spraycanmansam build thread

[s4mmie]

Got the 60K service, lightweight flywheel and clutch, MTL fluid and superpro dog-bone fitted. Thanks Jimmy

First off, with the LWFW there is some light chatter from take-up to about 3-3500RPM and light cruise. Personally, I'm someone who gets driven crazy by noises (actually, normally only by ones which I don't know where they're coming from), but I don't think it's anything to complain about. Having the radio on low muffles it out if you're really bothered. It's definitely worth the trade off, the pedal is beautifully light and accelerates great!

The biggest surprise for me is the Superpro 70K dogbone bush. I was nervous about getting Jimmy to put this in and I asked him to keep the stocker jussst in case! The APR version (85K) was much too stiff for my (and the missers) liking! Turn the key and you could instantly feel the vibrations through the cabin. The Superpro on the other hand is b-e-autiful! Tightens everything up how it should and it might sound funny, but I think it transmits a nice low grumble through the cabin. And by grumble, I don't mean vibrations at all, I love it, it makes the car feel.. meaner.



Happy

[clicht]

Had the same issue...right now its being held on with electrical tap

[s4mmie]

I think it's a combination of the coils binding and the spring not turning properly... I think it's the lower coils --



They're normally more compressed when it's not jacked up (riding on top of each other).
I jacked it up and placed some rag in between the coils I suspected and it shut it up. It's sporatic and only really on slow movement, turning, etc. From what I can tell it's because the spring can't turn freely. I greased the lower adjuster when I installed them and they were nice and quiet. Now there's a bit of dust and grit in there and they can't move that easy. I tried to find thrust bearings when I was installing them but I couldn't find the correct size. I would say that thrust bearings would be a good fix.
I wouldn't be surprised if the droplinks are contributing though. I need to replace them when I do the front swaybar.


In other news I setup my air intake properly, just need to fit the TIP to finish it off. It's a Jabba cone and 90 deg bend, been done before but it's pretty effective and nice and OEM+ I think --






Freaked me out yesterday when the missers came home and said the car was driving really funny though. It wouldn't go past 2500rpm. I think it was in limp mode as the bend to the MAF had come off! I had to use some electrical tape to take up the slack between the MAF and bend; With the heat the adhesive made it slip off. I wrapped something more grippy around it and tightened the hell out of the T-bolt and so far so good... we'll see how it holds up tomorrow at Lakeside! I have the stock top in the boot jussst in case

[noone]

I thought I had my front coils binding, turned out to be the bolt on my droplinks had threaded and the link was loose (making a noise like a binding spring) and rougher than normal over dodgy roads.

Had to grind the old one off, luckily I had a spare pair floating around. I have a perception that the Febi Bilstien ones are better than generic ebay ones, so spent big (nearly $40) on a new pair from the UK.

Nearly there with the FMIC bits, just waiting on a few more, will do a walk around today at lunch to see if I can sort our the flange...

I like what you've done with your B-Pilars, don't think I'll be trying to do the same and messing mine up...

[s4mmie]

Been a little slow going lately..
A few more things have arrived: SEAT cooler and brackets, Forge TIP and throttle body hoses and 42DD shift bushes.

Pretty happy at the moment as once I get the above fitted that's Stage I finished. I would like to fine tune everything and be happy that it's all 100% before I move on. There's things like the front suspension knocks and front coils binding that need attention.. and my idle's getting rougher which I suspect is the SAI pump; I'm still waiting on my resistors from INA
Then it's onto the bigger terrrrrrbeau!

I'm still contemplating my options.. even the APR K04 is in the mix.

[s4mmie]

Good stuff, I'll order them and see how they go. I have a funny feeling it's got more to do with the bar itself and the bushes.

I started mucking around with glossing the B-pillars this afternoon. I always assumed they were satin black plastic but discovered they're metal painted satin black, score! That takes out a fair few steps of the process. It meant I could just flat them back with some 1200 sandpaper and put 6-7 coats of clear lacquer on them, no stuffing around priming, painting black, etc.

