What did you do to your MKIV today?

[jmodge]

If they are supposed to be captured washers, and crush washers, that doesn't make a lot of sense. You certainly can reuse a crush washer, but not multiple times, and you should clean it up as Krash mentioned. I've even done the old heat with a MAPP gas torch trick with used ones.

But another reason they are stupid, is that the upper caliper pin bolt is in the way if you try to screw in the banjo bolt with the fitting at the head already. Ask me how I know. With regular washers, you just drop the bottom one on the caliper, set the banjo fitting down, then install the bolt with the other washer on it. I fought with the captured banjo bolt for ten minutes before I decided to pry off the washer to remove it from the fitting, and it was in in seconds.

Welp, we got back to the car yesterday afternoon. The banjo fitting that I had to file down had wept some brake fluid, so it wasn't as sealed as I'd thought. Took a finer file and had at it for a good while, and finally there was no nick or scratch that made it to the circumference of the hole. Noticed also that the two crush washers I had used before (new ones) both had an identical set of radial scratches in them. Found an old one that was all smooth and used that instead. Bled that caliper and got some air out of it, and the pedal was nice and hard.

Started it up, and with the booster working, the brakes felt tons better. Put the wheels back on, and my son took it for a test drive. All seems good now. I don't feel fully confident in that fitting I had to file down, but then again on Tuesday, the soft pedal was immediate. I'm thinking it's either leaking and not holding pressure, or it's a tight connection. He wants to drive it to Boston (3 hours away) Friday with his buddy, so I told him just drive it around town a bit last night and today, and if the pedal feels the same, he's good. If we do end up needing to replace that line, it's not the end of the world.

Yeah, same thing I thought. Never ran into a captured washer on a brake line prior to that

 

[norbert77]

My friend thinks I'm nuts for all this work, and I think the girlfriend is getting concerned. I lost track of parts cost but it's over 3grand, how much labor would it be to replace the following; lower control arm, front struts, complete brakes and rotors, dust shield, tie rods and ball joints, rebuild both sides of both CV shaft, new input and output seal on tranny, shifter I put seal and fluid change, new southbend clutch, rear main seal, oil pump chain and tensioner, new Turbo and oil lines, timing belt, alternator, and a box full of miscellaneous parts like wiper arm bushings, new rad. I will need to redo drivers door wiring as window stopped going up and down.

 

[The Cream Dolphin]

My friend thinks I'm nuts for all this work, and I think the girlfriend is getting concerned. I lost track of parts cost but it's over 3grand, how much labor would it be to replace the following; lower control arm, front struts, complete brakes and rotors, dust shield, tie rods and ball joints, rebuild both sides of both CV shaft, new input and output seal on tranny, shifter I put seal and fluid change, new southbend clutch, rear main seal, oil pump chain and tensioner, new Turbo and oil lines, timing belt, alternator, and a box full of miscellaneous parts like wiper arm bushings, new rad. I will need to redo drivers door wiring as window stopped going up and down.

I think this was a timing belt at the start? If you give a mouse a cookie... I love it, especially the painted engine. Not sure on the cost of all that labour, but you will certainly have something certain folks will envy.

 

[norbert77]

I think this was a timing belt at the start? If you give a mouse a cookie... I love it, especially the painted engine. Not sure on the cost of all that labour, but you will certainly have something certain folks will envy.

Maybe. I got boots for the axle shafts, the driver side outer is seized up. Seriously, can't even move it... How did it not make a sound all this time. Looks like aftermarket anyways, where to get a good axle?

 

[Zak99b5]

Maybe. I got boots for the axle shafts, the driver side outer is seized up. Seriously, can't even move it... How did it not make a sound all this time. Looks like aftermarket anyways, where to get a good axle?

Why not just replace the outer joint on that side? Easier than just a boot since you don't need to clean up the original. Plus no Chaxle!

 

[norbert77]

Why not just replace the outer joint on that side? Easier than just a boot since you don't need to clean up the original. Plus no Chaxle!

That's the thing, I can get the outter for 200 but how much for a whole shaft? Seems noone carries it

 

[jmodge]

Raxles are roughly $550 a pair plus core, for comparison

 

[Zak99b5]

110$ for GKN outer joint at IDParts.

 

[norbert77]

Didn't make a noise...

 

[norbert77]

And this axle, not a click! The car was only parked because timing belt was way over what I deemed safe

 

[J_dude]

A friend's dad recently "totalled" an 03 ALH, he tried to miss a Bambi and instead hit the rhubarb. Not a lot of damage but passenger curtain airbags deployed so it was written off. He bought it back but doesn't really want another undrivable car on his yard, so it may be mine for $600. 450k kms, manual trans and it's in kinda rough shape but starts and runs pretty good so, while not a steal of a deal, I think it's decent. I think it even could be driven but it has a bent tie rod. But I'd still love to have it even if only for a spare engine and trans, so I'm not complaining.

Dragged this carcass home yesterday and pulled the pump. Going to try it on my car and see if it makes a difference, as I know this pump is good.
Turns out the car is in slightly worse shape than I thought, this is it's good side. Oil pan has a big crack so I think it's been oil starved for the short time he had it running when he went to pick it up from the towing yard. Rad is falling out since the lock carrier is destroyed, intercooler is gone... Oh well it's going to be a rebuild anyway.

