mr_fusion

Go the new pump and gasket. Looking forward to the autopsy on the old one to see how (or if) it failed. Probably won't be till the weekend now, which is a pain (due to doing all my repairs on the kerbside + lack of light).

Any considerations when fitting the pump (apart from priming it with petroleum jelly / vaseline)?

To be honest, now i have hammered the crap out of it, it looks ok. I will probably leave it for now (as long as it doesn't leak!)

Just phoned Alan Day VW, £61.89 for a sump.

Hey Kev, wondered when you would pop up! I am just preying that I haven't done any permanent damage running with low oil pressure, only time will tell I suppose. I have asked for a quote for a bottom end rebuild anyway, so I will weigh up my options when I get that back. p.s is a new sump a VAG only part?, as I can't find anywhere on the net that will do a new one. Any idea on price, as I know a few of the Vortech boys bought new sumps for tapping the oil lines.

Right, new pump is ordered, along with a sump gasket from Euro Car Parts - £133 all in. May not be able to fit until the weekend though, so another week of worry for me!! :-(

Ok, i have plumbed in the oil pressure guage (off a t-piece from the top of the oil filter where the oil pressure sensors are) Car is making 10-12psi oil pressure at idle but when revved the pressure does not really increase at all, so this leads me to believe that the oil pump is shot. The noise is more than likely the cams and chain rattling around as there isn't enough oil pressure to effectively reach the top end of the engine. Hopefully as I haven't really run it and haven't driven it since the noise started then I have caught it before too much damage has been done. Only way to tell is to fit a new pump and cross my fingers!

before i go spending wads of cash on replacement parts I have ordered a mechanics stethascope to try and get a better idea of the exact location of the noise. Only a few quid and could well save me hundreds of £ in unnecessary parts! At least then I can weigh up the cost implications before I have to have the car towed somewhere if I can't do the work myself. Alternatively, if all else fails I am considering getting a mobile mechanic out to let them have a listen and see if they have any ideas, obviously paying them for their time but without the expense of taking the C to a local garage. Ideally I would somehow get the car back up to shropshire (where i had all the recent major work done) as they are the only real place I know that I can trust with the VR6. Unless anyone knows of a good garage in London that is reasonable and honest?

Thanks for the suggestions guys I have already run it with the belt off to rule out the accessories as I thought this may have been the initial cause (after the supercharger) The water pump isn't that old anyway and the p/s pump, alternator and a/c pump all run smoothly. I am considering the oil pump as an option, especially due to the sump damage. http://www.eurocarparts.com/ part no : 323440400 £93.91 + p&p + vat = £110.34 Not the cheapest option, but an option none the less!

I also would have thought that at least the low oil pressure warning light would have come on if the pump was not working. I am going to test the oil pressure in the morning anyway and swap to the decat pipe just to rule that out of the equation. I understand that a bottom end rebuild is circa £2k which is not financially feasible in the circumstances (I only paid £1700 for the car originally)

Wouldn't bottom end oil starvation damage manifest itself in more of a heavier knocking noise though? This is definitely a more tinnier rattle (like something small and hard knocking against thin metal) i.e a higher frequency sound than you would expect from the bottom end

Ok then, Dropped the sump today. There was a definite dent in the bottom of it and a large scrape where it had hit the speedbumps. There was no sign of debris in the oil, only slight light mettalic coloured oil that had settled at the bottom which I would assume is 140k of engine wear particles. The bottom of the oil pump was dented (where the filter on the pickup pipe is) and this was conisistent with dent in the sump itself. I couldn't see any obvious wear to the crank etc and the engine turned over fine with a 27mm socket on the crank with no clunking or tapping noises. I have reshaped the pump back out with a heavy hammer, refitted and filled the oil back up again but the noise is still there. It does seem to be quieter and more specific now, but the same noise all the same. Exhaust components all seem solid and the cat doesn't rattle when tapped. All the heatshields seem fine. So still stumped. I don't have any oil pressure warnings, but is it possible the oil pump is damaged internally and is making this noise? It does increase speed with revs although I previously didn't think it did as i didn't want to turn the engine over to rapidly. Anybody??

