humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

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humbucker
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

Oil filler neck and cap spruced up and fitted:

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Time to sort the lower inlet fanimolds and fuel rail. Lower induction flange cleaned and treated to new gaskets (both sides):

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Fuel rail stripped of its injectors, loom and fuel pressure regulator before being cleaned:

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Done:

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VAG 4bar fuel pressure regulator:

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Cleaned and painted lower inlet manifold:

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Reassembled with ultransonically cleaned and serviced fuel injectors:

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New genuine lower manifold gaskets:

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All bolted into place with freshly cleaned bolts, a cleaned loom, cleaned injector plugs etc.:

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by Greig Sri »

That's an engine built with a 'loving touch'
:D

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Awesome work Dan. I know the pics are really for publishing but they really give the build more detail and a nice step-by-step feel. Love methodical build ups like this. I don't envy you that timing belt job!
I'm still skirting round actually removing drive shafts as I'm afraid I'll break some thing!
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

Cheers chaps. Agreed that more detailed pics give a better presentation! One of my new year's resolutions (I don't make new year's resolutions, but you know what I mean) is to flesh out my project updates with more detail. To date, they've been lacking on this front (well, since Turbo #1's WIP thread) because I leave it too long to post after work has been undertaken, leaving me with a trillion photos to sift through. Must try harder!
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

Folk have been asking what products I've been using to clean engine components. I soaked the cam caps in petrol in order to soften any stubborn deposits before blasting them with carb cleaner. I've used carb cleaner on pretty much every heavy duty part that I've tidied up. I've used Hellshine 'The Demon' degreaser on painted parts. I also have bottles of engine protectant and lacquer from the same range, although I have yet to check what surfaces and materials that it these are compatible with. As for how long the engine will stay clean... it will probably go up in flames on the first turn of the key due to the fumes from all of the cleaning products igniting! Haha!

I've painted parts with Hammerite 'Direct To Rust'. I used the same stuff on the engine block and the car's soon-to-be-installed manual gearbox. Incidentally, yellow DTR is a perfect match for Bilstein's signature paint! I'll post pictures to prove my claim later today.

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

DTR silver and black metal paint used on/in the gearbox and propshaft:

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

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I’m going to go out on a limb and make the argument that the Monaro is essentially a high-powered Omega coupé (after all, the Aussie brute was based on the Omega’s antipodean siblings, the Holden Commodore VT and VX). A similar train of thought led me to consider the possibility of fitting Monaro parts to my MV6, and it ultimately resulted in the purchase of Whiteline polyurethane front top mounts designed for the VXR edition Monaro and its successor, the utterly bonkers VXR8.

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My pondering paid off – the brilliant black bushes are exactly the same shape and size as my car’s factory top mounts. Hoorah! Whiteline claims that installing these performance parts improves the host vehicle’s steering response and handling abilities under load, primarily thanks to top-notch build quality, a strengthened integrated bearing and polyurethane’s resistance to fatigue. I look forward to putting the parts through their paces.

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I promptly removed the MV6’s Bilstein B8 Sprint shortened dampers and Eibach Pro-Kit lowering springs in order to fit the seriously solid top mounts, and I took the opportunity to replace my car’s tired top mount covers with freshly powdercoated parts at the same time. The sparkly silver stunners were intended for my Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14720) , but I was encouraged to make use of them sooner rather than later after noticing that GM had used the same factory parts on the Omega.

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The Bilstein kit’s nearby drop links had seen better days, and they certainly didn’t want to be budged without putting up a fight. This gave me all the excuse that I needed to free them with a hacksaw before contacting TFS Motorsport with a request for a pair of the firm’s ‘Aluminati’ anodised adjustable drop links. These made-to-order components offer a 40mm adjustment range with a larger-than-OE uprated ball joint in a bronze housing designed for smooth, precise steering transition on lowered street or track cars. Hardened cap head bolts, anodised washers and nylock nuts are also key features of these radiant red parts, and full adjustment can be applied after fitting without the need for removal. Top banana!

