I have tried several times to post an update on the thread (Pulldown unit non return valve), but it never seems to get added! So now I am starting a new thread on my initial experience of changing the inlet manifold o-ring, and the problem I now have. When I replaced the inlet manifold o-ring and flushed out the cooling system - everything seemed much better - and the tickover was OK - initially. But what a job! I needed to borrow a long alun key from a local workshop (mine were not long enough to reach the middle manifold nuts), and to improvise an extended crank to turn the key. I needed to split/cut the nuts holding the support bracket between the two manifolds, and the most important piece of equipment then was a mirror to try and see between the manifolds and work out where the S**DING bolts were so I could guide the alun key into them. And of course, on reassembly, I needed to put all the bolts through the manifold and gasket before offerring the manifold up to the engine (if the middle bolts got pushed out of their holes, it was impossible to poke them back in with the manifold in place - I spent some time trying!). The Haynes Golf manual was not much help for this job! Anyway, now after a week, the high tickover rate has returned, and again it drops if I manually lift the lever that the (new) waxstat pushes. Also, the choke unit doesnt seem quite so hot as it was initially. If I disconnect the hose between the choke unit and the inlet manifold (while the engine is running) a good flow spurts through from the choke unit side, but nothing comes out of the inlet manifold. Shouldnt water spurt out from both sides? I did clean the manifold passageways quite well (given Spanish Mikes experience in Carburetor FAQs), but I didnt look the other way into the cylinder head. Is there likely to be a block there? I can rod through the inlet manifold (by poking an electric flex in through the manifold hose connection) for 13 inches before it meets any firm resistance. That seems long enough to get into the head. Any thoughts what I should do? Does the inlet manifold have to come off again? All advice greatfully received. p.s. I am away for 2 weeks now, so I wont try anything until Im back.
Sorry that you've had this problem, new users sometimes have this delay; too late now, but if you send a private message (PM) to one of the Moderators (names in red in the 'who's online' list), they can probably help. Must put something in my signature to that effect... Encouraging, in that it suggests that you have found the principal problem, even if its solution hasn't yet happened. Sounds very like my first experience of this job. A decent " ratchet driver, 6mm hex bit, adaptors and extensions of various lengths makes for a much better time of it (as I found out on my second one). I had the added delight of one of the inner 'S**DING' bolts having a rusty head, that promptly rounded off under the torque of my Allen key. That took some sorting out! I agree that a small mirror is a good help, and thin bright torch that can get some light in between the manifolds. Two tricks that can help here, both of which I've tried with success. First one was suggested by a neighbour who was watching me struggle. If you poke the inner, trickiest pair of bolts through the manifold and (new) gasket, then wind some strong cotton around their threads (in the correct direction), you can pull the cotton to wind them into the start of the head-threads once the manifold is offered up. Alternative trick is to get two long Allen keys, pre-engaged into the heads of the two bolts, then tape the keys to the underside of the manifold with separate bits of tape; that way you can position the manifold, release each tape and wind in each bolt a few turns. True enough [:^(] Yes, the direction of flow is out of the head, into the manifold, through autochoke, then waxstat, then back into the rest of the system; lack of flow out of the manifold is suggestive of a residual blockage. What was the old o-ring looking like when finally got-to? I'm wondering if bits of it might have broken away and are lodged in the labyrinths of the manifold... Unlikely IMHO because of the flow direction.. That's a good effort, but if there is a chunk of rubber (or two) in there, it may be just moving that around, only to be pushed back by the coolant flow to lodge in the narrowest area again later.. One thing that's definitely worth a try, if you're happy with the general mechanical condition of the engine, is to take the car out on a quiet, straight road and give it some serious revs for a few miles. This will give the water pump a good workout, and the resulting pressure may budge the debris (if that is what's causing the lack of flow). If you're lucky it may lodge somewhere less critical, or get shredded smaller by the vanes of the pump if it gets that far. If a good go at the above doesn't work, it's possible that the manifold may need to come off again, but as you can imagine, it's much easier once you've done it once. There could also be a 'work around' involving adjustment of the warm-up cam, or the waxstat itself; but if you can restore good flow that would be a much better solution. Hope you have a good 'awayness'
Thank you again EZ-Pete. On your question about the condition of the old o-ring, it was complete and had not disintegrated, but the skirt section was totally blocked by brown gunge. I cleaned out all the waterways (manifold and engine), attaching a garden hose to the various disconnected water hoses. The flushing water eventually ran clear as it passed through the bottom radiator hose (detatched). However, I didnt think to check the waterway into the head of course its on the back of the engine and not so easily seen, but I dont recollect any water ever coming out there while I was flushing. I feel stupid, because if the waterway was gummed up on the manifold side, it was probably also gummed up on the head side too. Why didnt I look?!! If the flow is meant to be from the head to the manifold and then the choke and waxstat, I get zero flow out of the manifold whether the engine (and water pump) is going or not. But there was a reasonable flow the other way (when I disconnected the hose). I hoped pushing my flex through the manifold towards the head would help clear things, but no luck. Ill try your idea of a good thrash, and also another go at flushing, but if that doesnt seem to work, Ill have to borrow that long arm alun key again! Thanks John
My god was this a job for me, if there is one thing I never want to do again its the inlet manifold gasket. What should have been an hour absolute tops, took us 4 and a half hours, mostly because we just couldnt see round the back (even with a mirror and a torch) to see what we were doing, tightening the bolts back up was the worst. When I had the inlet off, the gasket was completely gunged and buggered and the coolant oring was split into a few pieces, it was stuck to both sides, inlet and head, so I think there in lies your problem. In actual fact, I was amazed that my engine ran as cool as it did, because the hole to allow coolant flow through was about 5mm across due to all the degrading rubber debris, now it runs even cooler (never gets past the first white dash) You definitely should have checked both sides, I dont envy you! [:^(]
