Cluffy Posted November 20, 2023 Author Share Posted November 20, 2023 Hello all, A while since an update but the Corrado is in bits again... It was driving ok but still smoking like Dot Cotton. Being worried about the catalytic converter @grogee and I took it on ourselves to do compression and leak down tests. Low compression all round, wet test showed improvement suggesting rings but even further evidence from the leak down test with 20% loss on three cylinders. You could feel a lot through the dip stick tube 😐 So this is where we are: Hoping to get the box out before then working on stripping down the engine and getting the block to our helpful precision specialist (same guy who did the head work). He'll then determine if the bores have gone oval or not 😩 Thank God it's not my daily! mercedade, Jenson Velcro, Tickman and 2 others 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Longbridge Posted November 20, 2023 Share Posted November 20, 2023 Gutted! I keep looking at VR Corrados. They do seem to be temperamental old buggers though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted November 20, 2023 Author Share Posted November 20, 2023 1 hour ago, Dick Longbridge said: Gutted! I keep looking at VR Corrados. They do seem to be temperamental old buggers though... I'd agree but I also think it's an old car now... Hopefully this is the very last big expense bar the day I get it painted... djim and Dick Longbridge 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted November 26, 2023 Author Share Posted November 26, 2023 More progress the last couple of days. Near side Track rod and lower ball joint off. Driveshafts undone, starter off, gearbox mounts and brackets off and this morning I managed to get the gear box out. Phew! Next will be clutch and flywheel, followed by power steering lines off and the front lower brace bar. Never had this off in my ownership so I plan on a good tidy up. Then I'll whip the timing covers off, the chains and then the head. I don't want to take cams out this time due to the timing disc being damaged last time I was in there....! It's going ok but the bloody cold can do one... Dick Longbridge, mercedade, Back_For_More and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBig Posted December 4, 2023 Share Posted December 4, 2023 Having done the chains on a VR some years ago, you have my sympathies. Fabulous engines, but such a pig to work on. I will NEVER understand what possessed VW to position the chains on the flywheel end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sasquar Posted December 14, 2023 Share Posted December 14, 2023 Just found this thread, after a pointer from the battery thread where i was whingeing about our 'rado..... V impressed with the work youve done, seem to be pretty unlucky really. Ours has had plenty of issues, but luckily the engine seems pretty decent. Theyre well known for being able to do decent miles without too many issues, so id be surprised if yours has ring issues at sub 100k miles, on the other hand, ive been surprised before.... Im comically bad at doing threads on my own stuff, but when i get a sec, ill try and stick a general thread up with all my tat, so you can laugh at the issues ive had with mine, different sorts of problems, but still..... Dick Longbridge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted December 15, 2023 Author Share Posted December 15, 2023 On 04/12/2023 at 10:37, MrBig said: Having done the chains on a VR some years ago, you have my sympathies. Fabulous engines, but such a pig to work on. I will NEVER understand what possessed VW to position the chains on the flywheel end! Could not agree more! Such a pain and this is the bloody third part I've been in here.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted December 15, 2023 Author Share Posted December 15, 2023 On 14/12/2023 at 09:35, sasquar said: Just found this thread, after a pointer from the battery thread where i was whingeing about our 'rado..... V impressed with the work youve done, seem to be pretty unlucky really. Ours has had plenty of issues, but luckily the engine seems pretty decent. Theyre well known for being able to do decent miles without too many issues, so id be surprised if yours has ring issues at sub 100k miles, on the other hand, ive been surprised before.... Im comically bad at doing threads on my own stuff, but when i get a sec, ill try and stick a general thread up with all my tat, so you can laugh at the issues ive had with mine, different sorts of problems, but still..... I'd look forward to that! I'm poor at updates on here too. Right now the block is pretty much ready to come out. I just have to sort removing the water pump. Then to figure a way to lift the block off the engine mount and into a car to take to the menders.... I'm not setting any targets but I'd rather like a good amount of use next spring/summer before the MOT inevitably throws up even more things to piss me off! sasquar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuboy Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 dam its in pieces .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted December 16, 2023 Author Share Posted December 16, 2023 18 hours ago, stuboy said: dam its in pieces .. It really is: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted December 16, 2023 Author Share Posted December 16, 2023 Water pump is out so now to get the block into the Golf for a trip to SC Porting for specialist works. And some tidying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Small update on this. Had a moment of "screw it, what's the worst that can happen" and dropped the block off it's final mount on my tod. Felt like HeMan. Then this evening, @grogeeand stepson helped me get it into the Golf. Hoping the engine machine works fella is free to drop to tomorrow. Might have a full confirmation diagnosis/root cause of the poor leak down and how to fix by this time next week 🤞 Mad Cyril, mercedade, scdan4 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Cyril Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 