Golfing with Ghosty: IT NEVER ENDS

[Ghosty]

14 hours ago, yes oui si said:

New tattoo pics? 

lol, I'll try and find one from the day, it's started to get to that weird bit of the healing process.

No pics today as nothing much to show, but the Civic runs. It's nowhere near finalised, but it runs.

[Ghosty]

On 21/06/2024 at 07:53, yes oui si said:

New tattoo pics? 

Not bad for a first one eh?

[Ghosty]

Been a bit quiet, had a bit of a mental health blip and a bout of cluster headaches. Progress has been slow and not really anything I can illustrate in photos.

15/16" master cylinder on the Civic is taking ages to bleed. Upgraded brakes are inbound. Been fighting with the fuel pump and timing. Almost there, just need to relocate a temp sender.

Golf - 421 header was a poorly fitting POS, needed a load of grinding to fit under the inlet, and still doesn't sit properly.



Trying again with an 8v GTI header, and a Jetex exhaust is on the way to add some much needed silencers.

[Ghosty]

Asbo pipe off.



That's better.

[Ghosty]

Exhaust fitted, Golf is alive and running as well as it ever did (lol). It sounds pretty good, very chattery and rorty, but not obnoxious.

Still no heater, going to remove the recall spec bypass valves from it and see what happens. You supposedly don't need them with the revised matrix.

[Ghosty]

Pipes are on the piss, I know. I'll sort that soon.

[Ghosty]

Civic now has Integra Type R calipers up front - with 262mm discs from an EK Civic and a larger bore master cylinder to match (13/16" > 15/16") it's a bolt on upgrade. Just need some spacers for the discs to centre them, which are on order.

[Ghosty]

Took the Golf out, it's had new brake caliper sliders now too.

Also, there's an Alpine head unit in there now - and it turns on and off with the key

Golf has a slightly dragging brake, a couple of random clunks under braking, and a blow on the exhaust manifold.

Not bad, all told.

[Ghosty]

Took the heater bypass valves out. After adding some more coolant, and bleeding the system, I've got the hottest heater I've had in any car, ever.

 

[Ghosty]

Dad's had an email.

'[colleague] and her partner want to part with their Civic, I have no doubt it'll be in good condition. Would this be something you're interested in?'
 

Place bets now...

[Christine]

Good good !  What version ?   Have you got this model  1. 43rd ?  

 

[Ghosty]

5 minutes ago, Christine said:

Good good !  What version ?   Have you got this model  1. 43rd ?  

 

Is that a 'customisable' model? I used to have one like that but I don't have one any more.


Another email has come through, and it's a 2003 (?) 'Inspire' 1.6 in silver apparently.

Pretty sure that's a 5dr blob. It'd only be use to me as a commuter, and there's no money at all in them. Probably a non starter.

[Christine]

Yes , X concepts..  

[yes oui si]

6 hours ago, Ghosty said:

Another email has come through, and it's a 2003 (?) 'Inspire' 1.6 in silver apparently.

Pretty sure that's a 5dr blob. It'd only be use to me as a commuter, and there's no money at all in them. Probably a non starter.

Aye, probably looks like this:

I think they're all silver 😂

Decent enough wee things. Respond well to the usual treatment... 

[Christine]

I think i've done the opposite ... but not cut a deal or seen it yet  ...3 months mot  left anyway ,  but it's sat unused ,  for 6 months or more as she was given a newer car  .. 53 plate VW Polo ,  £250  , i can have it  for ,  same as  remove my car   offer  !   Probably a cheeze 1.4 ...L  but it might be a GTi   eh ?  Looking tomorrow 

 

[Christine]

And ...its a 1.2E      109k  ,  oh well      0 -60  17.5 neck snappin' seconds 

[Matty]

On 06/07/2024 at 17:14, Ghosty said:

Pipes are on the piss, I know. I'll sort that soon.

I said that too on mine. Never bothered 😁

[Christine]

Polo purchased ... 250   wanna see it ?  minging .. 

 

 

 

[Christine]

Under the algea and moss , there's a reasonable car i think

[Ghosty]

Golf randomly cut out last night coming off the M60, and wouldn’t start again. Very weak cranking too. 

Immediate thought from me is sudden loss of compression. 

Wondered if it was fuel, there was a BP across the road so I went over with a jerry can. 
Nothing. 
 

