craigowl

Yes, I used funkster's useful write up, too. 8) I broke a mounting bolt, too, when tightening up to torque and further research revealed that VAG recommend putting new bolts in after removal/turning of old ones as they are deemed "one use only". Probably best to have 2 or 3 handy - they only cost about a quid each - just in case you are unlucky. Personally, though, I would change them. You can bet yandards, cheesewire and others will agree! Did a brisk 130 mile round trip, mostly motorway yesterday, and no leaks after my novice-style installing of Gruvenparts crack pipe, new oil cooler hoses and new thermostat housing. Bloomin' miracle, I thought! Fingers crossed it all remains leakproof.

THanks for that, cheesewire - I am glad it was not all down to me being a numpty!

Here is pic of thermostat housing - circled in black and comprises three parts. View is looking from front of engine with radiator and grill removed.

As I had the front of the engine off to replace some cooling system parts, I took the opportunity to fix my spare (one of the last!) "VR6" badge to the grill with JB Weld. Without this, the badges are far too easy to unclip and steal by those in the know. Mind you, I suppose I have to be prepared to find the grill in a raggedy state someday if thief turns nasty after attempting a quick badge nick and failing. :lol:

Thanks platelet boy and Toad - your ideas sound bang on from further stuff I have read. Never drilled out a bolt, personally, so for an easier life , I have had to book car into garage tomorrow. They are going to charge about £108 including VAT for fitting new mount and bolt. (Mount costs about £56 but I thought I might as well have 12-year old one replaced.) One hour labour is good of them, I thought - I have had enough of wrestling with things! PS - Toad - torque for bolt (RH side from driver's posn) is 44ft lb according to Bentley, IIRC. 17mm bumper ones I did today are about 60!

Yes I have fitted crackpipe, water pump and two new hoses to oil cooler over the last few days. Did it by removing front, but had a setback when lowering engine after fitting water pump - bolt for right rear engine mount sheared when I tried to torque it up. (Somewhere it says VW recommend these bolts are one use only and you should renew them if you remove. :? ) Have had to book car into garage tomorrow. They are going to charge about £108 including VAT for fitting new mount and bolt. (Mount costs about £56 but I thought I might as well have 12-year old one replaced. One hour labour is good of them, I thought - I have had enough of wrestling with things!

No one? I now see on other forums that the engine mount bolts are called "stretch bolts" and are "for one use only" and should be replaced with new ones after removal. $hit! - Wish I had known this. I am fussy about things like that and would have had them ready. I recommend any one doing this job gets spare bolts.

Afte removing front of car, I have been replacing thermostat housing, oil cooler hoses and crack pipe (with Gruvenparts item) over last few days. Got good advice on forum search and other places. This is most the ambitious series of things I have ever done on a car. (Iam 62). Today, on the last leg, I was replacing the water pump. I jacked up engine after removing front mount and right hand mount bolts and loosening gearbox one. After fitting pump, and lowering engine slowly, right hand rear engine mount bolt sheared as I was tightening up to torque. :( :( $hit - so fed up now. :( My questions are: 1 - Will car be driveable to garage about 1.5 miles at other side of town (I have moved it backwards and forwards a little in the drive)? 2 - Will this involve the garage in much expensive labour? - How will they tackle this? - Will they be able to do it without removing engine? - Will drilling out the sheared 2cm of bolt be a straightforward operation, bearing in mind you can hardly get to the b##### bolt? Come on guys, cheer me up. :(

Goes without saying that all real users like Jay2's father are forgiven :lol: - my wife is a farmer's daughter so I know what vehicles are good in the field and for working hard. Many years ago, whilst driving a horse box, her father kept crawling forward in his own traffic lane in busy Reading town centre after a Rolls Royce, no less, had barged in front of him with no notice - result - an expensive crunch 8). I suspect he would not have had much time for the townies with their 4x4 baubles. :lol:

Yes, I know what you mean, A1 VR6. I am sure we prefer to be regarded as cool, if not particularly ostentatious. However, you have to reach into your wallet bigtime to keep the thing on the road, :lol:

Well, our two cars have a combined age of 28 years and mileage of 185k - traded in together we would not even get a Fiat Punto! :lol: I would not consider that makes us immodest and brash.

