More "fuck you" updates from the GTI! One of which is a yuge mistake on my part...
First, the water pump on this stock motor is leaking badly, so I have to replace it now. Cool! So I've already gotten it out, and got the new one yesterday. So, I'll be installing that this weekend. I was really fretting this job, turns out it is reallllly easy. Highly recommend y'all replacing your water pumps yourselves if you don't have warranty and need to. I actually.. enjoyed.. doing this job... really weird.
ShopDAP has a great vid on how to do it. However, instead of removing the intake manifold and all that junk, I just took the radiator fan out (two clips and a connection), and then removed the throttle pipe and throttle body off the intake mani. I also removed the clip under the intake manifold that holds a couple of electrical connections. This gives you all the room in the world to access all of the connections and bolts for the water pump, easily. Super simple. Here's the ShopDAP vid though (they remove intake mani):
Pump out:
FU:
Now that's all great and good. But I really f'ked myself on this next piece. I was missing the bolt for the knuckle/spindle on my front driver-side suspension, that bolts the spindle down onto the strut. And I totally forgot that I needed to put it on. So... I drove around some without that bolt on, and when I put the car in the air to fix the water pump, this is what I find:
Pretty cool right?
For those that don't know, this is what it SHOULD look like:
So yeah... new CV boot kit ($20) will be here, along with a new spindle/knuckle ($100 used, Ebay) on Saturday. I'm not sure how I'm going to get the strut out of that spindle. But, I have 2 spare OEM struts, and I'm planning on just putting one of those into the new (to me) spindle and installing that.
The saga continues. In other news, I've done 3 track days already in the Camaro ZLE, and it has been fantastic. Really need to get this Mk7 sold for tire money alone, though.
That's all for now!