1986 VW Golf is now in my possession.

[Christ]

Told they were a bit worn out...

[Christ]

The oil leak at the head gasket (and every where else) seems to have been caused by a broken nipple on the vacuum pump, allowing the pump to suck much more air than usual and pressurize the crank case, forcing oil out the seals, gaskets, etc. I screwed a screw into the broken nipple to seal it, so we'll see if that works to stop the oil seepage.

[Christ]

Opened lid on the vacuumpump today, removed the four (plastic?) vanes from the rotor, so the pump only spins and drives the oil pump now, and doesn't pull vacuum at all.

Tuesday, I'll be picking up a new project that I just couldn't resist... More on that later.

Also tuesday, hopefully, I'll be finishing up the rear brakes, bearings and seals on Herbie, and then swap the master cylinder and delete the booster totally.

[mwebb]

newer VW s
use electric vacuum pumps , to have vacuum for the power brake available even when the turbo is producing boost when intake manifold vacuum is actually not vacuum but pressure above Barometric pressure...

anyway
it would not be difficult to use one of those pumps along with a pressure switch or two and a Vacuum storage cylinder (plastic drain pipe) so that you could keep you power brakes functional

the pump would only run to pull vacuum when vacuum was needed , most of the time , everything would be at rest , using zero energy .

the current VW system operates on the VW network and is controlled by modules in the network , that part of the current system could NOT be used ,
but the pump is just a pump with a relay and a vacuum switch , could turn on when vacuum falls below a certain value and turn off when a certain value is achieved without much drama or engineering involved

[Christ]

1. That would cost money, better spent elsewhere.

2. Power brakes are not necessary, not desirable.

Did you miss the part where I intentionally made these changes?

No disrespect meant, just not sure if you understood what was going on there. I have no interest in keeping power assist brakes. In this application, they're a waste of energy.

[Christ]

Stupid brake line seemed to be coming out finefrom the wheel cylinder last night, turns out I was testing the line while turning the flare nut... Broke it off.

Hammered flat so I didn't lose all my fluid on the ground, then installed the wheel cylinder to the backing plate and gave up for the night, as i hadto be up at 0100 for a shuttle run.

Left side should be sorted later today, unless I get called in for afternoon shift.

Right side rear brakes rebuild and bearings will probably wait till Tuesday.

I did manage to get the left side wheels cleaned up enough to put the wheel covers on securely.

Tuesday will also change master cylinder, remove brake booster and destroy it to make an adapter plate for the new m/c to mount directly to the booster mount point, and shorten the actuator rod to work without the booster, then if there's time, change rear tires to the used pair I bought awhile ago. The current rears probably have RR similar to steel lol.

[Christ]

Got the right rear brakes done today, have yet to put lines on... Just hammered both back lines shut for now.

Goes a hell of a lot faster when you know what you're doing...

[Christ]

I forgot to mention that there was perceptible wear in both rear bearing sets.

A shake down test revealed obvious variance at the tire's outer diameter, which can account for some squirrelly handling characteristics.

More updates as work progresses.

[vacationtime247]

Wow, this sounds familiar. Fix one thing, two more break. Repeat until the entire car has had a ground up restoration. Sounds like you've come a long way since beginning.

So, today was Tuesday. What did you get?

Since you are also part of the 'to many projects, not enough time' group. A few questions.
1. Do you work on the same project until finished, or jump from one to the next?
2. Having a lot of projects usually means having to many cars, bikes, engines, etc. Do you find yourself hoarding parts? Things you may never use again, but it's to good to recycle?
3. Are your projects and garage organized or scattered?
4. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of things needing fixed? Or are the projects something you look forward to working on?
5. Once you complete a project do you look to get another shortly after completion? Or drive and use the completed project for a while before moving on to the next?
VT247

[Christ]

Yes, it was Tuesday, and I didn't have time to go pay for it yet, and I still have to find space for it, however, its a blue 1992 Ford Festiva, in very good condition, tucked away in the corner of the junkyard like a sweater from grandma.

These last couple days, I've been questioning my motive for wanting it, though. Aside from not having any rust, and looking like it underwent spring maintenance before being put in the yard, it's an automatic (does run and drive, will verify before purchase). It has oe 12" alloy, in good shape, and the minute I get it, I'm going to want to tear that transmission out and put a manual/diesel set in it.

It also doesn't have a title, which shouldn't be a problem for me. While spotting it, I found a rusty Metro 3 cylinder with nearly new 155/80R13 tires. I may ask him to throw those tires into the deal before making a final decision.

I'll address your other questions in another reply.