Sam's build thread

[simon k]

I was underneath last night and looked at the sump - there are a lot of strengthening ribs in it at the gearbox end - it does have some job to do

home-made baffle plates could be screwed or riveted in, wouldn't bother welding

however, this is another option - I think it's been discussed before - doesn't have those snazzy flappy things though, and if it sits between the block and sump does that mean the bolt holes that go to the gearbox aren't aligned any more?

TSR 1.8t baffled sump insert

[sambb]

yeah I saw that one. yeah it'd offset everything tad at the bellhousing. I didn't like that you double your potential leak surfaces but I suppose if its done properly and the material they use would bit into the aluminium anyway?

[metalhead]

Sam, no help on the sump, but I'm not going to be able to Do Wakefield on the 5th Sep after all, have some uni stuff on that date. The other mid week dates don't look good for a couple of months either, could do a weekend or the next weekday is probably the 31st November. Luddenham similarly - I could do a weekend, or Monday or Friday most weeks with some notice.

[simon k]

it wouldn't bite in, but if you were worried about running 2 gaskets, you could sikaflex it to the gearbox case, bolt it up tight to the block (with no gasket) and leave it for a few days to cure, then it'd be there for the rest of eternity... you'd never get it off or break the seal



talking about gaskets, when I take my exhaust manifold off, will I need a new gasket there - any gaskets needed in the process of exhaust manifold, turbo, downpipe, cat removal?

[sambb]

yep you'll need head to exhaust mani gasket, exhaust mani to turbo gasket, turbo to dump pipe gasket, turbo oil drain pipe flange gasket, and then the compressable copper washers under the banjo fittings of the 2 turbo coolant in/out lines and the top turbo oil in hard pipe. A new set of brass nuts/washers for the exhaust mani are a good idea too. For the exhaust mani to turbo use replacement VW turbo bolts minimum or high tensile cap heads with shoulders are even better to take up some of the slack in the mani. I can send you the oversized Nordlock washers for them if you want. Remember what happened to me and don't over torque the banjo bolts. The manual helps as there's a bit of sequence to it. You can get the turbo in/out from the top though - manual says drop the driveshaft but I didn't. Youll also need a bag full of vile swear words to get you through the hard times.

[simon k]

gotcha.... what's the best place to buy from?

and you mean flanged bolt, right? like this:

[sambb]

yeah thats what the VW bolts look like. However the turbo that the bolts sink into has about another 20mm of thread inside it that goes begging. Also the exhaust mani has rounded out oiversized holes that these bolts feed through. Thats why I used shoulder bolts (thread doesnt start till further down the shank) to try to better take up the slack. I used cap heads (12.9) where the shoulder was as wide as the threads (not sure how they achieve that with rolled trhreads but anyway) and used the nordlocks as washers. They are normal pitch I think ( not metric fine). Normal engineering wholeasaler will have them - same as where you got your bolts for the spacers and calipers yeah

[sambb]

I think that a lot of the reason why the turbo to exhaust gasket eventually blow is that any time you lift or accelerate and the motor moves north-south against the dogbone, the turbo (held pretty firmly in place by the dump pipe) sheers. That's just my theory but looking at it its feasible. The turbo is braced to the block. The bolt that ties the turbo to the brace is undersized so after its all fitted up I replaced that with a correct sized bolt for the hole to stop the turbo shifting). You need the undersized bolt in there to aid fit up so do that at the end. As I said the exhaust mani has giant holes in it for the turbo bolts too. So considering that, a bit of slop in your dogbone bush and other engine mounts against a solidly mounted dump pipe and the two flanges sheer. We positioned the dump pipe braided expansion joint thingy up close to the dump to help lessen the forced the engine can exert against the dump pipe, used longer bolts and nordlock washers (the hard to find big diameter ones) that really tear into the exhaust manifold material and are properly hard to un torque so they wont be backing out under their own steam.

[sambb]

if you want to run nordlocks and I send them down,I can send some cap heads down with them if you want.

[simon k]

ah, you do mean shoulder bolt - like this?



or do you mean a normal bolt, not a set screw?

I'll stop being pedantic

and yep, they'll have them, they have nordlocks too. When I was getting those other bolts I couldn't remember what they were called and as soon as I said "washers that have 2 parts that go together..." he said "yep, nordlock, what size"...

[sambb]

Hey Andrew no worries. Was going to have to martial the mum in law to look after the kids and do very unpopular things like that to be able to do that day at Wakefield anyway. All good. I'll look into how busy Ludenham gets on the weekend - maybe its not that hectic and we could do that's sooner. Rememebr that on school nights (Tuesdays and Thursdays) from Novemebr onwards are the Eastern Ck twilight rallysprints too. Reckon you'll do the Dapto/Huntley round of the Hillclimbs? Theyt did a practice day there last year in case you were able to make a weekend of it. Most beautiful setting running up an old coal road that goes up the escarpment above Wollongong with the pits next to paddocks in dairy land. Very fast and very hairy and probably the most exhilarating equivalent to Bathurst for having shaking hands when you get out at the top.

[sambb]

When you order the nordlocks Simon they come in a standard size that is too small - it will barely cover the size of the exhaust mani's hole. They do a larger diameter version that will match the of the relief machined into the exhaust mani where the VW bolt/washer goes. They were a special order when I got them but I think you're wasting your time with the standard sized nordlocks and others have tried them and failed.
ha ha we're special.. No no just a normal bolt with an unthreaded shank before the thread starts (not a shank that's undersized under the thread sizes though) - just for a little bit of extra 'fill' of the bolt hole. I've read about guys in the states linishing the surfaces dead flat and not even using a gasket, just sealant, and then bolting them mofo tight. I mean eddy bloody well welded his bolts in once they were tightened!

[Eddy]

Hoyhoy.

To Improve Me Polo.

To Improve Me Polo. - Page 3

Plenty of probs before doing this, NONE after.

[metalhead]

Hey Andrew no worries. Was going to have to martial the mum in law to look after the kids and do very unpopular things like that to be able to do that day at Wakefield anyway. All good. I'll look into how busy Ludenham gets on the weekend - maybe its not that hectic and we could do that's sooner. Rememebr that on school nights (Tuesdays and Thursdays) from Novemebr onwards are the Eastern Ck twilight rallysprints too. Reckon you'll do the Dapto/Huntley round of the Hillclimbs? Theyt did a practice day there last year in case you were able to make a weekend of it. Most beautiful setting running up an old coal road that goes up the escarpment above Wollongong with the pits next to paddocks in dairy land. Very fast and very hairy and probably the most exhilarating equivalent to Bathurst for having shaking hands when you get out at the top.

Sounds good. Yeh, I plan to make it to Huntley, at least at this stage. And yeh, I'll run the practice day too if they offer it. Never been there before, but sounds good.

I'm definitely keen for the rally sprints. Can you run them without a roll bar/cage/Hans?

[sambb]

Yep anything goes really provided its a tin top. Predominantly trailered cars and no road reg class. I'm in 3-4L 2WD and you'd be in over 4L 2WD