Poorly GTi…what’s the diagnosis, Doc?

[NorthernMonkey]

Having a later start today as Claire is off work so I’m sat here with a springer Spaniel at my feet that’s farting like a trooper following the lump of dead animal she gave him to chew last night.

Anyway, we digress…the timing tool turned up yesterday afternoon so I’m going to wander down to the unit in a bit and see if I can get any sign of compression out of this thing.

[busmansholiday]

And ???

[comfortablynumb]

He's having a late start

Like tomorrow 🤣🤣🤣

[NorthernMonkey]

46 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

And ???

Ah, yes…I’m afraid I got sidetracked into going up into Skipton as its market day and she fancied a bit of lunch after shopping and, well tbh, it’s getting too close to pub time to start getting my hands dirty.

Tomorrow, I promise… 🤨😳

[NorthernMonkey]

In other news, I’m not sure what was the origins of that bloody chew last night but the dog is still passing wind like you wouldn’t believe.

[busmansholiday]

24 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

In other news, I’m not sure what was the origins of that bloody chew last night but the dog is still passing wind like you wouldn’t believe.

Let us know, I'll get some for our dog then let it sit next to my Mrs when I'm working on some tat outside so she cannot blame me.

[NorthernMonkey]

15 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

Let us know, I'll get some for our dog then let it sit next to my Mrs when I'm working on some tat outside so she cannot blame me.

Apparently, it was originally a Camel 🐪 

Bloody foreigners, coming in here for our dogs to chew.

What’s up with good old fashioned English beef, that’s what I want to know.

TL:DR feed your dog pieces of dried camel skin and it’ll make them fart with such ferocity that your eyes will bleed.

[NorthernMonkey]

Aforementioned culprit…

[Matty]

26 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Aforementioned culprit…

In a firing stance 🤣

[jim89]

24 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Aforementioned culprit…

 

[MrGTI6]

2 hours ago, NorthernMonkey said:

In other news, I’m not sure what was the origins of that bloody chew last night but the dog is still passing wind like you wouldn’t believe.

Why must every VW-related thread end up being about the emissions scandal?

[Dave_Q]

Best not be having another day off, your audience demands progress 

[NorthernMonkey]

53 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

Best not be having another day off, your audience demands progress 

Ok, ok, keep your hair on!!

Timed it up as best I can bearing in mind the dowel has sheared off the VVT unit and turned it over by hand a couple of times to find no resistance so out came the compression tester again.

The scores are 175psi give or take on all four cylinders so I think it’s pretty safe to say major disaster has somehow been averted!

However, it’s probably my imagination but two and three took fractionally longer to get up to max compression than the other two which is just concerning me slightly that those valves may have just kissed the pistons slightly?

My options are a pair of cams and a new VVT for around £150 or take advantage of a chunky eBay discount code currently available until Monday that nets a complete head for £300.

My thought process is that if I buy the cams and rebuild everything, it probably will be ok however, for an extra £150, I can get the head, swap the cams etc into mine thus avoiding new head set, bolts etc and should an issue arise, I’ve got a head sat there waiting.

Doing it that way means that thanks to @Dave_Q supplying a new fuel pump and cover, then allowing for a couple of oil changes and a new timing chain kit whilst it’s all apart, it’s still going to have come in under £500 to repair and I’ll hopefully have a spare cylinder head to boot so that’s the way I’m going to go. The new head is ordered and should be with me midweek so with a bit of luck, we may be on the road by next weekend 🤞

With that in mind, I’m calling it a day for the weekend and I think I’ll head over to Southport for the bus preservation running day tomorrow to relive my youth and have a ride on some Nationals!

[SiC]

I did notice that I had one of those things where an offer comes in after viewing it. 

 

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, NorthernMonkey said:

🤣to relive my youth and have a ride on some Nationals!

🤣🤣

[Dave_Q]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

I did notice that I had one of those things where an offer comes in after viewing it. 

 

They've still got the 20% off code to get it for £295, it's not clear whether you can still use the code with the offer they've sent me.

If you can't use both just buying it with the discount code is cheaper.

[busmansholiday]

2 hours ago, NorthernMonkey said:

With that in mind, I’m calling it a day for the weekend and I think I’ll head over to Southport for the bus preservation running day tomorrow to relive my youth and have a ride on some Nationals!

You sad bar steward, Leyland Nationals are the devils work, hateful piles of shite and I've driven a few. Obviously @Inspector Morose will be along shortly in your defence...

