mk2

A caucasion chap working on a car, in a supermarket car park, at night in Japan would certainly generate some interest... I'd like to watch the web cam during my afternoon tea break (time zones). If you can speak Jap, I'm sure a bunch of other local curious petrolheads will turn up and you'll have someone offer you use of a workshop. Especially if you're there regularly. Japs are seriously into their motors (just like Aussies, Brits and Yanks).

Completely agree. Is it worth the risk of damaging an internal part, just from a single piece of swarf? I guess if there was a way to catch every little piece, then that wouldn't be a big job (to only helicoil it). Vacuum cleaner with some tube?

I hate to say it, but if it is a stripped plug thread, only option is head off and helicoil it... I absolutely hate bodges on any of my cars like this one, but given that the work involved just to fix the thread is so huge, I'd leave it alone and hope it isn't leaking gases. Pretend that it's meant to be like that! I've never had to helicoil a plug thread. They are very fine and I'm not sure if a helicoil kit even exists for such a fine thread. People (who don't already know), plugs only need to be a bit tighter than finger tight! @axe just had a crazy idea to check if it is leaking... when the engine is stone cold, get someone to sit in the driver's seat and start the engine, while you're drizzling washing up detergent water over the cap. Bubbles mean a leak... You might get a temporary misfire if the water shorts out the HT, but as soon as it's warmed up again it'll dry and be fine If it is leaking, it's simply a question of how long can you handle it- a bit like a leaky head gasket. No fun WOT driving....

Odd... might be just to hold the no4 plug cap in place???

Stuck thermostat if not HG. oh, and welcome to club lupo...

Indeed it does... All the new style injectors- both common rail and distribution pump systems.

Nice. You'll be selling everyone front wings soon... There's definitely a market for them. Respect. It's not easy making fibreglass copies of 3D shapes. 👍🏻

Don't use SVO with 5 nozzle injectors... Although it's fine with old style valve lift spray head injectors. The new servo pumps (and PD injectors) really don't like glycerol. Too acidic. Makes food taste nice though.

I reckon it's a sticky EGR. Not shutting off and leaking exhaust gas in the mix. Less air, so you give it a bit more throttle to get the same power = more fuel.

On all my SDIs I 'can' get 80-85MPG if I drive like a granny. But more usual is 55-65MPG and I go through a set of tyres and brakes in about 15k miles... My regular mk4 tank does 35-40. Mk2s about 35 and 45ish. The others' a lot worse (8-15mpg).

Take off door card and water proofing layer and you will see...

You should get decent milage from it, unless you're always over 2.5k rpm... Have you checked the injection timing correction factor on VCDS? (Box 4, group 4 from memory). Should sit at around 0 (when the engine and gearbox oil is fully warmed up)? You might also have a stuck or sticky EGR...

Use a torch (flashlight) to see where the end fits in... You can see how it locks or unlocks with a screwdriver.

Excellent! Part of the CL restoration team... You'll be looking for the tiny plastic bits next. Strut tower caps, screw head caps and passenger seat material from scrap cars in Germany.

There are just no lupos in any scrappies that i know within 30 miles of me. Rare as.... Not fair.

Are you going to be doing a restoration job or alterations as needed?

I need to reload all those damned pics on the how-to. It's not that hard. Most difficult bit is loosening off the crank pulley and bolts. I have two of my SDIs to do in the next few months.

Yeah, but you're driving an R32 tank Rich...

What does your gear stick knob look like (seriously!)? One of my SDIs in poverty spec with wind up windows has a dimpled thing with the shift pattern embossed into the knob. I'm trying to find another as I personally prefer it to the chromed ring type you get in the S spec cars... I'd stick to manual windows in a Lupo. The control switches are in the wrong place. Who wants to control windows with the buttons under your elbow.

One of my SDIs tests at 0.3 smoke level on emissions.... better than many brand new diesels! The wierd thing is that if you look on the compliance plate/sticker in the engine bay, it says 0.7 is the limit. UK MOT tests the level to 1.5 I think (or is it 2.5 smoke?), but they are "meant to" test to the compliance plate limit- if visible. NOX still isn't part of testing, but I'll be very interested to see what levels our diesels chuck out when/if it ever comes in. EGR is disabled on all mine (and gas flowed/ported), so technically NOX should be quite high when the engine is cold. But in the current MOT, they only check exhaust gases when the engine is hot, so I can't imagine the test ever failing. But what do I know about this nonsense... (not much). There is something called a "blue angel" cat that you can fit to an SDI, which apparently brings down emissions to almost clean air (other than the CO2).

Nice.

I think someone on here did a 4wd conversion once- using off the shelf vdub parts from an older mk2 syncro or rallye. Straight in with no welding, except the fuel tank, exhaust and propshaft (propshaft services ltd) had to be custom made. I think they got around the outer cv joint problems by switching from ball bearing type CV joints to a tri-pot roller race joint (golf or polo or something- can't remember). I think you could probably do maybe an extra 50-75mm without too much hassle. Just watch the front drive shafts. Spring spacer plates or even air suspension works.

I'll second that, but go for the 4 pot as on the 3 pot, apparently the balance shaft chain can snap. Unless you know that the chain tensioner has been renewed in the last 50k miles.

I can't think of any problems other than the outer cv joints. Especially the left one. You'll need to adjust the rear brake compensator thing too, and the front tracking (it would start toeing out). You might want to do what vdub (or that Austrian tuning company) did with the "mk2 golf country" edition. They lifted the whole car about 140mm!!! Drop the front subframe, change the struts. Extend the steering column. And pipes, gear shift, electrics etc...

Ok, so the irony doesn't become obvious until after you've read it a couple of times... LOL!