What did you do to your MKIV today?

[P2B]

I got some Prestone synthetic eu vehicle ps fluid with stop leak and added it. Needless to say after draining what we could with a siphon and adding the entire bottle, there's little to no groan from turns links oder rechts. Will be draining/adding another bottle once a month for the next few months till all the old has been washed out, unless I can find someone to pop a lower hose and let it all out in one fell swoop.

When I see "stop leak" on any automotive fluid I read "plug up the system". I prefer to find and fix leaks. Just my opinion

 

[PakProtector]

Stop-leak in this context is a seal plasticizer. Makes the seals softer so they resume their job of sealing. Looking at The White car with 200k logged on M1 Dextron synthetic ATF. Smooth, quiet.

Douglas

 

[norbert77]

^^^ fluid film apparently swells up old seals. Probably the secret ingredients in high mile oils

 

[P2B]

Stop-leak in this context is a seal plasticizer. Makes the seals softer so they resume their job of sealing.

I don't think I've ever seen a leaking seal on a MK4 power steering system. Fluid loss is usually fairly rapid and due to a pinhole rusted in one of the hard lines or a torn seal that fills the tie rod boot.

 

[Zak99b5]

Will be draining/adding another bottle once a month for the next few months till all the old has been washed out, unless I can find someone to pop a lower hose and let it all out in one fell swoop.

Just disco the return line to the reservoir and put it in a bucket.

Engine off, front wheels off the ground. Have one person pour new fluid in while another turns thr steering wheel lock to lock.

That will pump all the old fluid into the bucket, and when it’s clean coming out, you’re good. Reconnect return line, keep the reservoir topped off, and a few more turns of the wheel will burp out the air out.

 

[Sting]

Working on getting the exhaust system undone from the turbo. I don't think these 3 nuts have ever been taken off. I've doused them with some penetrant, gonna try again this afternoon.

Any good tips?

 

[wonneber]

When I see "stop leak" on any automotive fluid I read "plug up the system". I prefer to find and fix leaks. Just my opinion

I agree 100%

 

[J_dude]

My Jetta has had the passenger side wiper arm stud snapped off since I got it, but the wiper arm was seized on so I never bothered to change it, until last night.
I had to pull the wiper arm off to trade ECU’s with my parts car so I swapped the wiper arm assembly while I was at it.

 

[P2B]

Working on getting the exhaust system undone from the turbo. I don't think these 3 nuts have ever been taken off. I've doused them with some penetrant, gonna try again this afternoon.

Any good tips?

Those nuts usually don't present a problem, just use a 6 point 1/4 drive socket and make sure it's square and fully seated as the nuts are soft and you don't want to round them off. You will need a short extension to get a straight shot at a couple of them.

Often the stud will back out instead of the nut coming off. You can usually put it in a vice to get the nut off, but that will likely damage the threads. Replace the stud or recut the threads.

 

[wonneber]

Those nuts usually don't present a problem, just use a 6 point 1/4 drive socket and make sure it's square and fully seated as the nuts are soft and you don't want to round them off. You will need a short extension to get a straight shot at a couple of them.

Often the stud will back out instead of the nut coming off. You can usually put it in a vice to get the nut off, but that will likely damage the threads. Replace the stud or recut the threads.

For me I found PB Blaster worked the best to loosen seized nuts.
Tap the nut easily with a dull chisel and spray. Repeat as needed.
Don't force it, go back & forth spray as needed.
I've only needed to use heat (small propane torch) a few times.
Got it at Home Depot. (No affiliation)

 

[P2B]

Tap the nut easily with a dull chisel and spray. Repeat as needed.

The efficacy of hitting a nut with a chisel is questionable, but moot in this case due to lack of access. You aren't hitting those nuts with anything.

 

[wonneber]

The efficacy of hitting a nut with a chisel is questionable, but moot in this case due to lack of access. You aren't hitting those nuts with anything.

Sorry, to clarify I should have mentioned to hit the chisel with an appropriate size size hammer.
Not a sledge hammer.

 

[BobnOH]

Spray, then tap with a hammer. The idea is to set a vibration to allow further penetration, works sometimes. You want to tap the bolt.

 

[P2B]

Sorry, to clarify I should have mentioned to hit the chisel with an appropriate size size hammer.
Not a sledge hammer.

Spray, then tap with a hammer. The idea is to set a vibration to allow further penetration, works sometimes. You want to tap the bolt.

There is no room to swing a hammer, and no need to try. If the nut is seized the stud will back out instead.

 

[Sting]

Thanks for the tips guys. I was successful in getting the exhaust nuts off. I think sitting for a couple days after they got a good dosing of Sea Foam Deep Creep helped. I hit them again before I started. The two easy ones... The bottom and the upper rear nut came off fine. The upper forward was annoying as I still have the long Axle in, as the car is still outside, waiting to be moved into the garage I'm be working in. The stud came out, but I don't care as it's the old engine. That's a minor much later problem. I was surprised that I was able to worm right arm up and over the turbo to help hold the socket.

I was really hoping to get it off cleanly so I can worry about getting the flex fixed after the swap. I didn't want to dick around pulling the exhaust system out if I would have had to cut it off. I'll let my shop deal with that when they weld the new flex in.

 

[SilverGhost]

Anyone have an issue simply reinstalling the stud/nut the same way it came out? Maybe just a dab of loctite upon reinstall.

