Noobie Needs Serious Help!

[sparky 0]

Hello everyone!

 

Im new around here and my knowledge of 205s is a little limited so you'll have to bear with me as I have many questions.

 

So I picked up my 1991 205 GTI 1.9 bought off ebay last night and whilst all the essential parts work it is very apparent that all is not as it should be.

 

Engine first.

 

Starts first time buts revs wildly between 500 and 2000 rpm for a good minute before settling out at around 1500 rpm and it doesn't go any lower than that even after a 45 minute drive. Is this a simple idle speed adjustment or something more complicated? Oil temp and pressure gauges look to be reading normally and the engine has plenty of power.

 

Gearbox and clutch next.

 

This part worries me a little more. The clutch feels very heavy to me with what I can only describe as a 'notch' three quarters down the travel. I only have 53 plate Seat Leon to compare it with though so I could be being a little harsh there.

 

The gearbox is a BE3 type and I know the linkages can cause problems but this is wierd. At the moment the gear stick moves back past the end of the handbrake in 2nd and 4th and I can't get it in reverse because the seat is in the way!

 

There is something wrong in the gear box too (read as 'its screwed'). It crunches into every gear unless I really take my time when changing. As a guess I'd say the syncro is shot but its on every gear? Does anyone know a good gearbox specialist?

 

Thats it for now. I bought a slightly tatty example hoping to have it as a project over the next year or 2 but I wasn't really expecting to have to do so much. There we go though.

 

All help is greatly appriciated.

 

Hope to see some of you guys from south wales out and about some time.

 

Thanks

Chris

[Goliath 94]

The gearbox problem is your gear linkages, Buy a new set from Miles off here, highly reccomended. New linkages will most likely sort both the crunching and will definately sort the throw of the stick so it dosent hit the seat (if you adjust it correctly!)

 

Clutch could be on its way out or more likely the pressure plate/bearing is on its way out, probably just seems stiff compared to the seat though.

 

Idle speed could be a simple adjustment of the idle speed and mixture screws, you may need a new air flow meter though (easy to source and fit)

 

Sounds like it could run smoothly again without too much hassle,

 

Good luck with it.

 

EDIT: just noticed your in Swansea, I'm just up the road in Merthyr, If you need a hand give me a PM.

Edited December 20, 2008 by Goliath

[Tesstuff 222]

Sparky welcome to the family

 

It sounds like you have problems that experienced people on here would fix in minutes, nothing serious.

 

My best tip for you is to listen to the lads on here , they will save you so much money

 

You seem to have been very lucky in having a good guy living fairly local to you , make a good friend of him and you should save some pennies.

 

Good luck making it a good runner again.

[sparky 0]

Thanks for the replies guys!

 

I think im going to need all the luck I can get!

 

Thank you for the offer of help Goliath, chances are i'll probably have to take you up on it at some stage

 

How can I get hold of this Miles dude then cause I need to sort that out first as I have to use the car during the week.

 

Consulted the haynes book of cobblers about the idle speed. Do I really need a vacuum gauge to adjust it as suggested?

 

Thanks again

 

Chris

[Goliath 94]

This is Miles' ebay shop, I think he offers free postage to members on here http://stores.ebay.co.uk/PugRacing-GearRodShop

Alternatively pm him, he has a discounts thread up http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?s...c=81617&hl=

 

No you dont need a vacuum gauge to adjust it, but having said that I cant remember how to do it! I'll let WP or someone explain that for you! lol

Edited December 21, 2008 by Goliath

[yorkshirekowboy 19 1 Cars]

The gearbox problem is your gear linkages, Buy a new set from Miles off here, highly reccomended.

 

 

i have same problem, how much are they from miles?

[Goliath 94]

205 GTi with 8 or 16 valve (XU engines 1,6, 1,9 & 2.0)

 

2 short Rods that fit from the subframe to the gearbox at £33.00

 

Long rod from Gear stick to subframe 'L' £20.00 (Alloy rod)

 

Set of 3 for £50.00

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?s...c=81617&hl=

[happygoron 2]

Not able to offer any advice but just saying hi to another Swansea member, there's a few on here now!

[sparky 0]

Hey happygoron! Good to know theres a few Gti fans locally.

 

Things have gone from bad to worse. Had a good look over the car today and I managed to double my list of things to do. Major things now include a suspect head gasket and some seriously dodgy electrics

 

Ordered a full set of linkages off Miles so at least car will have some shiny bits on it

[DooBeDooBeDo 1]

If there's an immense amount of travel on the gear lever, and gears are hard to select/crunching then it's well worth checking that the 'L' bracket/link isn't loose on the subframe. If it's as bad as you say, then I imagine it's very loose. Tightening mine up turned it into a completely different car.

 

It is also worth changing the linkages, but check the 'L' first.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Also worth noting that the length of the gear rods dictates how the lever sits, and if you have problems with the lever hitting the seats etc, then it's likely you need to adjust the rods. Miles' rods are something well worth investing in, but bear in mind that you can adjust the standard rods, so don;t assume that you HAVE to upgrade them if you simply have a problem with the gear lever sitting in the wrong place.

 

And obviously if you adjust Miles' rods to the same length as the ones that are on there already, you'll have the same issue.

[sparky 0]

Hi there. Thanks for the advice, i'd heard the 'L' bracket thing can be troublesome.

 

I noticed the short linkages are adjustable today but they are pretty well rusted solid so I figure a new set is the way to go. Plus I plan on taking it rallying at some stage.

 

As a side topic, where is the best jacking position for a trolley jack and axle stand postions?

Edited December 22, 2008 by sparky

[M@tt 77]

jack the car on the subframe (around where the wishbones are attached) and positon the axle stands under the subframe also, there are nice flat section on it towards the back where the bolt fix it to the car

[sparky 0]

Cool thanks alot for that M@tt.

[pug_ham 240 3 Cars]

If there's an immense amount of travel on the gear lever, and gears are hard to select/crunching then it's well worth checking that the 'L' bracket/link isn't loose on the subframe.

Do you mean the L bracket or the stud next to it? For the L bracket to be loose would more than likely mean the bushes are worn out & I've never seen the bolt loose but there is a smaller balljoint close to it that fits through the subframe which comes loose making the gearchange like a stick in a bucket.

 

This just needs a 14mm spanner & 13mm socket to tighten it back up & recover the standard gate movement (or close to). (you can see it next to the L bracket in the picture below).

 

 

For the idle, its very likely your best bet will be to take the whole of the inlet system up to the inlet manifold (but including the throttle body) & breather system off the car to give it all a thorough clean out with carb cleaner, rags, cotton buds etc to remove the build up of cr*p.

 

Have you checked if your SAD is closing after around five to ten minutes of running or staying open giving you the high idle? To check its closed, when the engine is warmed up, squeeze the hose that runs between the SAD & intake pipe between the AFM & TB (if you still have the standard pipework its the one at the front of the pipe nearer the radiator). If the idle drops when you squeeze this pipe uyour SAD is sticking.

 

Clean inside the AFM & throttle body with some carb cleaner while you have access, move the butterfly to clean right through the TB & remove the brass adjusting screw from the throttle body and clean it with Brasso or some metal polish until it gleams and spray some carb cleaner through the hole it fit's in to.

 

Count the approximate number of turns to remove the idle speed screw & refit it to roughly the same amount so you should be somewhere similar to before you began. Run the engine so its up to operating temperature & then turn the idle speed screw gradually to lower the idle to approximately 1000rpm.

 

Graham.