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The Current Driveway...


TrabbieRonnie

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Hi all,

Didn't manage to get the mounts changed, it's my turn on call at work, and that along with the poor weather, meant events just conspired against me.  I got as far as undoing one, but quickly realised they all need to be undone to lift the lump enough to replace them and I ran out of time.  Did clean up and protect some brake lines whilst under there so not totally wasted time.  

Did it all back up and put it on the list for more summery weather. 

On returning from work on Sunday, I turned my attentions to the 323.  The head came off in double-quick time this time, and I have just dropped it off at the machine shop in town for 'the works'.  Saturday then will be the day to tackle the piston rings and cleaning up the block for reassembly.  Hopefully, with a new set of rings and the head done she will go for another 30 years!

I have asked for a skim and pressure test, valves lapped and tappets reset, and he has said it will be £150.  I'm supplying the stem seals, seems a  good price to me?  They are a very busy and well-regarded place around here.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, ready for long  Summer evenings now please!

 

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Big jeep ftp'd on way to work this morning, same again, wouldn't rev past 1200.  Crawled out the village, pulled over, worked the throttle pedal like a madman, switched off and on again but no joy.  (Crawled back in shame, twas still dark though, so nobody saw us!).

Since cleaning the old throttle position sensor up she's run like a top, but perhaps sitting in the freezing cold all weekend was the final straw for it.  Anyway, took a holiday day, and have just fitted the new (old) one I got from an eBay breaker. 

Throttle pedal obedience is thus restored, and she seems a bit livelier, as the idle is now sitting at 1100 RPMS.  The TPS is mounted on slotted holes, so there is probably adjustment to be carried out yet.  I quite like it though, so I'll see how we go...  shift change points and speeds are exactly as beforehand, it's just that the autobox 'creep' is stronger.

The replacement part is the same part no., but came off a low mileage Corolla apparently.  Anyway, too cold for engine mounts still, just gonna enjoy my impromptu day off now!

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Brought a little something home with me tonight...

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Wee Mazda's head has been pressure tested, lightly skimmed, the valves lapped in and tappets reset.  £130, which seems very reasonable.  Large, but very friendly place in Elgin, a guy that I have used many times before for work gear.

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The only obstacle now is the weather, horizontal sleety snow at the moment so not too hopeful!  Plan is to do the rings, clean the block face up while they're out, and 'simply refit'!

Should be good for another few years of 'zoom-zooming' after that.

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Cheers all.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

Zero progress on wee Maz... been too much omgsnokaos for that level of after-work mechanical shenanigans. 

I previously reported an FTP(ish) with the old jeep, which happened again after a fortnight of faultless commuting with the 'new' throttle position sensor.  Well, I scratched my head again, and thought about what other sensor could knock such an old engine into limp mode (she never coughed or chugged, just would not rev past a perfectly smooth 1500rpm).  Fuel pressure or flow sensor then?  Cutting in to prevent cavitation in the pump?

Pulled the (year-old) filter and it was absolutely full of a reddish/brown sandy material.  Should have checked before, but it's newness and the aforementioned lack of coughing/chugging, led me to believe it was sensor related.  Which it was I suppose, it was just a functioning sensor rather than a faulty one!  

I cleaned out the old one with a rag and compressed air at work, which got me home without drama.  She now has a new one fitted off my ever-growing shelf of Hilux spares, and normal service is resumed.  I may* be changing petrol stations...

Just in time to make the most of more omgsnokaos...!

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This blank canvas was transformed by many, many donuts shortly after these pictures btw. 😁

 

Anyway, in other news... I don't think there's an 'Industrial Shite' topic anywhere, so I'll drop this here.

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My work project this week.  It's a Dorman V12 28 litre, twin turbo diesel, used to power our standby generator at work.  When I was Engineer, I used to run it up once or twice a month, but my move over to the dark side ( the office), plus an increasingly silted up radiator has left it dormant for 2 or 3 years now.  It makes a lot of noise, and the reek!  Lovely.

A firm in Inverness has been tasked with the rad re-core...

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(It's a couple of metres square, and too big to lift out the door, so still thinking about that!).  But I know she runs well for a half-hour or so, before the safety temp cut-out objects, so I hope to start her this week anyway.  

I think our Engineers are a wee bit nervous, but they're charging the batteries and blowing out the air filters regardless.  These old things are all over the world apparently, patiently waiting in skyscraper basements to keep the lights on when Vlad turns off the tap.  Ran like a top when 'parked', I will attempt to video the big fire-up and link here for posterity.