Jason

 

[P2B]

Anyone have an issue simply reinstalling the stud/nut the same way it came out? Maybe just a dab of loctite upon reinstall.

Jason

I clean up the thread and use a locknut to reinstall. Not sure there's any benefit to using loctite at those temperatures.

 

[Prairieview]

I finally got the rear beam re-bushed (using one with no corrosion a-tall) and put it on with the one-inch spacer (commonly sold) and the new set of lezzy-forr springs and some common Monroe shocks and WOW....this car sits like a Subaru now. Like it very much.

If any of you are corntimplating a lift this info will be helpful.

 

[CanadianALH]

I got my summers finally on yesterday some stock golf 15’s hopefully should yield some awesome fuel economy.

 

[P2B]

I got my summers finally on yesterday some stock golf 15’s hopefully should yield some awesome fuel economy.

15s are for winter

 

[Zak99b5]

about a month ago I put new Bilstein B4s and aftermarket springs “for sport suspension” on the TT. I was looking for a little drop/little stiffer package, but Nuespeed doesn’t make SofSports for this car. Job took six hours, and when I was done, the rear was higher than before, and also higher than the rear. Ride was better than before with the 155k mile suspension and a broken spring up front, but I hated the look & the rear was too stiff.

Found that Eibach makes a Pro-kit set for the TT & ordered them. I was dreading the swap since it took forever the first time (which was at least the 6th time I’ve done A4 suspension swaps). But I got the springs swapped out in about three hours, including a trip to the FLAPS to get the compressors I’d forgotten to get beforehand.

The ride is better now, as is the appearance. Springs seem a little softer than I’d hoped, but we will see as they settle in.

 

[Zak99b5]

Oh, while doing said suspension work, I discovered that my front left outer cv boot is torn. Probably from when I did the suspension a few weeks ago, since it was fine then.

Debating whether I should just remove the whole axle, or leave the inner joint connected. I’ll probably try whacking the outer joint off the shaft for an hour then removing the 6 inner bolts lol.

 

[PakProtector]

Have fun Zak...and though I have not tried this by experiment, is it possible to separate the inner joint by pulling( or tapping) on the axle attached to the inner 'star'?

IOW, just go for the 6 bolts first and don't risk the inner...LOL

As to, What I did to my Mk4?', I did the usual, drove the heck out of it, and put in not much fuel. Made the run from Ann Arbor to Kennett yesterday, then into the airport in Philly to pick up my son. Feeling much better after a bit o' sleep.

Douglas

 

[Zak99b5]

Have fun Zak...and though I have not tried this by experiment, is it possible to separate the inner joint by pulling( or tapping) on the axle attached to the inner 'star'?

IOW, just go for the 6 bolts first and don't risk the inner...LOL

As to, What I did to my Mk4?', I did the usual, drove the heck out of it, and put in not much fuel. Made the run from Ann Arbor to Kennett yesterday, then into the airport in Philly to pick up my son. Feeling much better after a bit o' sleep.

Douglas

Separating/damaging the inner joint while tapping the outer off the shaft is exactly my worry.

At least, afaict, the inner joints have a cap on the end on this car (5-speed 02M with transfer case).

 

[wonneber]

15s are for winter

P2B, why are 15's better for the winter??
Not that I could do it as I'm in a condo and wouldn't have a place to stole them anyway.
Last, I think both my VW's have all season tires.
I just rotate one side at a time using the spare as I do the rear then front then back and the spare eventually goes back to the trunk after I do the other side.

 

[wonneber]

I went to leave for work yesterday and had a flat rear tire. So today I had it repaired and as I was leaving the tire shop noticed the CEL was on .
Scanned the code... P0673 Glow Plug #3.
Checked the resistance on all the plugs and the second plug from the timing belt end was bad. Luckily I kept some used plugs from when I changed all four at once many years ago. I have changed one at a time as needed since then, and now I'm down to my last used spare plug.
Replaced the defective glow plug, cleared the code and now can relax for the weekend (hopefully).
BTW which german engineer decided to run the 2 "paired" injector fuel lines directly over this glow plug... thankfully I have a set of wobble-head extensions which made the job somewhat easier, although mine don't wobble as much as some others I've seen.
A little more wobble would have been nicer. (never thought I'd say that )

That was Dumcough of Berlin that engineered it.

 

[Sting]

Car is waiting in the garage to get started! Refresh work on the spare engine tomorrow with Herr Nuje, I think I might get started on Sunday.

 

[P2B]

P2B, why are 15's better for the winter??

15s have a narrower tread than the 17s I run in summer (195 vs. 225), and in my case a narrower track (ET 43 vs. 32) which cuts through snow and slush better providing more grip in slippery conditions. 15s are cheaper too.

 

[P2B]

That was Dumcough of Berlin that engineered it.

We got over it 10 years ago Besides, a 1/4" extension will clear the hard lines, no wobble required.

 

[Nuje]

Finally got around to taking a closer look at the broken-timing-belt-damaged BEW engine from the 2006 Golf I bought (and which will be receiving the ALH that's been sitting in the garage for a couple years).
Too bad about the engine because the camshaft and lifters look relatively new (lifters still some some traces of the black nitride coating) and all of the lobes on the camshaft look pretty much perfect....except one, which looks like it took a direct hit. The matching lifter (#7, counting starting at timing belt) has a cam-lobe-shaped dent in it; and that cam lobe feels like someone took some cheap grinding wheel to it at the apex.

Almost all of the cam lobes are cracked as well.