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Bodgernomics

Dammit.

Working on the Golf today and yesterday. Taking the thermostat housing off resulted in a sheared bolt.

Bodged it together for now with cable ties (!) so I can drive it to the garage tomorrow and get them to remove the stud.

Refilled the system with water, a few expected leaks from the bodged thermostat housing but nothing to worry about.

However, there was an almighty plume of steam coming from the inlet manifold area. Damn! A plastic thing that circulates water to cool the inlet manifold (why?) broke when I was trying to fit another pipe elsewhere.

I tried to remove the offending plastic bit from the inlet manifold to attempt a repair, but the cross head screws that hold it there ain't budging.

So I isolated it so no water goes there anymore. How much cooling does the inlet manifold need anyway? Mind you those chaps down at Wolfsburg probably know something I don't.

So anyway, the car seems to like to fast idle now but at least it gets up to operating temperature thanks to the bodged new thermostat!

Garage will laugh at me as another Haynes manual victim tomorrow (except I didn't use any kind of manual).

Reply to
<fishman nineteen at bifgoot dot com>
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it's to warm the inlet manifold.

Reply to
jeremy

Is the water not there to warm up the inlet manifold/carb so that the auto choke switches off once the engine is warmed up? - would also explain the fast idle.

Reply to
Craig M

Well I superglued the plastic thing (which contains a metal thing) together and so far so good...

Now it's just a matter of getting the stud out of that water pump (still held together with one bolt and two zip ties), although I reckon it'll get me to work tomorrow 12 miles away when I can get a fessional onto it.

I'll track down that plastic bit (with metal bit inside) too as having something like that superglued does not fill me with confidence :s

Reply to
<fishman nineteen at bifgoot dot com>

No it warms the manifold to keep the petrol from pudling, condensing on the cool wals, so it is burned by the engine. It should make more power now, run a touch weak at lower rpm and have higher hydrocarbons at idle.

Reply to
Burgerman

That's the wonders of the spark ignition internal combustion engine. A cold engine runs better if you heat the inlet manifold, and for ultimate eficiency on a hot engine you need a cool dense charge of air.

Reply to
Bob Sherunckle

Hmm, I have a water jacketed inlet manifold and no choke at all, much less an auto one (old V8). I've always assumed this was to warm the air to a constant temperature and avoid icing due to pressure changes.

What's the actual reason, anyone know?

Reply to
Sales!

Ah, that's what it's for!

Reply to
Sales!

Yes to keep liquid fuel vaporised.... It improves "running", emissions, economy. But costs power.

Reply to
Burgerman

well it idled like shit without it on there, but there was something more to the device - some spring loaded gubbins!

Reply to
<fishman nineteen at bifgoot dot com>

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