I have refitted the grill-muff though, so I think I'll remove it and give the car a run. To be fair the temperature is only around 13 degrees at most, so I can't really see the muff as a cause, but having just read the Wiki page on Engine Knock, and a cause is hot running engine, I might as well start there as anywhere else.

Mmm I thought muff was for temps much cooler than that. below 8 degrees C is it? I might be wrong though.

I would wonder about that fuel too. I once got a lot of pinking when I had fuel form two different garages - my friendly garage said it could have been because the fuel was different octane ratings. (I had Super and Non-Super together.) that time, I did also have the muff fitted. Garage said dont bother with it unless its bloody freezing.

Citroen recommend it's fitted below 10 degrees, but removed above 15 degrees!

Hmmmm. Another beautiful day in the Shetland Islands, so thought I'd try the Deuche again when I got home from work earlier. No evidence of pinking as there was the other day. What the Hell is going on?

?

Been a rather chilly w/e, so even though I've bought and received the 'carbon fibre' exhaust and inlet manifold gaskets from ECAS this week, I've not done anything about it yet. No real rush to get it done, given how bloody cold it is.

Day off and the weather is glorious, so I've made a start on replacing the manifold gaskets. Has so far taken me around 90 minutes to remove the manifold. Just need to fit the gaskets and refit everything. Easier said than done.

So I've managed to fit the gaskets and refit manifold and heat exchangers back on the engine. Everything is fitted except the panels. One thing that became obvious, and clearly the reason for the one gasket to blow, was loose nuts on the driver's side exhaust port. The one nut had practically no thread left on it! Found a nut or two and manifold is now secured tightly to the heads. Clamps on the left side of the engine appear to be gas tight, but on the right side both clamps are blowing. I ran out of daylight by 4pm, so that'll have to wait for another day. I'm no mechanic, so I feel quite proud of myself this evening. I genuinely feel I've done a good job, and it was far more straightforward than I had feared.

So around half five yesterday evening, in the dark, I decided I couldn't rest without trying to get the two clamps to seat properly, so I went back out to the garage and spent around half an hour on the car. Left it overnight and popped out to see if my handy work had paid dividends. Too right it has!
Wow! Engine nicely muffled by an exhaust system that is gas tight right the way back to the tail pipe, which has a lovely burble to it. Well chuffed. Just wish I'd done it sooner. A really simple job. I've been out giving the car a run and getting some juice back into the battery, which was as flat as a witch's tit. Had to jump it off the Golf again. Ah well, nothing's perfect.

I love it when a plan comes together.
I must do mine, but don't have a garage and it pissing down.