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Cool, huh?!  We'll probably never use her in anger, as the power is usually back on before there's been time to complete the rather nerve-wracking switch-over process.  But, I'm to make us more 'resilient' to these things, so that's enough of an excuse to play with engines for me!

 

Cheers all.

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36 minutes ago, puddlethumper said:

Nice Genny @TrabbieRonnie. A bit of a beast.  What does it kick out. Got any specs ? How old is it and who made it ? How many hours on it? Can't imagine it's many. Questions questions.

To my shame I will need to find out the power output info, I've only been here 8 years!  I do know it can only run about half the plant here at any one time (there's a note on it saying we're not allowed to go over 600amps).

It's a Dorman, from the 1970's I was told.  Off to check for a hours counter...

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Right, not happy...  I've had to drive the work's van home twice now, leaving my poor old jeep languishing overnight there.

Not revving above 1500 rpm is its new thing, apparently.  New fuel filter fitted last week seemed to do the trick, and she was quite happy all weekend and drove me into work (25 miles), without a hitch on Monday morning. 

However, on leaving there Monday night, we were back on the go-slow.  I went home in the bloody Movano, and looked up how you look up the ECU trouble codes on a 30 year old, pre obd Toyota.  Dead easy actually, but of no use as there are zero codes stored.  

So tonight before leaving I carried out a few checks.  Fuel filter was still spotless, and the problem was the same whether operating the throttle by cable, or by manually turning the TPS (was discounting a dodgy throttle body connection).  

Then removed the fuel hose 'twixt tank and filter, to give it a blow through with compressed air, just in case.  Nothing.  However (and this only really dawned on me when back home), I managed to disconnect and bung the hard fuel line with not a drop spilled... no fuel dripped/seeped/gushed out while it was disconnected, at all? 

I think therefore, that I may have a blocked fuel tank pickup strainer.  This would explain why changing the filter helped, why it was full of crud, and why it's happened again now when very low on fuel.  Not 'light on' low, but low.  Maybe with a full tank there's enough head of pressure to help the pump suck enough through.  I am going to blow air down the fuel line into the tank tomorrow, to try and dislodge whatever unholy dross has accumulated therein.  If she's revived after that I'll know, and will add a tank drop and clean to the list of Jobs for the Summer. 

Probably due every 30 years or so I guess.  

 

EDIT... Also, just realised I have never suspected the fuel filler cap?  Could be bunged up too.

 

Driving the Movano has enlightened me somewhat, it feels fast for a van, but only up to 50mph.  Is quiet.  Feels weird, not very connected somehow.  The radio is garbage, titchy buttons, and all in the wrong place (your hand blocks the view of the display when tuning?).  Maybe it was designed for LHD installs? 

Box on wheels basically, and at two years old, has a brightly lit spanner symbol, eml, and "check dpf operation" message across its deeply uninspiring dash binnacle.  Made me feel better about my misbehaving, but very old, jeep.

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Ups and downs at Trabi Towers, jeep is leaking from the fuel pump... Bit of a pain with it stranded at work (25 miles away), hoping I can tweak something up enough to make her drive able.  She's an auto, so 1500 rpm isn't enough to get out of first gear, resulting in a speed of 15 mph (eventually).  Not fun.

Seal kit on order, so if needs be I'll do it at work, hate doing that though as our place runs 24/7 and you never get left alone long enough to get on with the job!

Anyway, I did get this big beast going...

Missed the startup, not enough hands!  However, it was very undramatic... I gave a couple of short turns on the key, and quickly realised she just wanted to go! 

We worked out that this engine has been idle for 4/5 years now, and the above video begins literally a few seconds after startup.  An amazingly smooth, easy starting unit, and didn't even smoke much.  Oil pressure, as can be seen, came up lovely too.  

Great news for me, as I'll have more luck convincing head office that the quoted £15k bill for re-coring the rad would be money well spent.

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Phase one of "fixing the jeep" has begun, namely fixing the Audi Coupe...!

The logic is that the Coupe is Mot'd for a wee while yet, and was just sitting waiting for its new stainless exhaust.  We will need two cars on the road next week, and who knows when the seal kit for the jeep's pump will come.  Had the day off to sort something, and progress has occurred.

I haven't done anything about getting a new exhaust yet, so further bodging of the old system was required.

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Yes, I know... 

That is a short piece of pipe, split and welded on as a reinforcing sleeve to a very thin looking bit.  Then slathered in chemical metal, as the skin was gone on that bit of the centre box.  This will probably last for less time than it took to do, but I have tried!

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The end where it joins the backbox had broken, so I cut a wee piece and welded it on.  My wee stick welder was behaving for once, so although none of this is pretty, it will not fall off at least.

