Bianca Ratlye

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Bianca Ratlye
If you was closer id offer to come and lend a hand. Doing a gasket on your own isn't fun or funny!
Team Eaton


1999 China Blue 306 GTi6 - Eaton Supercharged - 214.5bhp 181lbft
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It may come to asking for help tbh. i'm handy enough with the spanners, and have all of the tools to take it off (though lack a valve spring compressor), but isn't a job I relish the prospect of and lost a lot of my confidence after this whole facade. There's a good machinist behind work who's done two heads for a mate so far if it's not flat.

I had only done a few cambelts before with no issue, and found this one particularly fiddly - always seemed to end up with one peg at the end of a slot for some reason. Might make some locking pins this time for the cams. I know how to free the pegs from the pullies, how to bring the cams back in line if they jump, remember the need for 5-7mm vertical play at the top pullies, and remember the tensioner on the 136 belt was the width of my little finger on top of the water pump, but it never seemed to just go on the pullies nicely. As such i'm loathe to pull it apart again.

I'm sort of at the end of my tether with it really. Still, I don't rely on it as a daily driver and will have a garage again to do it in soon.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Dont loose faith in it mate. Believe me I've been like that with mine a few times now though out my build and considered just scrapping the bastard but once its all complete, its well worth the hassle and stress to know you have done that work your self.
Team Eaton


1999 China Blue 306 GTi6 - Eaton Supercharged - 214.5bhp 181lbft
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Just been looking at your engine build pics Niall.

I see you put the head on with the cams out on your to be safe, i'd likely replicate that.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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(25-05-2014, 07:55 PM)C2K Wrote: Just been looking at your engine build pics Niall.

I see you put the head on with the cams out on your to be safe, i'd likely replicate that.

Its the best way especially when your attempting to lift the head on on your own in the bay. They aren't the lightest things so lifting them forwards and holding it still enough to not hit the open valves on the bores is a pain.
Team Eaton


1999 China Blue 306 GTi6 - Eaton Supercharged - 214.5bhp 181lbft
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So, it's still running albeit still pressurising the coolant badly. Have moved house, had the family over from SA and also had to go away twice with work so time has passed by! About 6 tip runs of crap later and I can find some room in my sheds/garage now. I've sorted my garage out now (had been converted to an office) and have the Rallye all tucked up out of the elements. Spare cylinder head on the bench to dismantle first as a dry run, then onto the engine.

Time is a massive premium these days! Not looking forward to farting around with the cambelt again but hey ho - needs must!

Finding the love for it again, just need to find someone to give us a hand.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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I live in Warwickshire now, haven't done a HG before but reasonably alright with the spanners and I have two hands! About to start a new job so time is also somewhat restricted but on free weekends I'd be happy to help.
This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted above as fact.

62k Diablo Phase 1 Gti-6:
Project Thread
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Give me a shout if you do want a hand with owt, I can make my own way with spanners. Not too far for me to head up your way - I know the feeling with regards to time!!
(16-05-2016, 10:45 AM)Toms306 Wrote: Oh I don't care about the stripped threads lol, that's easily solved by hammering the bolt in. Wink
Nanstone GTD5 GT17S - XUD9TE
Volvo V50 D5 R-Design SE Sport - Daily cruise wagon.
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*dusts off the cobwebs*

So, what a few months it has been.Spent a lot of time sorting things out after moving house, had a very busy few months at work, had wedding stuff to plan etc...

Anyway, headgasket was confirmed as having gone by noticing a constant pressure in the cooling system for a period of days, and the fact that bubbles were ever present in the header tank during running. Fail, coolant pipe gets the last laugh.

So, I ummed and ahhed about whether I had the time and patience to whip the head off, given that the many issues with the car had begun to make me lose the love somewhat. Thought about buying an evo for a bit, but then subsequently decided to diy for the first time. I took the head off and took it to the engine builders behind work, who confirmed a 4 thou skim was necessary to clean up the head. They skimmed the head, cut all 16 valve seats, cut all the valves and pressure tested the head for an (accidental) price of £100. Nice.

Then I went on holiday to Brazil, met Jesus on a hilltop.

Then I did jack sh!t for a month, took the mrs home to Cape Town for xmas with the inlaws.

Then arrived 2015 so I got off my arse in January and started the rebuild. I'd never rebuilt a head before so did it slowly in the evenings after work. It was quite easy and just required being methodical tbh. Tonight, finally finished putting it all back together, and started it up for the first time. It's good to hear it after a few months in pieces on axle stands. It's not quite finished yet as the setup needs some fine tuning, but it's on the way - gives me some motivation anyway. Smile
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Well done for keeping the love

Hopefully be ready to hit the track in the summer now.
[Image: Cn91r40h.jpg] 
Astor 6 Fast road/track project
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best and worst update ever lol

I like pictures Sad but glad to hear its all sorted and i bet it feels good knowing you have done it yourself Smile
[Image: 17b33c2a-8471-4313-992e-0a4b324cf926_zps2e63812a.jpg]
Team Cyril
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I have some pictures, just not the willpower last night to update the thread properly lol. Everyone's seen a head in bits before. :p
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Head during stripdown, took the cams out for the safe approach:
[Image: IMAG2717.jpg?raw=1]

