Where do we start.. Lets update this shall we!
So the GTI went bang the day after FCS, it has been kept a little hush until now....
We’ve been on a mission since then, with the help of some great people! I'll try including those that have helped as I go through...
It went BANG during a change from 2nd to 4th as Miss_Tap was driving it. She got it towed back home and she waited for me to come home from work. I had a listen and it was genuinely scary not a very happy sounds GTI.... we were left with a dead GTI; knowing very little about GTi's, I called upon Vaughan to have a quick listen; short of the long, it sounded as if the timing had slipped.
Anywho, miss_tap was considering getting a commuting car, so, it made sense to XUD this as she really didn’t want to get rid of her car. We did try and diagnose what the issue could be but it was wasting precious engine changing time! We had a lot of advice given to us from Niall, Scott and Ed with what the issue could most likely be.
So, we quickly set about getting an engine change, engine and all the bits needed to convert this over.
Ruan was the man for this! I swiftly got in touch with im, for which he gave me a list of parts i'd need to swap over for this change, and a few issues he had experienced. I couldn't thank Ru enough for the help he's put into this project, both physically and mentally through the knowledge before we undertook this!
So; to eBay to purchase a load of parts! We had to get an engine; we couldn't find any engines which were already OUT of a car for a reasonable price; so i got in touch with a bloke in Eastbourne who told me he had a 406 for which i could take this engine out of, and which he could help me. So i set about making my way over, ripped the engine out in about 2/3 hours, which i was f*cking shattered! i got there; no fluids drained, basically, the car was a whole and running. So i heard it run, satisfied it sounded good, and set about ripping it out.
I got everything i needed in the back of the 205 and got this back to Portsmouth.
We then spoke to Poodle who has been amazing in lending us his crane so we could whip the engine out of the GTI; unfortunately, we couldn't keep the crane as his 205 ofcourse would take priority, so we obtained another crane to swap it all over.
Me and Vlj set about taking apart the GTI's front end, ready to start ripping out the old engine, ready for the new.
Here was the first weekend where we had a load of people round to chip in. Ed, Scott, Vlj, Ruan, Amiek, Kimmie, lolsteve, Poodle and his partner Charli all set about getting as much done as possible. So, the first weekend, we got as far as we could as we found the turbo pissed oil out as we lifted the engine also numerous issues with hub bolts and snapping wrenches, engine looms, relays.. the list could go on, so Ruan cracked on by doing the cambelt, water pump and cambelt as we had a new bosch to fit onto this.
Short of the long, we ended the weekend with a gutted GTI, a rebuilt XUD lump but to still do on the block was a new turbo and new gearbox to get done. So, we set about sourcing these parts. Also found out the 406 XUD loom WAS NOT compatible with a 306 setup. Ruan did say he could get it going, but it wouldn't be ideal. Ofcourse, XUD's only require so much, but it was the rest of the dash which would have been an issue. Set about sourcing a new turbo, gearbox, loom for which we got f*cked around from Ted, but were saved by td_dan who was able to provide us with EVERYTHING! An absoloute legend indeed! So, road trip to Birmingham, we had some parts.
I set about changing all these parts over and de-EGR'ing the inlet fannymold.
New parts changed over, we were ready to drop the engine in. Me, Vlj, Amiek and strictly_derv set about building our new engine crane and getting the lump in. Stressful time indeed after realising i had misplaced the gearbox mount and plate. DohScrappy provided me with this, done.
Engine was in, then set about wiring up the car. We got this done, with a few difficulties as usual; having a duff glowie relay and making a live for the fuel pump, we chucked in some engine oil, cranked it slowly on a dead battery - cranked as fast as you would be hand but with NO effort! Strongly recommend lol
then worked on some fuel to get in (no fuel line at this point) so plumbed it into a jerry can of derv, bled the injectors, manually glowed, crank and BOOM, she lived. Started first time. Incredible!!
So, now at the stage where we have a few small things to sort out, but should be back on the road within the next couple of weeks. All this work carried out after 8/10 hour shifts at work, the odd day off and weekends where i had a few spare hours. Still a fair bit to do, but yeh, GTI-XUD almost done!
Just need to put in a huge thanks to few people in particular.
Ruan; he's leant his car, he came down and stayed for a weekend and has put in a whole lot of effort and time with information on this build! Huge thanks to him!
Vlj and Amiek - Vaughan and Amie have been awesome! Any time i've been working on this car, they've come round and helped out where they can. From vaughan almost never working on an XUD to now having learnt nearly everything I/we know about these engines! Awesome!
Poodle - Lending the engine crane and transporting it across Hampshire for us so we could actually get this engine out! You really helped out at the best time!
And anyone else who has popped down over the last few weeks to poke, laugh, eat and have banter over this!
It’s been rather overwhelming with all the help we've received, we are now owe you all one!
Ok, so photos of the journey..
Engine out in 3 hours..... FML.
As Ruan said; "The shittest engine to ever go in a 306.... "
So it currently sits in with a running engine; few bits to finish off between work but SHOULD be up and running within the next couple of weeks!
We have a fromt mount to fit, but due to the lack of piping etc i think it's going to be running a TMIC for now; not an issue; but should be some bits for sale soon!