VW Golf GTI MK2 4 door 8 V

[jade]

Hi, I have just got my self a MK2 GTI 8v reg 92 125km 1 owner,old guy it's a bit tatty on the outside but should clean up like new !

Interior like new, mechanics ok, but needs a complete service

I would appreciate advice on where to get parts and maybe the odd mod to make it go better !

and any owner advise

Cheers

[Sleeper_Avant]

check the breather hoses first, sure to have loads of cracks/splits.

[Monkeymagic]

AS its a digi make sure it is set up correctly by someone that understands the digi 11 system. Put a new blue temp sender on it. Stick a 16 valve downpipe on it with a miltek exhaust and put a 2 litre (2E) bottom end on it with a lightly worked head. Youll get 130 bhp in a lightweight chassis more than enough fun.

Chassis wise i prefer eibach springs with quality gas shocks over coil overs as everyone lowers the car too much.
The 8 v brakes are adequate but fairly wooden, depending on budget you can fit uprated front discs and pads and a 22mm master cylinder from a 16v to give a bit of extra bite.

[SE_30]

Also remove the sump and check the oil pick up pipe and strainer.
One of the "must do jobs" on a mk 2.

Koni shocks and springs, G60 calipers with black diamond 280mm front discs and good pads.

[jade]

All good advice, please keep it coming

[K Simmonds]

I love MK 2's, my first one was a Digifant 8V. As above, first check out the breather system and getting it running properly, you shouldn't find the performance disappointing at all. OK, it's no S2 but a Digi 8V should feel nice and responsive due in no small part to the gearing which gives the illusion of them having more torque than the 16V, which they don't. If you can be bothered the 2E bottom end conversion along with mild head work is probably the best route to more power.

Eibach springs combined with Bilstein B4 gas dampers do a great job of sorting out the ride height/handling and aren't too expensive. I have them on my 16V along with poly wishbone bushes and I'm really pleased with the set up, drives much better than any of the cars I've tried with coil-overs which all tend to make the car sit far too low and ride too harsh.

One thing you definitely want to keep on top of is rust, it's killing MK2's over here a quite a rate, mine won't be going on the road again till spring due to a couple of nasty patches. It's probably not such a concern in Spain but if I were you I'd have a good look at whats going on behind those sill and wheel arch covers and take action now if required.

Brakes wise, the rear calipers are rubbish and frequently seize which seems to be a common design feature of VAG cars of this era, if your ever going to leave it standing for a while leave the hand brake off. If you want to fit bigger discs/calipers to the front you'll need either 16V or early Corrado front hubs, a good set up is Corrado G60 front discs and twin piston Girling 60 calipers.

[jade]

Yep Water and vac hose are toast, I will remove the sump and check oil pump pick up, Also have a couple of noisy lifters thinking of removing the head and giving that a birthday

I could do with a little more info on the digfant system

Power I will look at latter

The Eibach springs combined with Bilstein B4 sound the way to go

Brakes, I will look for a set g60 and hubs

Rust do not need to worry about that only one spot found bottom corner of wind screen

The object is to just make a good smart original GTI maybe a few mods later brakes and suspension, the Idea is to save money with this car rather than start another project A good daily runner

Just finished restoring a 1963 vespa sportique, and that ended up with a sport suspention and a mosslini 225 engine

[Monkeymagic]

Ill do a set up write up later. Plenty of info on club gti too

[jade]

Ill do a set up write up later. Plenty of info on club gti too

OK will have a look, but any help coming up to speed appreciated as I do not have to much time to research any doc's or anything else pm for email

Thanks

[Monkeymagic]

First job, loosen the 13mm bolt clamping the dizzy, make sure the dizzy will move freely. ( MArk it first so you have a reference or use static timing check first)

You need to check that the static timing marks line up. There is a mark on the crank vibration damper but the accurate one is the flywheel one. Line this up with the pointer on the gearbox housing. Check that the o/t mark on the cam pulley lines up with the pointer on the plastic half moon shaped plate on the cam cover.

If these line up ensure that the centre of the rotor arm lines up with the punch mark on the dizzy body. ( you will need the cap and dust cover off).

Right if these three line up you need to put some white paint on the diamond shaped pointer on the flywheel.its 6 degrees before the TDC punch mark. ( you should have removed the cap and green collar from the view hole in the box, I would be surprised if its still there anyway)

Start that car and run it up to temp. leave it running and unplug the blue temp sender wiring, rev the engine over 3k 3 times to erase the memory.

Then hold the revs at between 2k and 2.5k ( i use feeler gauges on the throttle link).
Then put your strobe light on plug lead number 1 and shine it into the flywheel view hole. The white paint on the diamond shaped pointer ( 6 degrees BTDC) should line up with the pointer on the box casing.

If it does not you need to loosen the dizzy clamp and turn the dizzy either way until the pointer and white mark align, then re clamp.

Once done re plug the blue temp sender and rev over 3 k 3 times....

That should be your ignition timing set up.

Once that is done you need to remove the blue plug from the MAF housing ( again if its still there Ill be surprised) Put a gas tester in the exhaust and make sure all electric consumers are off. With the engine at temp you should have it at 2.5 Co.

If not turn the 5 mm allen key head on the maf clockwise to richen and anti to lean out. Sometimes the head of the adjuster will be eroded away, hopefully you wont have that problem. Tiny adjustments will make a big difference.

My experience shows that generally Co is fine but ignition timing will be wrong. They usually get set up to TDC with out carrying out the stages above. Good luck Steven.

[Nuvo]

@MonkeyMagic Can I ask that you post your write up in this thread as I'm sure a lot of other members (myself included naturally) would be interested in reading it.

edit: ignore me, I see you've fulfilled my request.

[Monkeymagic]

No problem. I owned one of these cars for 13 years and did a lot to it, great cars. As stated no S2 but very good fun. Unfortunatly I had to sell one or the other and the S2 won out...
Any further help just shout.

[Monkeymagic]

Also if you drop the sump to check the pick-up I would fit a windage tray from a mk3 tdi. Its about 30 quid and also forms the rubber sump gasket that you will need to replace anyway. It helps to stop the webbing creating turbulance and air bubbles in the sump oil.

If you go for a 2 litre bottom end ( tall block) it really helps smoothen out the engine at idle as it has a longer stroke, oil squirters and the oil pump shifts a larger volume of oil to supply the oil squirters. You an use the PB dizzy but will need to blank the opening for the block breather that isnt required.

After i did my 2 litre conversion I went out for the test drive and remember grinning like a cheshire cat at how much more torque It seemed to have.

Just one last important thing, check that the isv is buzzing with the ignition on. I have seen many where the wiring is screwed and the isv isnt working at all. Its usually down to the switch on the throttle body not being activated. You should hear a positive click when you close the throttle body manually.

I think I want another mk2 now.!!!!

[jade]

I think I want another mk2 now.!!!![/QUOTE]

I loved that oak green one you had if it was left hand drive I would of had it