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The keen-eyed among you will have noticed the chipped paintwork at the top of my offside front Billy (pictured in an earlier post on this project thread):

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For anyone that is looking to tidy their own Bilstein dampers, Hammerite 'Direct To Rust' yellow metal paint is a perfect match for ze German manufacturer's signature colour. I've used silver and black DTR to great effect on various engine and transmission components (see my earlier posts), and I thought I'd take a punt on the yellow variant in the hope of it being a good colour match for the chipped paint. I wasn't disappointed:

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Front Bilstein dampers built back up with their powdercoated top mount covers, Whiteline polyurethane top mounts, Eibach Pro-Kit lowering springs and TFS Motorsport anodised adjustable drop links. Oh, and nice new yellow paint: :lol:

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THANKS

TFS Motorsport
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/TFSMotorsport
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Another nice write up. A lucky punt with the Whiteline front mounts - a good bit of logical reasoning and those droplinks look stunning too!
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by Greig Sri »

I done the same to shocks I fitted to my Astra. Only difference was I painted them black as bilstein b4 are black.
The yellow shocks and red brakes do look cool tho..

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by joe cavalier sri »

I was going to go for them drop links but changed my mind as my front arms are fully ajustable but the drop links are a good price on eBay
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

lowrider dave wrote:Another nice write up. A lucky punt with the Whiteline front mounts - a good bit of logical reasoning and those droplinks look stunning too!
Aye, they're a good price too. I'll probably treat the Cavalier to a set.
Greig Sri wrote:I done the same to shocks I fitted to my Astra. Only difference was I painted them black as bilstein b4 are black. The yellow shocks and red brakes do look cool tho.. Greig
The brakes are currently at the powdercoaters being treated to a lick of yellow...!
joe cavalier sri wrote:I was going to go for them drop links but changed my mind as my front arms are fully ajustable but the drop links are a good price on eBay
They're made to order for any vehicle too.
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

Reassembling the B8s also allowed me to remove the car’s new front wishbones and refit the Mk4 Astra GSi brake cooling ducts that I attached to them a short while ago. I wasn’t happy with the way that the Astra parts were sitting, resulting in a 12.5mm drill making its way through each wishbone so that I could hold the ducts in place with heavy duty stainless bolts, washers and nylock nuts.

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

My recent spat of suspension fettling finished with the addition of more polyurethane joy in the form of Powerflex exhaust mounts. Subscribers to this thread will recall seeing the rear end of my car already littered with these red bushes, but I noticed tired factory rubber located half way along the MV6’s exhaust system while I was working underneath it. The reduction in pipework movement after fitting the Powerflex parts is extraordinary, so much so that I’ve decided to continue the theme of playing with polyurethane bushes and parts for V8-powered Vauxhalls by ordering a set of Pedders Monaro VXR rear subframe mounts and a matching set of rear offset camber reduction bushes. Bonza!

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Old and new side by side. Can you tell which is which?!

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by Envoy CDX »

It's the attention to detail that gets me every time Dan!
Loving the progress there.
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by joe cavalier sri »

Those brake cooling ducts make any difference as the cheep as chips mite copy you for them to cool my willwoods if they are any good :thumb
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

joe cavalier sri wrote:Those brake cooling ducts make any difference as the cheep as chips mite copy you for them to cool my willwoods if they are any good :thumb
They direct/force incoming air to the front brakes, thus keeping toasty temperatures at bay.
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

Judging by the number of forum, text and Facebook messages that I've received from interested parties who want to know how to equip their pride and joy with a fridge, my guess is that many of you are already aware of the fact that my latest Irmscher MV6 project progress report has been published in the new edition of Performance Vauxhall magazine. For those that haven't seen it, click here to download/subscribe :)

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

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Not a huge amount to report since my last update. I've been grabbing an hour or two here and there to dismantle, clean and paint parts in advance of their return to active duty, but most of my free time has been spent working on the Cavaliers, Saabs, VXR, Roll-Royce etc. Still, progress is progress (however slow it may seem!).

The plastic of the front timing belt cover belonging to the engine that is going into the MV6 was cracked. I nabbed the same part off of one of my spare 3.2s and started scrubbing. Here's a photo taken before work began. Rank.

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Various brackets, lift hooks, mounts and ancillaries were stripped, cleaned and painted. Here are some 'before and after' shots:

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Don't forget the new o-ring!