Called the AA, and after an hour and a half a contractor comes out. 
 He briefly says ‘it’s like it’s got no compression’, and looks around to see if anything else is amiss. He’s stumped, so flatbeds it the 3 miles home. 
 

Had another look at it this morning, found a split coolant hose going to the inlet manifold. Replace that, take a plug out to check for spark. 

 

Water comes out of the spark plug bore. 
 

…

 

compression test?

 

50/0/75/130. 
 

 

FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

 

[IronStar]

46 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

Golf randomly cut out last night coming off the M60, and wouldn’t start again. Very weak cranking too. 

Immediate thought from me is sudden loss of compression. 

Wondered if it was fuel, there was a BP across the road so I went over with a jerry can. 
Nothing. 
 

Called the AA, and after an hour and a half a contractor comes out. 
 He briefly says ‘it’s like it’s got no compression’, and looks around to see if anything else is amiss. He’s stumped, so flatbeds it the 3 miles home. 
 

Had another look at it this morning, found a split coolant hose going to the inlet manifold. Replace that, take a plug out to check for spark. 

 

Water comes out of the spark plug bore. 
 

…

 

compression test?

 

50/0/75/130. 
 

 

FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

 

That’s some rotten luck with cars lately.  

[EightMegs]

If you're lucky, it might just be the head. I've had it before on a generator engine where the compression went to zero on a cylinder because it warped to such an extent that the exhaust valve couldn't seat itself.

[Low ontime]

6 hours ago, Ghosty said:

Golf randomly cut out last night coming off the M60, and wouldn’t start again. Very weak cranking too. 

Immediate thought from me is sudden loss of compression. 

Wondered if it was fuel, there was a BP across the road so I went over with a jerry can. 
Nothing. 
 

Called the AA, and after an hour and a half a contractor comes out. 
 He briefly says ‘it’s like it’s got no compression’, and looks around to see if anything else is amiss. He’s stumped, so flatbeds it the 3 miles home. 
 

Had another look at it this morning, found a split coolant hose going to the inlet manifold. Replace that, take a plug out to check for spark. 

 

Water comes out of the spark plug bore. 
 

…

 

compression test?

 

50/0/75/130. 
 

 

FOR FUCK’S SAKE.

 

Not good news….

better this time of year to sort than a wet October on a driveway

[Ghosty]

4 minutes ago, Low ontime said:

better this time of year to sort than a wet October on a driveway

I'd rather be out driving it!

Very true, though. I'm fearful that it's dropped a liner, as someone has pointed out to me that the behaviour it's exhibiting would suggest that.

I know someone that will buy it off me, but I'm not sure how much for, or if that's the right idea. There are a few options, but before any of that I need to take the head off.

[MantaGTE85]

On 06/07/2024 at 17:14, Ghosty said:

Pipes are on the piss, I know. I'll sort that soon.

I like that Golf, what a shine! There's a 185000-mile but equally immaculate silver Sierra Estate driving around Exeter that just happens to have a close reg number, H884WTU.

[twosmoke300]

1 hour ago, Ghosty said:

I'd rather be out driving it!

Very true, though. I'm fearful that it's dropped a liner, as someone has pointed out to me that the behaviour it's exhibiting would suggest that.

I know someone that will buy it off me, but I'm not sure how much for, or if that's the right idea. There are a few options, but before any of that I need to take the head off.

1.8 8v ? Don’t think they had wet liners did they ? Thought they were closed deck directly bored blocks but stand to be corrected 

[Ghosty]

2 hours ago, twosmoke300 said:

1.8 8v ? Don’t think they had wet liners did they ? Thought they were closed deck directly bored blocks but stand to be corrected 

1.6 EZ, but yes an EA827. A couple of people have pointed out now that it's closed deck.

More investigation (and possibly a new head) required.

[bunglebus]

On 03/06/2024 at 12:38, Ghosty said:

My mate was browsing Gumtree and found a Beetle for £1500, in Chelmsford

You rotten swine, stolen from right under my nose!

Must start checking Gumtree...

[Dave_Q]

Problem solved: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1979243802496105

[Ghosty]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Head off. The engine is in remarkably clean condition!

The head has been previously skimmed, but I was already heavily suspicious of this - the media blasting, replacement radiator and expansion tank told a story. Couldn't tell you why the thermostat wasn't ever changed since new, though - as established earlier, it was stuck open until I fitted a new one recently.

There's warpage across the centre, to the tune of 0.0015". Will this take a second skim, or should I just look for a new head? Block is fine.

It's getting fixed one way or another.