sparky Paul

Which engine?

It doesn't need much of a mist of oil getting onto the belt to shut the noise up for a bit. It's impossible to guarantee that will be it, but these noises from the belt on the 2.3 are almost always the tensioner and/or idler pulley. The idler is easy enough to replace, and it's cheap compared to the tensioner - I would guess about

Solid alternator pulley on the 2.3 petrol. If the noise sounds like demented budgies and the idler hasn't been replaced, that will almost certainly be the culprit. Usually spraying a bit of oil or water about cures the problem for a short while.

It's a VW thing, they have similar arrangements on quite a few of their models. I can't remember seeing a cross section diagram, or anything like that, but you might be able to google something. This link below shows a similar arrangement on the VW Golf... http://workshop-manuals.com/volkswagen/golf-mk4/images/golf-mk4-395.png The bearing is fixed to the top of the strut, and the fat rubber seat is shaped to fit snugly over the bearing and sit between it and the inside of the suspension turret. The weight of the car on the suspension keeps it all together. The cup-shaped steel top mount, which is fixed to the very top of the shocker shaft and sits ABOVE the suspension turret, stops the whole thing coming adrift when you jack the car up. When the car is jacked up, you will find a disconcerting amount of up/down and side to side movement in the top suspension mount, this is quite normal. I would still make sure it is the bearings, and not just failed rubber mounts - you can do the rubbers without taking the struts out. You can check the rubbers by measuring the the top mount protrusion above the suspension turret, should be about 3/8". Any more than that, and the rubbers have collapsed. This will give the symptoms you describe, as would bad bearings. To do the bearings requires you to remove the struts, and the easiest way to do that is to remove the strut and wheel hub assembly in one lump - splitting the two in situ is not easy. FWIW I've had Lemforder bushes for the bottom arms, the Lemforder branded boxes supplied contained genuine VW parts with VW part numbers.

I think the OP has a diesel, hence my recommendation of VAG-COM. If you have a laptop handy, it's cheap, and it works.

As Chris says, it's a strut out job to change the bearings, but the rubbers can be done without removing the struts. Make sure it's not just the rubbers that's collapsed, I fitted all new bits when I replaced my shocks and springs, and the new Febi Bilstein bushes collapsed within 6 months. The rubber fouled the bearing and top spring cup, causing the steering to become notchy and the strut top mounts to protrude excessively. If you can get the top mounts off, the strut can be pushed down far enough to slip the old rubber bush out underneath the wheelarch turret and slide new ones in. The bush just floats on top of the bearing and the whole thing is held together with the top mount. I replaced my duff bushes this way a few years ago and it's been fine ever since.

VAG-com takes some beating for the diesel Galaxy, you need a laptop but the cable is cheap - currently about five quid on that well known auction site, or about

I guess you could under-tighten the balljoint taper if it wasn't properly seated, but so long as you make sure it is, it shouldn't be a problem. Not sure, but I don't think the wishbone bolts are stretch bolts - at least Ford don't say to replace them. I suspect the angle tightening requirement is because the inner bushes deform on tightening.

The only one that needs to be tightened with the wheel on the ground is the bolt through the front bush. Not necessary for the rear and balljoint, they can be fully tightened with the wheel off. IIRC you can get a long extension to the front bolt with the car on the ground.

Yes, 3/16". The only cheap flaring tool worth buying is a copy of the old one I use - search fleabay for a Franklin AF2003. I know someone who has one of these, and it works just as well as mine. The other cheap ones, particularly the ones with the horseshoe shaped yoke, are junk. Once you have the knack of using it, they make really good flares. Practice a bit on scrap copper until you get the hang of it. It's not designed for it, but I have done steel flares with my old one - if you cut the pipe accurately, are very careful, and use LOTS of grease.

Front to rears usually go near the 90

That's weird, mine were definitely 21mm, as were the replacement nuts. The hex in the centre of the shaft is 7mm, if there's anything left of it. If you are going to work on a Galaxy, 15mm and 18mm sockets and/or spanners are essential.

Check scuttle drains are clear, and sunroof drain pipes too, if fitted. There's quite a few threads on here about leaks, and how to locate them, but the above are favourites.

21mm. ...same as large spark plug socket.

It's certainly a strange one this. If reducing the vacuum makes the brakes operate normally, it still points towards a fault within the servo, or maybe a sticky master cylinder... but you have changed both servo and master cylinder. Any fault within the ABS block shouldn't be affected by releasing the vacuum, likewise collapsing hoses etc.. When the brakes lock up, does the pedal fully retract when taking your foot off? Have you tried the the old 'toe under the pedal and lift' trick? Have you done the usual simple servo tests, and did it show up anything unusual? Vent all vacuum with engine off, depress pedal several times to exhaust vacuum Start engine with foot on pedal, pedal should give way as vacuum assistance builds up Switch off engine. Subsequent depressions of the pedal should get harder, all vacuum should be exhausted after several pushes.

Ah... further information. ;) Excessive vacuum shouldn't cause this. When the pedal is released, the input side is vented via the bypass so that both sides of the diaphragm are at the same vacuum - hence no assistance. If it's servo related, either air is getting into the input side, or the actuator is not being released far enough to open the bypass. When you changed the servo/master cylinder, was any of the adjustments loose, in particular on the rod to the pedal assembly?

Sounds like a fault within the servo, possibly a faulty seal allowing air into the input side of the diaphragm.

Probably a broken reluctor ring, or less likely, an abs sensor or wiring. If you have access to VAG-COM diagnostics, that will tell you where the problem lies. Otherwise, check the rings on the front driveshafts first of all, as they're usually the first ones to go. They are on the outside of the outer CV joint, right in behind the wheel hub. With full lock on the wheel, you should be able to see the rings, check that they are not split or damaged - they are like a metal band with rectangular slits cut through them. Replacement involves splitting the driveshaft from the hub. Replacement rings are very cheap to buy, but you will also need a new driveshaft end bolt on reassembly. If the rings look okay, check that the abs sensor connectors under the front wheelarches are in good condition, and that the wiring looks okay. Rear sensors rarely give problems, but ditto those if you can't find any problem up front. Failing that, you really need to see what VAG-COM says.

Sounds like a loss of servo assistance, probably a vacuum pipe leak. Not sure exactly how the diesel vac pipes are arranged, but there are certainly known weak points - have a search of the forum. Otherwise, check the vacuum pipework back from the brake servo.

Can't see why it should be a problem. Even if the box is locked solid, you should be able to wangle it off.

When I speak to people who have cars with these small modern diesels, they often say that they get nowhere near the very impressive official consumption figures. They are also very complex indeed, and the DPF situation renders them unsuitable for some types of driving. I'm considering replacing my old bus with an LPG converted petrol, far less to go wrong. The 1560cc Peugeot diesel suffers from very specific issues, it's worth having a read up on the 'net before you consider any car fitted with one - you will find this engine in Peugeot, Citroen, Ford, Mini, Mazda, Volvo and others.

It's the 1560cc Peugeot diesel, I wouldn't touch one with a barge pole. Those engines are a disaster.

21mm IIRC

insanitybeard's right, the 2.3 continued with the 5 speed when the VW engines swapped to 6 speed. Swapping for a 6 speed is a no go, the only good news is that there's plenty of good 5 speed boxes about.

Could it be connected with the known DPF issue? THIS might be worth a read.