Ok, just been outside in the dark for another tinker.. Pulled all the plugs - 1,3,4,5,6 look ok - bit sooty Plug 2 was a little wet with fuel, other wise they all look in good condition. Had a peek down to the pistons, no obvious debris or loose parts in that area. Only other thing i spotted was a small coolant leak from around the thermostat housing area, just a drip though. I am starting to think that the noise is coming from the engine after all, just really hard to tell until i get get the C up on the ramps so I can have a proper look underneath. Will see what Vince has to say when he gets back to me, either way I will have to wait until saturday before I can have a proper look.

Right, i've had a chat with Vince and he is going to take a listen to the recording later at home, so maybe he will have a a better idea of whats going on!

I still could possibly be items in that area (heatshields etc), but i was going to decat anyway because of the rotrex. It's just going to have to be a process of elimination... Does anyone have any other ideas of what it may be though / experiences with similar (but maybe not as loud) noises? p.s i am going to replace with a proper decat pipe, not smash out the innards of the existing cat to "decat" it :-).

Well this theory has been confirmed as plausible by another source (VW specialists in shropshire) and they have seen it happen before (although whether specifically on a VR6 i don't know) The cat is a ceramic honeycomb in 2 sections (as i am lead to believe) so it could happen with enough force? The car had a side on accident before i puchased it (as it evident by the passenger side sill which is dented pretty deeply) so it may be 14years worth of knocks and its finally given way. +14years of hot engine gases and vibration from driving. Correct me if i'm wrong, but aren't these things only meant to last 4-5 years anyway (80,000 km)? At the end of the day, its one of the cheaper options I have as well as the fact that I have the decat pipe on the way. I will remove heatshields etc when I fit it so, time will tell. refs: http://www.carpages.co.uk/news/catalyti ... -09-05.asp http://www.tecom.si/ang-page.htm http://auto.howstuffworks.com/catalytic-converter2.htm

Right then, i may have some new info.. I have been speaking to a friend of mine who has a 2L Audi A6 and apparently he hit his cat on a speed bump and shattered the innnards of it, as mentioned I hit a few speedbumps just before the noises started. He says it made the same noise (except quieter) but this would probably be correct as the VR6 would probably be generating more noise in this area due to the bigger engine. My decat pipe is on its way anyway (I ordered it last week) so I will find out when I fit it. Any thoughts?

I don't have any all pressure warnings (light or buzzer) but I am inclined to drop the sump and examine the bottom end to see if anything is amiss / loose down there. I really hope its not bottom end problems as that may be prohibitively expensive to fix. Any one else got any ideas to what it might be?

Right then. Got the laptop out to get a better recording. plugged it into vagcom while I was there.. no errors though. See attached mp3. p.s very hard to work out where the noise is coming from as its so loud. although seems to be top / behind the lump. Could a loose heatshield really make this much racket though!!?? I'm pretty stumped as I can't locate the source...

I will try and get a better recording.. i wil post it up later Cheers guys

anyone?