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Back box not too bad relative to the rest, but really, really needing to get something proper sorted soon.  Mot due in April, I won't get away with it again.  There's also leaks before the cat, which I think is affecting the lambda probe readings and having her run a bit rich.

She stinks, but is lovely...

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Wasn't planning on running her yet, what with the roads barely visible through the salt(!), but needs must.  Plan tomorrow after work is to wash, polish and top up the underside waxoil, and time permitting, have a crack at fitting the 'new' radio I got from another member of this parish the other week.

Just had a test run up to temp on the truck, started first turn of the key and running well as ever.  Couple of leaks from the 'zorst, but sounds pretty good anyway.

Fleet is getting on a bit I suppose, there will always be something to tinker with!

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Coupe all cleaned up and ready to go, exhaust has a healthy burble due to various leaks, but quiet once under way (so far🤞).  Managed to get a second-hand back box on the bay, and will attempt to fabricate the rest myself from bends etc.  I enjoyed welding this one back together, so I shall have a go.

Brakes feel a bit soft tbh, no leaks though, and working as well as ever.  Maybe a flush and pads all round wouldn't go amiss.

The paint is really flat now, I polished it but more for protection than anything else.  White seems to hide the lack of shine from any distance, and I even painted the sills (black stonechip from factory) which were through to the primer in places.  For some reason lost the pics of the outside, but the interior always looks nice when hoovered, still feels special...

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Not a bad 'stand-in' car while the jeep gets sorted, eh?!

Radio to be fitted tomorrow, and then into daily service, which may actually be a good thing, as her first real drive of the year is usually to the MOT test.  

Cheers all.

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Hi all,

Early morning mission to the work's carpark today, where the old jeep has been in dry dock all week.  I'd moved some ancillary stuff out the way in short bursts after work, so was able to see the fuel pump a lot better this morning.

It was leaking from the blanking plate on the engine side, at this age tadts apparently, and it  requires the removal of the unit to get at.  Bugger.  However, I decided while I was in there to replace the fuel supply pipe, from the filter to the pump.  I was thinking that at it's advanced age, it could be leaking fuel out (or air in).  Lo and behold, on starting, she ran perfectly, revving up like the racing machine Toyota intended... and also, as I watched, the leak stopped before my eyes!  I had, in desperation, put a litre of two-stroke oil in the tank a week ago, after reading on an Aussie forum about its seal-swelling qualities. 

Something or other has worked anyway, and she will be repatriated the 25 miles back to the homestead tomorrow all being well.  I plan to then remove the pump for a proper re-seal, as part of the cambelt replacement job that is nearly due anyway.  Very relieved Ronnie here.

 

On our return, as it was such a Spring-like day I decided to replace the Audi Coupe's backbox.  The eBay seller was true to their word, it is in great nick and a perfect fit.

The old one looked like it had been dragged up from the bottom...

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Expert level chemical metal application here...

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The 'new' one is great, but I gave it a quick brush and paint anyway...

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I was £60 for this, which I am pretty chuffed with.  It sounds pretty farty still, as the centre resonator is holed.  They never get better by themselves do they?!

We have measured the car up now, and I have a list of pipe and bends to order from the exhaust supplier online.  I am going to do away with the centre silencer to start with, if it is too much I'll cut one in, but quite fancying a bit of roar/burble.

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It's been really nice this week, cruising back and forth to work in this grand old car, she's not missed a beat.  I have the stuff in for a service, plus a set of brake pads (these ones must have taken a beating cleaning up the rusty discs after standing all winter) so will carry that out soon.

To think I had wanted to sell her!  Because I've been worried about my exhaust disintegrating, I've been a lot less heavy-footed than usual, so she's even done well on fuel..!

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Cheers all.

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Hi all,

Tunes restored in the Coupe today, by way of a lovely old Blaupunkt bought from tul66 of this parish.

Think it's about right age-wise, certainly looks the part...

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Anyway, took a bit of head-scratching... I had  bought a loom adapter from eBay (an after-market Sony head unit was in before), which fitted up perfectly, but the new one wouldn't switch off.

Turns out, Audi's of this era did not have a 'switched' live to the radio.  After much prodding with the fluke, I found that the headlight level control just above had one.  Used that and I now have a radio that won't flatten the battery overnight. 🤞

What I wasn't expecting was the massive improvement in sound quality, sounds incredible.  Heading across to Cars and Coffee in Inverness tomorrow, so a nice cruise across there, sun shining and tunes banging beckons...

Happy days.

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Hi all,

I'm taking another industrial turn, following on from the big engine... the big boiler!  

