RS Grant

A friend has bought one of these off the well known internet auction site... got it for a bargain price and he's got problems!!

The car is a standard 1992 J-Reg 1.6 GTi. Its got 90k miles, part history, bodywork and interior look in good condition so take this mileage to be genuine...

Its needing a full service, which parts are best to use.. he's using it as a runaround/weekend fun toy so doesnt need 'race-spec' stuff.

Its needing a clutch, its slipping pretty badly.. he isnt planning big power mods so will the standard unit be ok or is there an uprated unit which is the same sort of price??

Anything else he should be having a look at on the car, areas which are known to cause problems.

All help is greatly appreciated.


Cheers,
Grant

Dave uk blue mica

the car is pretty good as standard, i used a virtually standard pug 205 gti on loads of road rallies last year and the car was faultless, it had more punishment on one event than a road car would have in probably a years average motoring, their fantastic little cars.

StudentScooby

Head gasket blew on mine! also water pump went and gear box grinding when changing on the rev limit. Nice motors for the money though.

rexabusa

bleeding nipples are weak on calipers so give a little heat and take it easy with spanner. if they snap in caliper
also jack back end and feel for play in rear radius arm bearings. they cost a fortune to replace if shaft is worn , but usually ok if just the bearings need changed.
alternaters too , but you can buy new brushes for around £15.
give it extra earth straps also to help electicity flow.
i have had three and they are much more rewarding to drive fast + hard than most hot hatches,

rexabusa

clutch also went on mine, wasnt to pricey , i think i got a lucas for £130 + £80 to fit
plugs - bosch super 4s , and bosch leads and she never missed a beat.

Dream Weaver

Dont mention sheared caliper bleed nipples to me at the minute, mine should be MOT'd this Thursday, but the nipples have put a stop to that (oo-er)

Get a clutch from eurocarparts.com - they sell the SACHS kits for £77, including release bearing and they are fine.

Check the condition of the inner wings as well, make sure they isnt much rust there.

rexabusa

i must admit , they did give me high blood pressure at times too

RS Grant

Thanks for the input guys... he's going to be happy to hear his problems arent going to cost him an arm and a leg, we've got a friend thats a Pug Mechanic and a friendly Parts Man at the local Motor Factors so I'm sure we can pick up parts reasonably cheap!!

I've also bought one of these (friendly competition ), picking it up from Preston on Wednesday, guy says there is a noise from the front when turning left.. I think it might be a CV joint, but he seems to think it could be a driveshaft, although assures me that it hasnt snapped. Are either of these expensive to put right on the GTi's??

Anything else I should check for on Wednesday??


Cheers,
Grant

rexabusa

basicly you are gona give it an mot , get all four wheels in the air and feel for play - wiggle wheel top to bottom + side to side , check back drums for signs of fluid leaks on back of and underneath( if 1.6) ie burst cylinders , very rusty brake pipes also , caliper bleed nipples ( snapped / chewed ) , rear radius arm bearings - if you jack back of car and lift wheel watch for play beetween swinging arm + beam - if any - walk away unless scrap money ie £200 , hold engine revs at 4500-5000 rpm in 2nd - 3rd and ease off throttle and listen for big end knock , mayonaise in oil cap/breather system - film of oil in water header tank - cooling fan unplugged - temp gauge working correctly , if it passes these then it is probably a good un .

i had one with 160000 on the clock and it was great. god bless her

good luck

Big Daz

Grant, give me a shout, Scoobylav & I have a track one of these with tons of spares. I am getting quite good at taking it to bits - Oh driveshaft is a 45 min job You just need a new seal also.
Daz
Race you at scottishjapclub day in March LOL

scoobylav

Oh you have made my day - This is going to be fun

ScoobyJawa

Just give it a decent service with a semi-synth oil. I use Magnatec. Change the plugs, leads, dizzy, rotor, air filter etc.

As for a clutch - OEM is perfectly fine. I bought a Valeo (the OEM part) from GSF for £60 quid. Its a bit of a pig to fit, but my local Pug dealer would have supplied and fitted for aroun 175 quid

DodgeT

i replaced the clutch in mine myself, full clutch kit (ebc) cost me about £40

also replaced both driveshafts for reconned jobbies, they were about £30 - £50 each on an exchange basis. dead easy job to do.