De-valved, such as to drop the head off at the machine shop for a skim:
[Image: IMAG2718.jpg?raw=1]

Purchased some Victor Reinz loveliness:
[Image: IMAG2800.jpg?raw=1]

Head post-skim and parts wash/pressure test
[Image: IMAG2802.jpg?raw=1]

Valves cleaned and re-cut
[Image: IMAG2807.jpg?raw=1]

Stem seal replacement and re-valving
[Image: IMAG2809.jpg?raw=1]

Valves all refitted to the head
[Image: IMAG3081.jpg?raw=1]

Head refitted to the car, sans cams Smile
[Image: IMAG3242.jpg?raw=1]

Tappets back in:
[Image: IMAG3281.jpg?raw=1]

I don't seem to have a photo of the cams in, but then managed to damage one of the cam seals as i fitted it so bunged a replacement in. New timing belt and water pump (again) and off we go. Smile

Learning as i go so no world records but its been quite satisfying.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Awesome head shineyness
Wishes for more power...
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Now thats abit more like it! Tongue
[Image: 17b33c2a-8471-4313-992e-0a4b324cf926_zps2e63812a.jpg]
Team Cyril
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So, it seems that time had passed by me a little. Getting ready for a wedding will do that to you, as will important project work!


Anyway, in she went for her MOT last week on Friday and.....
[Image: IMAG3540.jpg?raw=1]


FAIL.

I had noticed during my pre-mot checks that some underseal was hanging off on the drivers side chassis rail. Closer inspection revealed that some f**kwit had jacked it up there in the past at the front, causing the material to deform and form a water trap. Not cool. Result was a small hole 5mm x 20mm. Knowing about this, I figured it was worth lobbing it in for the MOT to see what else was wrong, declaring the hole. Answer was nothing much, except the hole. Smile

[Image: ohnoeshole.jpeg?raw=1]

There is deox gel on there which is why it looks odd, as i was treating the bulk of the rust. Most of the second skin had to come off as it didn't look too good.

So home she came, or rather to a friends house. Since I work for an engineering company, I obviously know some people who can weld. Smile His next door neighbour rather handily has a pit, so we borrowed that to clean the area up and weld in a patch.

[Image: IMAG3541.jpg?raw=1]

Work in progress.

[Image: IMAG3542.jpg?raw=1]

Self Portrait:

[Image: IMAG3543.jpg?raw=1]

Can't find a finished picture of it, i'll tag one in later.

[missingpic]

Anyway, went back in for retest today and passed with no issues. So, thought it rude not to celebrate by adding some fuel in it and caning it home. Big Grin

Then of course, even more rude not to start adding the goodies that are hoarded in my garage to the car, such as these...

[Image: IMAG3546.jpg?raw=1]
During fitting, to ensure wheel clearance was ok. Theses are 335mm 2 piece Compbrake (iirc) discs with Renaultsport Brembos and custom brackets, complete with new brake lines to suit the banjo fitting. Just running standard Renault Pads for now.

Only issue was the drivers side union seemed to need to go super mega tight to stop weeping, but seems all good now.

The finished article..
[Image: IMAG3547.jpg?raw=1]

Noticed a few issues, such as i need to swap out a leaky passenger driveshaft seal and do an oil change, just need the time. The brakes need another bleed to be tip top and obviously need some time to bed in. They've been in my shed for a long time so were very rusty. Tongue
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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I have so much love for this car! Big Grin cracking work and so glad to see its returned to the road for another 12 months!

Paintwork is still looking crisp after your detailing splurge, you coming to pugfest? (please say yes!) Big Grin
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Team Cyril
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Thanks, that's a good point. Paintwork is in pretty good shape tbh after giving it the full works. It was like a chalkboard beforehand, but not it's got a lovely finish to it. New stickers do well to set it off too. Big Grin

The time off the road wasn't what I had intended, in fact the head went together a few months ago. I've got a hell of a lot on at home at the moment and got to the point of "f*ck it, it can fail it's mot but at least i have a work-to list then". Thankfully, only one thing I already knew of.

Need to fit my beam/mounts/arb soon but i'm enjoying it being in one piece atm. Got to fix that leaky shaft seal (drivers actually, not passengers as above) before i do too many miles - got the LSD to think of.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Rallye friend. Looks amazing. All I keep seeing is pictures of rust on rallyes! Hopefully mine isnt too bad!
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I didn't realise that you had a Rallye? Not seen a project thread for it. Smile

This rust was, sadly, the end result of some fuckwit jacking it up in the wrong place it seems. The other side is fine, and it was just this small patch.

It feels good to be able to fit some of the hoarded parts I tell you, garage/shed1/shed2 are rammed with crap!
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Can tell the difference in paint just between those pictures and the one in your sig Smile paintwork well and truly restored!