You may recognise this old thing from such threads as 'Y tho?'...

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Anyway, she's been back up together for a week, having passed her 42nd annual inspection, and was signed off by the Inspector yesterday...  Before he does this, he has to test the safety relief valves, which looks like this;

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And sounds like this...

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Hi all,

Weather played ball, in fact it has been a stunning day here, roll on Summer!

Project for the day was to turn this lot into something fruity and mot-able...

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Yep, after procrastinating and bodging the old one up, I finally decided to have a go myself.  eBay, well a Walsall-based exhaust firm thereon, provided the above stainless goodies for just under a hundred quid delivered  (I'd already bought a good used backbox, and the cat section was already stainless).

First up, elevation...

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This worked really well, although my back is still in tatters after a day crawling under there.  Here's what came out...

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There was a extra length of pipe between the cat and the resonator for some reason, the joiners just blew out the whole time, weird.  I had already decided to do away with the centre box (which cost a fortune, in Germany, in mild steel), so started at the front...

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That's the cat section welded to an offcut that came with the car (this is why I can't understand them cutting it short and letting an extra bit in?).  I had borrowed some 2mm stainless rods from work, and my little arc welder has been great just recently, allowing fairly neat work on this thin steel.  Don't get me wrong, mig would've been easier, but this is ok. 

The wee 90 degree on the end is the start of the 'resonator delete' pipework.

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Trial fit.

Car's clean as a whistle underneath still, very happy with my oily brew and Audi's galvanising job.

Found it easier not to measure out, just took the bits under and marked them where they needed to join the next one.  Cut and tacked up on the bench, and then back under for a look.

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This wee section up and over the rear beam to the back box was easily made up with the 90 degree pieces, very satisfying...

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It joins to the backbox with a swaged coupling, which allows a bit of tweaking too.  That just left a short gap across the car...

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I cut a straight length, but there was too much angle, I thought I might have gotten away with it, but no.  Cut my tacks and welded in a short spacer piece...

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Success.  All that was needed at this point was to mark out for the hangers (just cut them off the old exhaust and stuck 'em on this one), and weld it all up...

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Still need a slightly longer rubber donut for the middle, so will head to Halfords tomorrow, but it's nice and solid anyway.  Quite chuffed all in all, sorted for the test without too much spendz, and sounds nice too!  Will change the oil tomorrow, and maybe the brake pads.  

Great fun.

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  • TrabbieRonnie changed the title to The Current Driveway... DIY Stainless Audi Exhaust, Mazda and jeep still waiting...
  • 3 weeks later...

Wee Mazda in New Rings Shocker!!!

Yes, after far too long, my being on holiday this week has meant I have time to attend to the 323...

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I need to get this loosely organised pile of parts back into running order before my eldest disowns me!  Weather has really let us down though, today was the first without rain and/or snow.  Anyway, onwards!

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After a bit of a faff getting the sump off (30 year old rtv sealant, some bendage has occurred), it was out with the No1 suspect, number 3 piston...

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This is the cylinder that has been stubbornly burning oil since the first time I changed the head gasket, and I thought the oil control ring would be in a mess.

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It didn't seem too bad to me (first ever ring job though... errrhh!).  Did however notice the gaps were in line, which wouldn't be helping.  I scrubbed out the grooves with petrol and a toothbrush, and a bit of welding wire (with the end folded over) for the really crispy bits.

Big end shells all seemed fine, and everything was well marked up for ease of re-assembly, which removed some of the fear...

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Worked one piston at a time (a couple actually we're worse than number three), dodged the showers, and got a nice line up of clean, re-ringed pistons to show for my efforts.

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Lovely.  All turning over smoothly, just got to put it all back together now!  

Hoping for some sun tomorrow, getting it finished and running for the weekend would be nice.

Zoom-zoom.

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  • TrabbieRonnie changed the title to The Current Driveway... 323 progress update.

Of course, as I could have used a sunny day, it snowed.

By the time it had cleared up I had only a couple of hours left to work...  Anyway, the bracket/baffle type thing, and the oil pick up strainer, is all back in and the sump on, after being scrubbed out and made shiny, obvs.

Hopefully tomorrow will see the head back on, timed up and (dare I say it), running.  Never did get the crank nut off, so there's that to attack too.  I need it off to get the belt guide off and the new timing belt fitted.  

Apart from the weather, it's been straightforward, good wee engine to work on at least.  Biggest issue for me is it being such a low-slung wee thing that even up on axle stands it's not very roomy under there, so really glad the bottom end is buttoned up again!

