Now, my car has had the EGR system vacuum feed disconnected, to stop it from working, so when in Rome....

EGR solenoid and pipework removed



Traced the gaskets onto sheet metal and cut them out with a disc cutter



Tidied the edges up with an angle grinder so they fit flush, and then removed the burr with my dremel

Bit of gasket maker and bolted back in place

This arrived yesterday



Set of new discs and pads, drive belts, auto gbox service kit, oil filter and a set of glow plugs.

Will be fitted with an engine flush, new oil, new ATF, and new diff oil.

Also tested this today



Just a mock fitting. Currently its back out and im filling in the right hand side as you can see it slope. Also the finish is pretty poor just a quick splash of paint to bring up any blemishes. Cig lighter will be relocated to the centre console.

Relocated the cig lighter with a nice flashy 3 soc one and usb for phone charging!



I've given the gauge holder to my brother to finish, was getting on my nerves lol

Yesterday saw me invest the first "substantial" amount of money in "Sooty"

The days work included:

- Stripping all 4 brakes and cleaning them up, fitting new discs and pads. It was evident that they hadn't been cleaned in a long time. However, at 187k, only one sticky calliper was found, on the rear and it freed up with some pedal pumping.

- Replacing all 6 (yes, 5 and 6 as well!!!) glow plugs.

- Running some engine flush through, and then an oil + filter change.

- Servicing the auto gearbox with a new filter and fresh fluid.

- Draining the diff and fresh oil once again.

- Coolant flush and refill.

The work begins:



New rear discs + pads



New front discs + pads

Servicing the auto box



The rear diff



Found all 6 glow plugs to be black like this, confirming they were ALL not working one bit! No wonder it sounded rough as arseholes on a cold start!

And for those still pondering, this is how you change 5 + 6!!!



It was also the first time id been under Sooty, and I confirm that the MOT it received was in fact more bent that a roundabout! I always had my suspicions because of the battery tray area rust and unsecured tray itself.

Whilst having a nosey I found:

Minor oil leak on the auto box cooler
Almost everything rubber at the front perished (sway bar mounts, bushes etc)
No cat, unsure as to whether it should have one or not
Hole in back box (confirmed by soot EVERYWHERE!!!)
Generally rusty (surface only)

So on the increasing list a manual conversion is confirmed (why fix the leak when its a good excuse!)

And probably some better mounts / bushes etc. The engine also has a massive amount of rocking in it, if you wobble it its like jelly. So probably solid mounts too, been told that's good for power

Waxoyl the underneath will also be on the list.

I think its safe to say its been neglected, but its had the "essentials" covered.

Ciao for now

Boost gauge....



Yes, I know its on the passenger side! I can still see it though as I have my seat all the way back.

When I get an EGT gauge I will order a holder that's angled... if I can find one lol

Dont worry when you go rally racing your mapper can tell you how much boost you are pushing