THi All Some of you have been following my progress with the rotrex charger and will now know i have decided to continue the project. However, I now have a new problem that is driving me nuts. So a little background info to start with. New timing chains and tensioners New headgasket New hydraulic lifters etc + all parts associated with this type or work. (all parts about 3 months old) Driving home last night from sainsburys, i clipped a couple of speed bumps on the heatshield under the cat. About a minute later there was a loud clattering noise from the engine. I pulled over to look what was going on, but it was dark and wet so i drove slowly home (about 1/4 mile down the road) So, today i decided to investigate further today and the horrible clattering noise is still there. There is plenty of oil and the car has been running smoothly since the work. I suspected a loose heatshield to begin with, so i jacked up the car to inspect but found nothing loose underneath. Next I decided to check out the cams etc, so i removed the inlet manifold and rocker cover and inspected the cams, lifters and chains. All look in excellent condition and there is no play in the cams and no sign of loose objects floting around in the oil. So, i put the top of the engine back together and decided to remove the super charger and put it back to stock (charger, oil system, belt, pulleys, injectors etc). Once back to stock, i started her up again, same noise. The noise does not increases with revs, doesn't change when the clutch is pressed or if it is put into gear and move slowly forward. The noise is a clattering / chattering noise a bit like some one has poured a pile of nuts and bolts into the inlet manifold and is shaking it about. The noise is pretty loud as well ( as you can hear from the attached file). I have attached a recording of the noise (wav file) to give you an idea, but the quality isn't amazing as it was recorded on my phone. NOW REMOVED TO AVOID CONFUSION - LOOK FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE FOR THE MP3. TA! It gets quieter towards the end as I moved away from the engine bay. Any ideas!!???? Cheers Guys BenHi All Some of you have been following my progress with the rotrex charger and will now know i have decided to continue the project. However, I now have a new problem that is driving me nuts. So a little background info to start with. New timing chains and tensioners New headgasket New hydraulic lifters etc + all parts associated with this type or work. (all parts about 3 months old) Driving home last night from sainsburys, i clipped a couple of speed bumps on the heatshield under the cat. About a minute later there was a loud clattering noise from the engine. I pulled over to look what was going on, but it was dark and wet so i drove slowly home (about 1/4 mile down the road) So, today i decided to investigate further today and the horrible clattering noise is still there. There is plenty of oil and the car has been running smoothly since the work. I suspected a loose heatshield to begin with, so i jacked up the car to inspect but found nothing loose underneath. Next I decided to check out the cams etc, so i removed the inlet manifold and rocker cover and inspected the cams, lifters and chains. All look in excellent condition and there is no play in the cams and no sign of loose objects floting around in the oil. So, i put the top of the engine back together and decided to remove the super charger and put it back to stock (charger, oil system, belt, pulleys, injectors etc). Once back to stock, i started her up again, same noise. The noise does not increases with revs, doesn't change when the clutch is pressed or if it is put into gear and move slowly forward. The noise is a clattering / chattering noise a bit like some one has poured a pile of nuts and bolts into the inlet manifold and is shaking it about. The noise is pretty loud as well ( as you can hear from the attached file). I have attached a recording of the noise (wav file) to give you an idea, but the quality isn't amazing as it was recorded on my phone. NOW REMOVED TO AVOID CONFUSION - LOOK FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE FOR THE MP3. TA! It gets quieter towards the end as I moved away from the engine bay. Any ideas!!???? Cheers Guys Ben

OK Then Lads (and Ladeeees) Seems like I have had a change of heart on this.... Now i've had a month to mull this over and have spoken to a few sources, I have decided to continue. To be honest, at the time I was getting a little pissed off with how far I had got and then falling at the last hurdle, but I think I can cheaply get this to be a viable project for my C again. So..... Problems: a) Reduce the boost b) Calm the pinking c) Quieten down the dump valve as its pissing me off now.. "Psshhhht Pssshhht Psshhht" Solutions: a1) Ok, a new 80mm pulley (I am running 70mm at the mo = 15psi) whould calm it down to 10-12psi - £60 a2) I am going to fit a decat pipe as I have been advised that all the gases are not being able to get out of the exhaust quick enough after being burnt and the 14 year old cat is quite possibly a little bunged up by now. As long as i swap back over to the cat at MOT time then all is well. b) Cooler platinum plugs and uprated ht leads should help with a stronger spark and also help with the detonation problems. I may also consider an uprated fuel pump. c) I have ordered a recirc dump valve to replace my Bailey DV24. This should quiten down the intake side considerably and combat the "Chav" sound I have grown to hate with a passion! All these mods are going to cost less than £200 (not including the fuel pump), so I will see how I get on over the next week or so. Keep u posted... Ben

Not mine. I bought the thermostat seperately afterwards and it sits in line with the oil lines (after the sandwich plate, before the rad) I got the custom cover plate from Vince, so I am now able to fit the sandwich plate and the OE heat exchanger. Obviously easier with built in stat, I just like giving myself these small challenges. Cheers Kev!

Hi Guys Going to finally fit my Mocal Kit this weekend, however I have an inline thermostat and I need to know which direction the oil comes out of the block into the heat exchanger. Does it come out of the central threaded hole up into the hollow pipe or does it come out of the other hole and directly into the heat exchanger (then back into the hollow pipe to go back into the block) The instructions for the thermostat say to disconnect the HT lead and turn the engine over with the heat exchanger off to see which hole the oil comes from, but this seems a bit impractical and messy if someone already knows! Cheers