Bald Speed Racing

yup back you up on this matie, got magnatec in my baby

RS Grant

Thanks for the info guys... I'm planning to give the car a proper look over and when I bring it home its getting a full service too. So the best oil is Sem-Synth Magnatec, thats 10w40 isnt it??

Daz/Lav.. Its just the 1.6, so you boys can calm down, you'll be streets ahead of me in your wee stripped out rocket!! :P

In all honesty, I bought it mainly to take the dog to the beach over the next month or so until I leave for Oz... but when I'm back, it'll be getting stripped out and prepared for many a trip to Knockhill.


Cheers,
Grant

RS Grant

Forgot to ask.... Mine was registered on 12th February 1992, will it have a restrictive CAT that I'll have to get rid of??


Cheers,
Grant

ScoobyJawa

Yep 10w40 mate

RS Grant

.....are you 205Jawa over on 205GTiDrivers then??


Cheers,
Grant

ScoobyJawa

LOL!!! Actually I was on there when I still had a scoob so its the same as here!!!

RS Grant

Haha, fair enough.... I'll keep an eye out when I'm eventually allowed out the Newbie Section?!


Cheers,
Grant

Dream Weaver

Only the 1.9's had cats, they stopped making the 1.6's in late 92 as the cat would have taken the power down to 100bhp so it wasn't worth it

scoobylav

Grant will you be taking her to crail too ?

RS Grant

DW, thanks... Was a little worried because of the drop in power, saying that, 115bhp isnt that much more mind blowing than 100bhp would be!!

Ian, I will be taking it on every track day that its possible for me to attend once I'm back here.


Cheers,
Grant

ScoobyJawa

You'd be surprised mate - the original 205 GTi was a 1.6 with 105bhp. The 10bhp upgrade in 1986/87 IIRC was a noticable improvement

scoobylav

Excellent thats what I like to hear - When are you back ?

RS Grant

Haha, I'll be sure to let you know my thoughts on the experience when I pick it up!!


Well, all things going to plan.. and providing that I'm enjoying myself, it'll be the beginning of 2007 before I return to Bonnie Scotland. The downside is that it gives you another year to get practice in before I come out to challenge you around the track!!


Does anyone know what the official weight of a '92 1.6 GTi is, it has the sliding sunroof with absolutely no electrics... Thinking ahead to when it goes on track obviously!!


Cheers,
Grant

Dave uk blue mica

bhp does make a noticeable difference, when i first bought my H 91 205 1.6 it felt flat, took it to a rolling road and it put out 102bhp, played around with loads and fitted a power boost valve and a magnex 4 branch manifold and the car then put out 127bhp and is now quick and totally different to when i first bought it.

RS Grant

What is better on these cars, an Induction Kit or a good Panel Filter??

What exactly does a Power Boost Valve do, where can you get them and how hard are they to fit??


Cheers,
Grant

ScoobyJawa

The stock induction and exhaust is almost impossible to improve on - peugeot got it right straight from the factory.

Don't expect any bhp difference with either zorst or panel or induction. The only thing I found about induction was it sharpened up the throttle response a tiny bit, not that that is really an issue with these cars! I'd personally fit a panel and nothing more than a backbox................

Chris L

Certainly did - this was my first proper car - an H reg 1.6 GTi - beautiful car - the only one I've ever regretted selling. No power steering, but it didn't matter too much and the steering feedback was sensational, something that most modern cars can't get close to (especially noticeable in a Scoob, where steering feedback was always poor).

Head gaskets were always the curse of the GTi - anything over 70K was supposedly susceptible. If it hasn't already been done, I'd do it as a precaution anyway. Other than that, they always seemed to be pretty solid little cars.

One other thing - if you find it is a bit jerky at low speeds or stalls occassionaly - there should be a large brass screw on the air intake pipe (at the front of the engine). Take it out (count the number of turns it takes, so you know when you put it back in) and clean it - it becomes fouled with carbon deposits, which affects the air flow, leading to stalling.

Chris