I took mine to a place near Edinburgh to get the bores done. They turned it around in a day. I stuck it in the boot of my 2cv and certainly knew I had some weight on board but did there and back (to Lincolnshire) in a (very long) day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted January 19 Author Share Posted January 19 13 hours ago, Mad Cyril said: I took mine to a place near Edinburgh to get the bores done. They turned it around in a day. I stuck it in the boot of my 2cv and certainly knew I had some weight on board but did there and back (to Lincolnshire) in a (very long) day. Wow that's a trek! Hopefully the Golf will be all good for it and luckily the fella is only 15 minutes or so away. He's said he'll get on it next week around other jobs to get the diagnosis and then we'll decide what we need to do ££££££ ! djim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 Morning all!! So, been a while since an update on the Corrado... A few bits have happened but the pace has been steady... First up, did a bit of TLC on the bits of paint you don't see much of but makes tidy all the same... Inner wing bits that have always been really tatty: Then we have the steering rack saga. I got Coventry Power Steering to make one good one from the two I have after my attempt to fix things caused issues. All finally sorted if more expensive than I'd have liked. All removed: And back in the car all refreshed: I decided to tidy up the rad fan housing as it was a bit worn/surface rusty and I had the time while waiting on engine shenanigans - much better...:And to the engine... Got it back just before I went on my jollies. Heavy old thing!:I fitted a new crank seal with the help of @grogee and his much better stocked tool chests (he had some perfectly sized drifts to get the old one off). And I've fitted that back up nicely and now have put the new sump gasket on and buttoned up the sump (so much easier when engine is in this orientation!!!):I have also had time to set the cams correctly to TDC so that once I set the crank it should go on without too many problems 🤞And that's up to speed! Next step is to get the engine set back onto it's mount and get the head back on and timed... 💪 Coprolalia, CGSB, mercedade and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grogee Posted April 6 Share Posted April 6 3 hours ago, Cluffy said: Morning all!! So, been a while since an update on the Corrado... A few bits have happened but the pace has been steady... First up, did a bit of TLC on the bits of paint you don't see much of but makes tidy all the same... Inner wing bits that have always been really tatty: Then we have the steering rack saga. I got Coventry Power Steering to make one good one from the two I have after my attempt to fix things caused issues. All finally sorted if more expensive than I'd have liked. All removed: And back in the car all refreshed: I decided to tidy up the rad fan housing as it was a bit worn/surface rusty and I had the time while waiting on engine shenanigans - much better...:And to the engine... Got it back just before I went on my jollies. Heavy old thing!:I fitted a new crank seal with the help of @grogee and his much better stocked tool chests (he had some perfectly sized drifts to get the old one off). And I've fitted that back up nicely and now have put the new sump gasket on and buttoned up the sump (so much easier when engine is in this orientation!!!):I have also had time to set the cams correctly to TDC so that once I set the crank it should go on without too many problems 🤞And that's up to speed! Next step is to get the engine set back onto it's mount and get the head back on and timed... 💪 Hurry up! There's pie to be eaten in Melton Mowbray... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted April 6 Author Share Posted April 6 1 hour ago, grogee said: Hurry up! There's pie to be eaten in Melton Mowbray... When are your lifting apparatus (ie your arms!) available to help get it seated..!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cluffy Posted Sunday at 16:30 Author Share Posted Sunday at 16:30 More progress in the last week or so with the help of @grogee (all the thanks, as always...) Last weekend we got the block bolted back roughly in place and sat securely on some stands I then did little but often in the week. Knock sensor reseated and a lot of cleaning of timing parts etc. Then we had time this morning to get it all timed back up. First up lower chain:Bit of a faff with the tensioner after getting the chain loose on the correct side. Then we got the cylinder head back on. Heavy thing but taken care of 💪Finally got the upper chain on: This being the 2.9, it's a double chain on the top (I think that's the differentiator). Which proved quite tricky to get in with the guides and slotting the intermediate cog teeth. But we got there. George held the crank on the bar and I did that up to mega torque. Four rotations and all the marks we had made were still where they should be 😎 I then went round and torqued up the head properly. Next up can be one of many things - upper/lower timing covers, upper inlet manifold, exhaust manifold, you name it... But I have some fairly quiet days with working coming I hope so 🤞for more steps forward this week! Dick Longbridge, grogee, Matty and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grogee Posted Sunday at 17:17 Share Posted Sunday at 17:17 This thing will live again. I feel like the major hurdles have been overcome. Great work by @Cluffy to get many parts sparkling clean while the car is immobile. beko1987, djim, Coprolalia and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grogee Posted Sunday at 17:21 Share Posted Sunday at 17:21 Oh, and it's the least I can do after yesterday's rescue mission! Cluffy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EyesWeldedShut Posted Sunday at 17:30 Share Posted Sunday at 17:30 grogee and Cluffy 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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