but in the end, my diesel is going to be so much for practical fo os much longer... sad but true

[Golf Loon]

Yeah wise words, realism leads to a more finished car. One step at a time.

[Peter Jones]

Well the box is in bits. Turn out 3rd had been overselected and the one of the keys that keep the shift ring in place had poppee out and wedged itself in the selector. No harm done but it means the gear shift linkages in the car need looking at to make sure that I can't push the gearstick too deep into 3rd.

My mechanical friend John took 4 hour to get it apart 'cos it was stuck in gear and the box doesn't come apart if you cant get the selector out. It's sort of like one of those chinese puzzles, you play with it long enough it just falls apart.

So I guess that means that I'm in the market for 5 speed shift linkages to replace the dodgy modified 4 speed bits that are in there at the moment.

Oddly enough it's probably my fault for replacing all the shift bushings. With all the slop in the system it might not have happened.

We're just waiting on dif bearings now so it should be back together by next weekend.

Pete

[Peter Jones]

Well it's a couple of months on and the saga continues.

Car no 1
White 79

The gearbox went back in and after a few weeks I still couldn't get the linkages adjusted right and it was hard to shift out of 4th. Eventualy something let fly in there and now it's off the road again until I get get it to my mechanic to get it sorted once and for all. It can't be driven at the moment because it's raditor is back in car no 2.

Car no 2

The radiator and heater core were stuffed beyond repair. Hoorah, I thought, we're getting closer to the overheating problem now. Blocked tube, stuffed radiator. Nope, the head's bent too! So my friend reco'd the head (nice job too). I fitted it all back up with the radiator from car no 1 and it all fired up on about the second turn. Great! Problem solved? Guess again.

I drove it to the station for a week and it was all good, it's only a 5 min run after all. The very first time I took it for a 1/2 hour drive it boiled.

This is getting beyond a joke. I'm sorely tempted to trade the pair on a TDI EOS when they get here!

(The very nearly stationary)
Pete Jones

[worm]

Have u driven it without the thermo stat in... should run cool then.

[Golf Loon]

Sounds like a lot of pain Pete.
Sod trying to repair a stuffed gearbox, replace with a newer one. Just ask.
The other car could be thermostat or bottom end. If not thermostat, throw engine away and replace with 1.8. And you need a new radiator.
I wouldn`t even do a headgasket on a 1.6 1976 motor, its 30 years old, either rebuild it all, or replace with a newer, fresher, bigger one for less than the cost of the rebuild.
I wish I was nearer I`d come and give you a hand.

[Peter Jones]

The thermostat's long gone.

Thanks Loony it's just the time I'm short on. None of this carry on has cost me any money, it's just that I don't have the luxury of enough time to get it sorted.

I can exchange my time for my mechanics time but at this rate I'll be working off my debts forever! I can only spare Saturday mornings and it needs more hours than that to sort out.

So I'll book them in one at a time and get them properly fixed up. There's a few other issues with them both that I'll probably never get around to so I'll get them done too.

Funny thing is I drive these by choice. I have the option of salary sacrifice vehicles at work but I'd rather be driving the golf with all its issues than a new LPG Falcon with headlights you can't turn off. (They're hard wired on and you can't turn them off it's a "safety" thing).

Thanks everyone.

Pete

[Golf Loon]

You are a crazy man. New car, or 30 year old golf with issues. Not many would make the choice, but I understand. I know you like em, not many people would do a 1800km parts run in a weekend in a 30 year old car with no radio either.

[roccodingo]

Funny thing is I drive these by choice. I have the option of salary sacrifice vehicles at work but I'd rather be driving the golf with all its issues than a new LPG Falcon with headlights you can't turn off. (They're hard wired on and you can't turn them off it's a "safety" thing).

I understand this 110% pete, I am the same mate.. all the new stuff sucks cause it's designed NOT to last more than a few years...

I will go to the grave in one of my old rocco's..

.

[brackie]

Me too!

I understand this 110% pete, I am the same mate.. all the new stuff sucks cause it's designed NOT to last more than a few years...

I will go to the grave in one of my old rocco's..

.

Yeah...My Mk1s don't get out enough. And probably will get out less for the next 3 or 4 months. You'll be hearing less from me on the forum too as 14hr days begin next week Admin and moderator's duties only.

And I remember the days when people used to flash you if you had your headlights on during the day..."Wasting the battery!!!!" How times have changed.....

[Golf Loon]

I will go to the grave in one of my old rocco's..
.

Hopefully not literally.

[Peter Jones]

I will go to the grave in one of my old rocco's..

.

Perhaps it's time you replaced the brakes!

(Sorry couldn't resist!)

Pete