I had a rattle when driving at speed in my MK2F Bready that I traced to behind the diver-side passanger trim card. Took it off and found a right mess!

 

The pipe that I presume the fuel line runs through (whatever it is its a thick rubber pipe) has totally rotted away with the flange that i presume used to be attached to the rear wheel arch section now rattling around (thus the noise!). The line rus through the arch so it seems water had been entering it's steel pipe surround and eaten through iut with time, then started on the pipe flange and eventually made a nice hole directly from the wheel arch into the car interior. I had been wondering why that rear window was misting more than the others - there must have been water pissing in through that hole whenever I drove in the wet...

 

Here's a video

 

First things first - why aren't there plastic arch liners on both of my rear arches?! The front arches have them - should the MK2F have them on the rear? If not it seems insane - I have a bunch of hoses in that arch coming from the fuel pump that are in direct line of fire from the wheel. Not to mention a whole load of angles, knooks and crannies where water can spray into.

 

I can't see how I can get to the area to do a proper repair job - especially as this line (which I presume is fuel but who knows) is running through the hole. Is it worth just cleaning it, treating it and then caking the whole lot in a mess of body filler and just hoping for the best?

 

 

 

common problem , no they never had any plastic covers so they could be caked in salty mud for years and years 

Seems mad to me - especially when the Golf seems to come with rear arch linings. Ahh well, I'll see if I can't plug the hole up with some expanding foam or something!

golfs had no rear liners either , bot the greatest design

 

but then look how many polos survive compared to vauxhallls etc of the same age

True - and god knows how long it took to get to that state!

At least Golf mk2 got plastic fuel tanks!

Edited 4 January, 20197 yr by dvderlm

Don't use expanding foam, it soaks up water and makes the job 100x worse when you next have to deal with the rust. Trust me, I had to scrap a mk1 because of the previous owners expanding foam fetish 😫

Better to squirt Waxoyl or similar in and drain any water occasionally.

 

The tube is fuel tank breather.

Edited 4 January, 20197 yr by dvderlm