After the lacquer hardened up, I had at it with some 1200 again to take the lovely spray can orange-peel out. I have to get onto them with the buffing wheel on my random orbit to take the fines scratches out but I'm happy with the overall finish.
Pretty stoked actually, a $20 can of lacquer and some elbow grease, opposed to VW wanting $90-something each...


<EDIT> Hit it with the machine today and it came up pretty nice It could do with a little more but I'm not sure how much more clearcoat I have to work with. I'll lay a few more coats on the other one so I can work it back down perfect.
--

[leitch]

Hmm, seeing as I busted the end off one of my droplink ends I was going to replace them anyway.
I was going to go with these --
eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d

Are they similar to what you already tried with the KW's?

They look better (i.e. longer) than the ones I had. By all reports the Mondeo ones work so they should be good.

[Allegiance]

Looking good

[s4mmie]

Hmm, seeing as I busted the end off one of my droplink ends I was going to replace them anyway.
I was going to go with these --
eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d

Are they similar to what you already tried with the KW's?

[leitch]

Be wary of going with short drop links on the KWs.. Because they have the revised mounting tab to account for the altered ride height, it's pretty easy to go too short. I thought I needed short links so bought some out of the UK that were advertised as being for 9n3 Polos and they were too short - on full lock the ARB end caught on the inside of the wheel arch and bent the mounting tab on the strut. Swapped the struts over (L>R) and put on some of the big chunky Whiteline links and it's all been good since (even with the H&Rs).

[noone]

The stock ARB and lows don't work we'll.

I have some short drop links if you want to try them (too short to work with the Whiteline front sway), they are about half the normal length.

[s4mmie]

No worries mate, I'll see if I can get some tomorrow. I took the rear canards off today, but it will scrub if I go over the really crap roads over here at speed. I don't know what it's like with yours? I know where most of the potholes/divots are 95% of the time so it's ok. The front hasn't scrubbed yet... maybe I need to drive faster

After doing a bit of research, a lot of peoples problems with their coilovers (non-polo specific) have been problems with their front arb's. I already suspected a lot of my noises are coming from the front arb (possibly hitting driveshafts, bushes may be fudged, etc) so I can't wait to get the UR bar and shorter droplinks in. I'll move onto wheel bearings and such if I still have no luck... I will find the bastard!

[VWindahouse]

Looking good mate! Can I trouble you for some pics looking down over the guards

[noone]

I'd assume the noise is the bearings. Not sure why, but crappy.

[s4mmie]

So far so good with the Feds..
Giving it the boot in first there's minimal wheel spin, if any, and only a nice chirp into second.
I think they'll handle the power upgrades as good as I need, for the occasional squirt when I actually get to drive it!
I think if I was serious with it, tracking it every month or so I'd probably upgrade to the RSR's for that little bit extra grip.

Here's a pic of the finished product, final height, pumped and aligned --



I think it sits a little higher in the rear with the KW's than FK or AP's and I also have no spare, but I don't think I'd want it any lower anyway. Guard to lip of rim is 70mm.
I still need to fit some shorter drop-links and modify the bumpstops but it's surprisingly comfortable.
I think it's more comfortable now that it's lower as the spring starts off less compressed than at a higher ride height. Less guard clearance obviously, but greater spring travel.

Anyway, pretty happy with it all now. I only have a few more things to check off the list regards my front end knock now that I've fitted new strut mounts and bearings. I'm thinking sway bar links, wheel bearings, hub nuts, or the front arb is fudged.


<EDIT> Oh actually, just thought I'd ask too, my front passenger coilover is creaky. I'm not sure if this is a common occurence with coilovers? When I push up and down on the car the coilover creaks... Any ideas? It doesn't bother me that much but just checking it's nothing sinister.