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Some other bits and bobs:

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As a consequence of the work that I do for Japanese Performance magazine, Mrs Humbucker and I were whisked away to the Nurburgring by Honda in order to witness the celebrations surrounding the launch of the FK2 Civic Type R. We were treated to a three day binge of unlimited food, drink, World Touring Car Championship action, 24hr endurance racing, a chance to hit a lap of the 'Ring in between WTCC races, a loan of a Type R and bags full of Honda merchandise that included energy drinks endorsed by works driver, Tiago Monteiro. As Serek will tell you, I'm not a fan of energy drinks, but I thought I'd give this one a go as it was getting in the way on my workbench and I was out of coffee. Boy, did I get a lot done that afternoon! :lol:

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New coolant bridge o-rings. These aftermarket items have a wider rubber gasket surface area than their OE counterparts:

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Painted coolant bridge, brackets etc. Cleaned coolant pipe in place:

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With the tidied parts (finally) attached to the engine, I couldn't help but feel that the previously-cleaned alternator housing looked a little scruffy... so I painted that too! The scrubbed front timing belt cover was fitted at the same time (complete with all new zinc-plated bolts):

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Powerflex purple polyurethane keyfob. This will provide the car with an additional 20bhp:

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by dycie »

surely that fob will produce 15-20 in its condition?
She doesn't do many miles to the gallon but she does loads of smiles to the mile.
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by humbucker »

I’m a sucker for factory cost-options. Whether its colour-screen infotainment systems, styling upgrades or equipment that has no apparent use, I’ve been keen to retrofit these oft-awesome accessories to each of my motors (even if the parts in question are for models other than those sat on my driveway). With that in mind, you can imagine my surprise when serial Performance Vauxhall feature car owner, Tom Cowles, showed me the genuine GM refrigerator that sits between the back seats of his Signum. There was no doubt about it – I had find a way to equip the rear of my MV6 with the same bit of kit!

In addition to its food and drink cooling capabilities, the Signum’s fridge includes retractable fold-out tables, multiple storage compartments, a duo of 12-volt power points and handy cup holders. Originally available to order in tan or black with cloth or leather-trimmed lids (and an option of integrated audio controls), this unusual component represents a feature that few Signum owners saw fit to request before collecting their new cars from dealer showrooms in period.

Fortunately, MIGweb forum user, Melv, had a tidy leather-clad example of the rare refrigerator collecting dust in his shed. He agreed to sell me the part, and he was also able to supply the required wiring loom.

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Mount/cradle:

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Fizzy pop on lockdown:

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Rubber insert present and correct:

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That all-important loom:

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Of course, positioning a fridge that was designed to sit between Signum seats atop an MV6 rear bench proved tricky, not least of all because I had to be sure that the unit was secured firmly in order to prevent it from flying around my car’s cabin in the event of an accident! To that end, I ordered a genuine mounting bracket, bolts, screws and other Signum fitting equipment from my local Vauxhall parts desk before engaging in a process of trial and error that involved attacking my long-suffering Griffin’s carpet, underlay and middle arm rest hinges, as well as the drilling of bolt holes into the car’s transmission tunnel.

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This is how the loom attaches to the locking floor bracket:

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Carpet and underlay cut, transmission tunnel drilled. I crawled beneath the car and sealed the holes and bolt ends that were showing after the work was complete. The MV6's propshaft acted as a bit of an obstacle (something that I guess Signum owners don't have to worry about!), but I got there in the end :

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Loom fed through from boot space and under seats/carpets:

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I’m delighted to be able to report that my MV6 is now fully fridged-up! And in case you were wondering whether or not the super Signum gear is removable, the use of a flip-down mounting-point lid conceals the main bracket and electrical connector that I’ve buried deep within the car’s carpet, allowing me to extract the refrigerator without leaving any mess behind. Neat!

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Rear brackets need extending, but otherwise all good!

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by James McGrath »

That's awesome.
Love the mini fridge! :thumb
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

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James McGrath wrote:That's awesome. Love the mini fridge! :thumb
A shame that the depth of the 'cool' bit isn't enough to accommodate anything above the height of a regular can of drink. That means no bottles of water, no energy drinks etc. Oh, and no cans of beer. Top Deck shandy, perhaps, but no beer. Not that alcohol and driving is a winning combination. Unless it's 1972, of course. But even then, you need to know your limits.

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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Awesome accessory winnage!
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by dycie »

again i find myself reading this whole build.......i eagerly await more work to be done here! this car is going to be one of my favorites.
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Re: humbucker's 2004 Irmscher MV6 #irmscherMV6

Post by Envoy CDX »

So, been revisiting this on and off over the past couple of days, I have to say - Wow....

Dan, how the 'eck do you get the bits so clean? and I mean specifics, products and so on :)
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