Hardest job you've done on a mk2?

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
27,787
33
Clanfield, UK
sounds daft and not even that hard to do but the gearbox swap

when i put the new engine/box in together it was easy with no front panel

to squeeze the box in/out whilst everything fitted was awkward getting the right angle to lift it down

like this:

main.php


slide it in, and bolt her up
 

RobT

Full throttle trip
Nov 30, 2001
2,541
3
Congleton
02A box swap with engine in-situ - horrible job, so easy to break something or yourself - 020 box much easier as its just light enough to manhandle, 02A too heavy and needs jacks etc making the job massively harder - 2 people job - first time you do it you wonder if its ever going to go in, then subsequent times it gets easier like most things

its actually much easier to take the engine out as well to do it - but them you risk breaking manifold nuts etc etc etc

any job when you have to make something rather than take apart and refit takes 1000% more time
 

WeeJase

pert
Jun 2, 2001
8,595
0
both my hardest jobs involved m0rk for some reason.helping him do his suspension while he had a broken leg.wobbly wheel bolts were fun :D
and then 3+ hours to do my front ARB on the cordoba,it just decided to be a bitch.
greasing the bearings on my back wheel on my bike turned into a hour long job yesterday,they just didn't want to go back in properly :shrug:
 

Fl@pper

Back older greyer and less oilier but always hope
Jun 19, 2001
12,370
26
Gloucester
yer m0rk - heaven doing that

one crane and line 3 bolts up - piece of pi$$

if i'd have known the gearbox was going to be a struggle like it was i'd have dragged it all out in one piece again
 

MarkW

Chris
Apr 4, 2007
210
0
Edingburgh
rehang the front bumper.

I never knew that the bolts could get that damn rusty on a 48k car. Plus the stupid arse design of the grille design!!! That made for an interesting afternoon. Hopefully the bolts aren't gonna be as bad on the suspension. I prasy to god they aren't!
 
Feb 20, 2005
3,476
0
Telford ay it...
rehang the front bumper.

I never knew that the bolts could get that damn rusty on a 48k car. Plus the stupid arse design of the grille design!!! That made for an interesting afternoon. Hopefully the bolts aren't gonna be as bad on the suspension. I prasy to god they aren't!

Top mounts bud, be prepared to swear at them
 

MarkW

Chris
Apr 4, 2007
210
0
Edingburgh
:lol::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:

I dont know whether to laugh or cry.

Hell. It can't be worse than old VW polo kits. That was a weekends worth of job. (to do 4 or 5times as well!) Im quite looking forward to not having to remove the tie rods, track arms, ARB, brakes etc etc lol!!
 

andyj

There's no F in Quality..
hard things I've done on a Mk2.....

1st time I changed the rear shoes on my 1.4, those springs are :swear: ;)
cambelt change on a Mk2 2.0 8v :whistle: ;)

hardest thing I've got planned on a Mk2:

clutch, clutch cable, gearbox, driveshaft, hubs and 258/280mm brakes.... all on Em's 1.4 Ibiza :confused:
 

chris285

leon mk1 fr tdi
Nov 26, 2004
1,850
0
lincoln, uk
never had to do anything on my ibiza really during my ownership, can't get driver side front brake pad off so thats a garage job so planning on new car before its needed:p
 

benjyboy89

Active Member
Nov 22, 2015
7
0
I would say the lower arms and ball joints it's not a hard job but the bolts are so rusty they never want to come off.