I had the exact same 'put it in for an mot in the state its in' moment with my rallye last week, knew it would fail on beam and rust which low and behold is precisely what it failed on! she will be back out soon though Smile
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Team Cyril
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Ah makes me wish I'd kept mine Sad

Great work,when you getting back on track ??
[Image: Cn91r40h.jpg] 
Astor 6 Fast road/track project
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I'm not  planning on going to fcs,  no. Free time is a bit of a  premium.  Wedding is just over 2 months away! My wife to be is South African so we're getting married there.  I hadn't even met her when I got the rallye lol.

The track will have to wait  a little while.  I'm trying to get stuff onto the car, so I can sell the stuff I don't need and free up some space!

Paint is way better than the sig pic,  but then it could hardly be worse! 
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Fcs was last week mate Wink If it made an appearance at pugfest on the 12th july it would be amazing to see / inspect it in the flesh Big Grin
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Team Cyril
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I won't be going, time is a bit of a premium as i say. An impending wedding, demanding job and a uni project put pay to that at the moment. Hopefully by Autumn, 2 out of 3 of the above are gone. Smile
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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These wheels are fantastic !!!
Unfortunately here in Brazil is almost impossible to have access to as OZ Racing wheels, Speedlines or Compomotive ...
So via imports, and the prices are absurd for us !!!

Congratulations on the car !!
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Not a very sexy update, but fitted my Rallye blanks at long last.

[Image: blanks.jpg]

Have been driving it a few times to ensure all is well, hooned it plenty of times around Rugby and it seems to hold up well. I have had a few odd issues, such as the screenwash line to the rear deciding to fall off the pump and dump all my screenwash on the floor on the drive - I had a heart in mouth moment thinking it might be coolant, since it dripped from the same place off the arch liner, but alas all is well. I also have had issue with a seemingly faulty rad cap. In the warmer days earlier this week, I came home to drops of coolant on the drive below the overflow pipe. Most peculiar, since the car hadn't moved for 3 days. Swapped it out for a spare one I had in the garage I kept from my old rad and all seems ok there - one to keep an eye on.

Gave the brakes a follow up bleed and as expected got a few air bubbles out of 3 of the front nipples so that's good, brake pedal is noticeably sharper now. The discs seem to have a slight wobble which isn't surprising given how much surface rust had accumulated! It also still seems to run very cool, which is odd. The temperature gauge is either lying, or the thermostat is stuck open I would say, as never gets much over 75 even when you've just caned it. Don't ever remember being in a GTi6 that ran cool!

Have been busy collecting parts as it needs a full service. Oil/filter/coolant/driveshaft seal/gearbox oil. Think I have everything, just need an evening on it now. I have been trying to service my beam in the garage, but seems you can't get the beat mount bolts out with trailing arms that are lowered. I hadn't foreseen that. Have pinched a slide hammer from work but can see the trailing arm is going to try and come out - clearly whichever reputable dealer lowered the bars didn't see fit to grease them. They've bbeen soaking in plus gas for over a week too.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
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Well then, set about doing the driveshaft seal that was leaking last friday such that I could drive it, and so that it stopped leaking oil on the driveway!

Got the seal out no bother (had to be the long shaft didn't it). and then couldn't get the roller wishbone to go back in the hole it came out of. Cue much swearing! Anyway, I set about trying to find the clonk that's been plaguing it since returning to the road. Everything seemed tight, i'd fitted new strut top bearings recently, and yet the clonk persisted. Checked the balljoints, droplinks, wishbones etc and found no play. I did notice that the rack bolts could be turned with a medium amount of effort, so bollocked the pair of them up tight. Hopefully that shuts that up but i'm yet to try it out.

Anyway. New driveshaft seal and gearbox oil done and onto the engine oil. Time for a new filter and some Fuchs Titan. Life started poorly when the sandwich plate for the oil cooler rotated instead of the oil filter.... ended up removing the radiator to get my mitts on it, and the front end to tip the oil cooler up and do the change properly. With that done and rebuilt, onto the coolant and thermostat.

That didn't go well either when I hamfistedly managed to snap the plastic elbow, having only just fitted my spare when i rebuilt the head. Censored Off to Peugeot for a new one, thankfully only £14, and convenient that Peugeot is about 100 metres from work. New coolant and a new thermostat and good to go. As a courtesy, a new supercharger belt went on and new BKR8EIX sparks, recommended for the low boosts on track. Big Grin

All back in one piece, just needs a courtesy bleed of the cooling system and she's ready to roll again after a week on stands.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
[Image: wallye-gtd.JPG?raw=1]
HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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Rust where you found yours seems to be pretty common. Mines had a patch on one leg in the same place. My theory is it gets in somewhere further up (as often the upper subframe mounts are full of water) and then runs down. Chances are any drain holes are blocked up so it just sits there....unseen

Havent seen you around Rugby. I'm only in Lutterworth
Cherry Red Rallye - Full on OEM resto.....
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It has only just made a return to the road. It took me about 6 months to do the head one way and another! I need to come and have a butchers at yours.
Night Blue VW Golf 7 GTD : Bianca 306 Rallye : Mini Cooper D (The Mrs')
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HDi Owner for 200k/9 years
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