IMG_1033.JPG

• J_dude
• Mar 28, 2024

 

[braddies]

Does anyone else anneal their copper crush washers? Put the washer on the ground and hit it with the propane torch for a couple seconds just until it changes color, flip it over and do the same torching to the other side, softens it up so it will squish again.

 

[burpod]

Does anyone else anneal their copper crush washers? Put the washer on the ground and hit it with the propane torch for a couple seconds just until it changes color, flip it over and do the same torching to the other side, softens it up so it will squish again.

i save all my copper washers (especially injector ones, which are useful for other things), except for the very "thin" ones, if they appear to be in decent shape, do a batch of them on a long screwdriver

 

[Zak99b5]

Looks like aftermarket anyways, where to get a good axle?

In your video, your passenger axle looks like the original hollow shaft to me.

 

[dieseldonato]

I don't reuse crush washer unless I have to, which is extremely rare. Have a whole drawer in my tool box full of crush washers, bajo fittings, misc gaskets. It's all left overs out of rebuild kits, gasket set etc. Just saved all everything over the years and have a decent stock pile. Only coppers I won't reused is for injectors. Every injector has a protrusion spec, generally spreaking whatever thickness washer came out needs to go back in. Once it's crushed it's done. Injector will sit in deeper, possibly causing the tip to stick out too far of the head. Possibly nit picking, but there is a direct correlation to protrusion and where the injector sprays fuel into the piston bowl. Which affect fuel/air mixing properly in the cylinder.

 

[norbert77]

Does anyone else anneal their copper crush washers? Put the washer on the ground and hit it with the propane torch for a couple seconds just until it changes color, flip it over and do the same torching to the other side, softens it up so it will squish again.

No, most threads crush them very well. You're right though, I'm not crazy about injector washers I think they should be tightened, hit with a hammer and retightened

 

[P2B]

No, most threads crush them very well. You're right though, I'm not crazy about injector washers I think they should be tightened, hit with a hammer and retightened

Injectors are supposed to leak compression - they must be, since that's what happens if you follow the Bentley installation procedure

 

[norbert77]

Injectors are supposed to leak compression - they must be, since that's what happens if you follow the Bentley installation procedure

Like the black death in Mercedes sprinters?

 

[norbert77]

Today was axle days. The bad axle was rusted inside. What a pain in the you know what to stretch the boots over the shaft. Gloss engine paint drying over a stove, and axle screwed to a table to help installation without scratching paint. Kind of helped

 

[braddies]

IMG_1033.JPG

• J_dude
• Mar 28, 2024

Dang, forgot about how rough canadian roads are until seeing a truck with 5 spare tires pulling a spare car

 

[joe00golf]

Picked up two heated front seats. Driver side needs a small patch job but they're in much better shape than mine. Just need to grab a heated seat harness and buttons

 

[vol4til3]

Today was fixing the annoying leak on the VE Fuel injection pump seals top and bottom, they cost me fuel economy and its annoying to open the bonnet and it reeks of diesel fuel and could be a risk to get a fire going too. I replaces the seals and did the hammer method to adjust the Fuel injection quantity. all went well proud of myself.
1

 

[joe00golf]

Put my new to me seats in. I ordered some used switches for the heat pads. I just need to figure out wiring harnesses. Looks like all the wiring harnesses you can buy on ebay are cut 1 foot after the plug so that will take some figuring out.

 

[hey_allen]

Put my new to me seats in. I ordered some used switches for the heat pads. I just need to figure out wiring harnesses. Looks like all the wiring harnesses you can buy on ebay are cut 1 foot after the plug so that will take some figuring out.

I've heard good things of the Kufatek harnesses, but don't have any personal experience with them.

KUFATEC

Spezifischer Kabelsatz zum Anschluss von Fahrzeugsitzen mit integrierten Sitzheizungsmatten für VW, Audi, Seat, Skoda

www.kufatec.com

I'd been intending to fabricate my own harness, but more and more am tempted to order one, since I keep putting off fabricating one...

 

[KrashDH]

I've heard good things of the Kufatek harnesses, but some have any personal experience with them

I'm running their harness, has been working for the few years I've had it installed

 

[joe00golf]

Awesome, thanks for the info. Just ordered one. Will have my heated seats up and ready to go just in time for summer...

 

[Zak99b5]

Completed the 20k service—oil & filter, plus fuel and air filters. Screws on the filter box are getting pretty stripped. Wonder if IDParts has replacements.

Pinched off the fuel lines near the connections to the hard pipes by the firewall. Filled the filter with gray Power Service. Engine caught right away but stumbled for a second or two before smoothing out.

Also, taught #3 son (16 yo) how to do an oil change on the car he drives, my wife's faux-wagon Routan minivan (ChryCo T&C). Had to break loose the drain plug for him, but otherwise he did all the work. With lotsa coaching, of course. But that’s how you learn this stuff.

 

[J_dude]

Wonder if IDParts has replacements.

Replacement air boxes? I'd just grab one from the pick n pull.

 

[Zak99b5]

Replacement air boxes? I'd just grab one from the pick n pull.

I meant screws. They are not standard.

 

[J_dude]

I meant screws. They are not standard.

Ohhh, the screw heads are stripping, I get ya.