Unfortunately, they don't "protect the kids" if you go into a river or burst into flames. Nor do they teach them not to be hell bent on materialism or modest and unassuming in character.

Ach it does not look too bad, but I would never have one, no matter how rich I was. Regarding SUVs in general, during weekdays, they always seem to be driven in towns by little Stepford women. My acts of courtesy on the roads does not extend to them, particularly when they are indicating to be let out in our ridiculously choked High Street.

Thanks for the input guys. 8) Will try removing front today - if it turns out to be a pest I will put everything back together and have to get garage to do crackpipe fitting and oil cooler pipes. Dogzyboy - I have finally got all new parts for thermostat housing from VAG and Ford. Remember not to tighten the things up to tight - some of the bolts are at low torque settings off the bottom of the normal wrench's scale. (7 ftlb). Funnily I found all the plastic bits and the o rings to be in excellent condition with no cracks whatsoever after 12 years and 105k miles. I reckon that damage and leaks must occur as a result of cooking engine and/or overtightening bolts.

The Gruvenparts one is what I have, corozin. :D

That's great, guys - many thanks. :D I am just back in after checking out the numerous bits I got for the therm. housing from Ford this morning. I get another couple of bits from VAG tomorrow, then when my water pump hopefully arrives by post sometime :( I can get going. I wrestled with old crack pipe this afternoon - hauling and wriggling it from the right hand side, :shock: but no luck. I expect that the corrosion drunkenmonkey talks about does not help. Did manage to get oil cooler hose off pipe and unclicked a cable holder. Bloody, bleedin' knuckles now - I vowed I was never going to get in that state again after retirement, but when you get shiny alloy goodies from places like Gruvenparts there is no holding you! I really should learn to remove front, though, with all the free time I have (not), so will probably follow the Goldie route. Cheers for quick responses, boys.

I am hoping to replace crack pipe and water pump soon. Have got airbox, coolant, etc and old thermostat housing out. I have been reading "search" results all afternoon and find that you can get access to change crackpipe by 1 - Loosening front mount and jacking up engine 2 - Removing bumper and front end Any comments, guys? I cannot see how to get front end off, but believe from what I have read that removing wheel arch inserts and plastic side bits under bumper is a start. A simple guide to removing bumper and front end would be invaluable!

Supercharged - did not know about 2-year warranty with VW parts. Clearly, that is worth bearing in mind, too, when buying replacements. 8)

Try others for quotes - someone may come clean and do it without the dash removal. When fitting my Samco hoses, my local garage broke heater matrix pipe (old plastic). They got another matrix and charged me for it at cost - the whole bill for 1- Carry out MOT (£40.75 incl VAT) 2 - fitting Samcos (supplied by me) 3 - fitting replacement matrix 4 - supply of matrix (£45 incl VAT) was an astonishingly low £135 including VAT in 2004. Labour charge was 1 hour including "remove parts to gain access to heater matrix"!! My man must be a wizard. Long may it continue.

I am replacing a lot of coolant system parts just now. :? What a lot of "O" rings there are - or was that on some other sites I was surfing! :lol:

So sorry, olly! I knew I had got this from someone's link. Funny it was yours! Misread it too. I have read so much on the net over the last couple of days I have :? :? :? myself. Excellent guide on your link - I had it on paper amongst the other stuff about the cooling system.

But more recent plastic blades are reportedly breaking off. And see http://www.biryani.demon.co.uk/cars/cor ... _pump.html re little wear on metal (AMEND - should read PLASTIC - thanks to funkster) blades after 156k. Anyway, I've ordered a Hepu one from Herts. :) By the way, anyone with overheating problems should check pump, IMO.

If you have not had heavy rain recently (dont think so) or had the car hosed or in car wash, it is most likely to be matrix. Carefully taste the wet on your mat - antifreeze has a distinctive sweetish taste. Be certain to spit rather than swallow :lol: A heater matrix is like a little radiator - the fan blows air over it into the car when you have heater on.

Mmmm - confusing. I have been told by two local non VAG garages that water pumps on, say, Golfs, are "changed at every big service due to pumps now with plastic blades being of poorer quality".

Crack pipe original is apparently poor with bits tending to crumble - that is why at least 10 of us bought Gruvenparts alloy one last week.