One distraction tomorrow will be the Coupe's MOT, hopefully that'll be ok, it'll be his first look at my homespun exhaust.  🤞

Cheers all.

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Well, swings and roundabouts here today...

Coupe failed it's test on emissions... however much we tried, the lambda reading didn't get close. 

Thinking I was needing one, I came home to research where I could get a sensor, and realised the car has two.  Remembering that I'd bought the correct lead, I decided to plug in the VCDS, in case only one was faulty.  However, the only code that came up was for an intake air temperature sensor 'short to ground'...

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Made sense I thought, it probably reverts to some base fuel settings when missing an input, perhaps running 'on the choke' as it were.  Found the sensor, and it's disconnected plug!  I'd pulled it when stealing a spark plug to put in the Mazda, and totally forgot to refit...  Bugger.  Cleared the fault code, and lo!  It has not returned.  Will see if he'll let me back in in the morning for a quick retest.  The car's been running great as well, and pretty good on fuel!  

Otherwise, advisories for tyres on the front (must stop lighting them up!), which he's getting in for me next week.  Also needing an inner CV joint gaiter.  He liked the exhaust though, so all in all not too bad.

Before all this, had a fairly productive morning on the Maz.  Cambelt replaced, flywheel cover refitted and exhaust downpipe/manifold back together. 

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The oil is in, and so far no leaks from the sump seal.  Gold bar back on temporarily, much excite here at Trabbi Towers for a start tomorrow...

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Apart from the weather, it's been good to spend some time on, and make some progress with the fleet.  Back to work on Monday, but the days are getting longer again at least,

Cheers all.

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Well, one step forward, two steps back!

Audi...

Still failed on emissions, although the reconnected intake air temp sensor did bring the CO2 readings right down (they were just in and no more before).  Lambda readings unaffected, ie still shite.  

I have been reading up (VCDS showed no fault codes, helpfully), and the fuel pressure regulator valve is a common failure point apparently.  They get sticky, and allow the rail pressure to rise, so the injectors get more than they need.  Anyway, easy to change and cheap, so one ordered.  

I pulled the lambda probes (one each side of the V, but none after the cat), they looked pretty clean, and the resistance was the same through both.  I blasted them with electro clean anyway, and they did come up a bit cleaner tbf.  Car started differently once all back together, revved up and held it for a few seconds before coming down again.  Lambda fault codes were then present, which went away on reset, and haven't come back.  Car running perfectly, and smells less fuelly maybe?  Lambdas ordered anyway.  My mechanic is due to ring when he has the front tyres in, so he'll check emissions again then, we'll get there.

 

Mazda...

Well, this is a palaver...  I am ready to start the engine after a long week of re-assembly in between (and sometimes during) freezing snow showers, and pissing-down rain.  Great, just get the key...  oh no!  Where the f*@k that's gone, none of us know.  We've had the place upside down to no avail.  

In exasperation, I have contacted a local locksmith, maybe they can make a key up to suit.  

Whoever it was that said the lads would learn some new swear words during this engine work was certainly right yesterday...

 

 

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3 hours ago, TrabbieRonnie said:

Well, one step forward, two steps back!

Audi...

Still failed on emissions, although the reconnected intake air temp sensor did bring the CO2 readings right down (they were just in and no more before).  Lambda readings unaffected, ie still shite.  

I have been reading up (VCDS showed no fault codes, helpfully), and the fuel pressure regulator valve is a common failure point apparently.  They get sticky, and allow the rail pressure to rise, so the injectors get more than they need.  Anyway, easy to change and cheap, so one ordered.  

I pulled the lambda probes (one each side of the V, but none after the cat), they looked pretty clean, and the resistance was the same through both.  I blasted them with electro clean anyway, and they did come up a bit cleaner tbf.  Car started differently once all back together, revved up and held it for a few seconds before coming down again.  Lambda fault codes were then present, which went away on reset, and haven't come back.  Car running perfectly, and smells less fuelly maybe?  Lambdas ordered anyway.  My mechanic is due to ring when he has the front tyres in, so he'll check emissions again then, we'll get there.

 

Mazda...

Well, this is a palaver...  I am ready to start the engine after a long week of re-assembly in between (and sometimes during) freezing snow showers, and pissing-down rain.  Great, just get the key...  oh no!  Where the f*@k that's gone, none of us know.  We've had the place upside down to no avail.  

In exasperation, I have contacted a local locksmith, maybe they can make a key up to suit.  

Whoever it was that said the lads would learn some new swear words during this engine work was certainly right yesterday...

 

 

Key will turn up right after you get a new one cut. Sods law

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