 

 

 

They are still hateful piles of shite...

[EyesWeldedShut]

2 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

They've still got the 20% off code to get it for £295, it's not clear whether you can still use the code with the offer they've sent me.

If you can't use both just buying it with the discount code is cheaper.

The coupon codes are (often) an eBay offer independent of the sellers. When you pay the price minus the code percentage they then make it up to the original.
When you get the seller offer go to review offer and then paste the code into the basket - don't just 'buy now' as it may skip the coupon stage  and go direct to payment  - having said that I always do it on the laptop as the eBay phone app and I don't get on as my phone app seems to just pay for buy it now items without a review.

I just bought from the same seller you have there - item shows as £59.50 - that was their offer price to me on something like £72 item (sometimes they come if you 'watch' an item but I usually see if I can prompt them by adding to the basket then waiting awhiles. (Car_parts_4_you seem to like running the offer algorithm even if their original price is low in any case)

[Inspector Morose]

29 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

You sad bar steward, Leyland Nationals are the devils work, hateful piles of shite and I've driven a few. Obviously @Inspector Morose will be along shortly in your defence...

 

 

 

They are still hateful piles of shite...

No accounting for poor taste.

Hmm, Southport and Nationals... I wonder if that'll be John Cherry's group? Rumour has it, he has FRM499K stashed away somewhere, the last surviving pre-production National and the oldest one in existence.

[Dave_Q]

51 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

The coupon codes are (often) an eBay offer independent of the sellers. When you pay the price minus the code percentage they then make it up to the original.
When you get the seller offer go to review offer and then paste the code into the basket - don't just 'buy now' as it may skip the coupon stage  and go direct to payment  - having said that I always do it on the laptop as the eBay phone app and I don't get on as my phone app seems to just pay for buy it now items without a review.

I just bought from the same seller you have there - item shows as £59.50 - that was their offer price to me on something like £72 item (sometimes they come if you 'watch' an item but I usually see if I can prompt them by adding to the basket then waiting awhiles. (Car_parts_4_you seem to like running the offer algorithm even if their original price is low in any case)

Great news for Mr Monkey as he should get the head for about £250 if you can use the code on the offer price.

[EyesWeldedShut]

47 minutes ago, Dave_Q said:

Great news for Mr Monkey as he should get the head for about £250 if you can use the code on the offer price.

Aye, but after he's paid eBay will pop up some more items "Other people also bought..." and there'll be another - just cheaper  

[NorthernMonkey]

1 hour ago, Inspector Morose said:

No accounting for poor taste.

Hmm, Southport and Nationals... I wonder if that'll be John Cherry's group? Rumour has it, he has FRM499K stashed away somewhere, the last surviving pre-production National and the oldest one in existence.

It is…he’s running OHF858S tomorrow 

[NorthernMonkey]

Currently sat on the aforementioned National having sneaked on further up the road before pulling down to the main pick up point

[SiC]

On 24/03/2025 at 14:40, SiC said:

I really wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a good few cars that have been through the trade and failed, to have a new pump and follower chucked at it...

 

[NorthernMonkey]

Right. I had a package arrive yesterday…let’s get on with this.

One Leon BWA head that looks in remarkably good condition…all the part numbers match up perfectly so I’m assuming it’s the same as the Golf one.

[NorthernMonkey]

That certainly looks a lot healthier!

[NorthernMonkey]

We have a delivery from the factors so there’s no stopping us now!!

[NorthernMonkey]

And the new exhaust cam is in, along with the replacement VVT pulley on the inlet cam and all timed up and turning nicely with a new chain and tensioner.

 

I’ve left the old inlet cam in place as the bearing journals were spotless, especially bearing in mind the amount of metal content that’s been through the oil, whereas the one from the new head had a couple of marks on one of the bearing faces.

It also meant that I could leave the timing belt in situ as it’s in like new condition…assuming everything else goes ok and the engine is healthy, I’ll put a new belt on in due course but there’s nothing wrong with the old one and there’s still a chance the heads may have to be swapped yet.

Speaking of heads…

we have a spare on the bench to cater for all eventualities.

Next is a cup of tea, then refit the cam chain and rocker covers along with the fuel pump and then another compression test.

 

[hairnet]

boss is stamping foot and looking at watch??

[RoverFolkUs]

What's happened here? Looks a bit unhappy from a quick glance!