Roger Chatfield

As some of you know I'm having a few problems with my VR6, as I've already got the sump off I thought it may be a good idea to change the big end bearing shells as I'm led to believe that this is quite easy with the engine still in the car. Can anyone recommend a supplier for said big end bearings?? Many thanks Rog.

It sticks to a magnet and is like tin foil, really thin. Rog.

I've had a look about the internet and discovered that the bottom chain tensioner is plastic so the metal flakes have not come from there. I wonder if it's a good idea for me to check the big end shells while I have the sump off, is this possible? Rog.

Update.. Ok, grabbed a quick hour down the garage and managed to get the top chain cover off.. Guess what, my tensioner has been replaced with the later type... so the question is... where did that piece of plastic come from?? Has the top tensioner failed at some point in the past and that's been stuck in the oil strainer all these years or has it come from somewhere else... is the bottom chain tensioner of similar design?? Oh, and a quick pick of the cams, look like new, no wear and all looks nice and clean... looks like its been looked after. Rog.

No, however my best mate is Sean's uncle, which I didn't realise until I joined this forum... It's a small world....lol Rog.

I'm interested, looks like a good solution. I've used EL sheet before and have just one little concern, I found that the driver was quite noisey, you could hear it buzzing but that was a few years ago so I guess things may have moved on a bit since then. Do you know of any noise issues with these drivers? Rog.

Dave, I've got one here mate, PM me your address and I'll drop it in the post. Rog.

How do you save £10 when buying a OEM oil filter for your VR6..... simple, don't buy it from Volkswagen... Long story short, I needed a new filter at short notice so I phoned the local sealer as I wanted an OEM filter... £17.95 plus the VAT sir, will be here wednesday... errr I need it today so no thank you. So decided to go to GSF knowing full well that although they have it on the shelf it won't be OEM... £7.50 including VAT.. Got it home and thought, that looks very much like the old VW filter I have just removed.. New 'GSF' filter on left, old 'VW' on right. Top of 'VW' filter.. HENGST E300H... Note the 'VW' logo stamped in the housing. Top of 'GSF' filter.. HENGST E300H... Note NO 'VW' stamp.. Yep, exactly the same filter, basically you are paying VW an extra £10 for a 'VW' stamp and a two day wait. Rog.

Afternoon all, Thought its about time I updated this thread. So, starting from where I last left off, I now have a VAGCOM setup, it says I have a problem with one of the valves in the ABS so I've now got a replacement sat in the garage waiting to go in. Next was my stereo, it really bugged me that I had to have my ipod plugged in the front so I took it to pieces and soldered in a cable so I can have my ipod connection out the back and hidden away. Then I had a problem with the electrics, the dash lights would come on when the ign was switched on and the fan motor would run with the ign off but the lights on... and you could control the speed of the fan using the dash dimmer... weird.. well after much head scratching I got in the books and started to trace the lighting and ign circuits, eventually traced the fault to a short in the heated window switch, the switch has been drilled so the alarm led can be fitted to the blank, this must have left some swarf in the switch and this caused a short, a quick blow out and all is now good. Then I noticed a leak in the oil cooler so I replaced the 13 row cooler with a 19 row item I had kicking about the garage. Now I have a problem with the engine, it has always 'ticked' when cold so I've bought a new set of lifters that are waiting to be fitted, then I noticed a bad rattle sound when hot and under load, its worse above 3k and quite loud so I took it up to Dan at Devon Dub Shack, he advised me to see an old customer of his who is a bit of a VR6 expert, he suggested that it could be big and/or small ends.... bugger... however he has a mate who has an engine for sale... so a deal was done and I ended up being the proud owner of a spare VR6 engine. It came out of a Golf so I assumed it was a 2.8 AAA but I later found out that the Golf was a converted 1.6 and guess what, the engine is a ABV... result.. Oh, and it came with all these spares.. It was suggested that maybe due to the mileage on my car that maybe the oil is a bit thin for it, I serviced it myself and used the VW synta 10W 40 so I bought some really expensive 10W 50 fully syth oil from Opie in the hope that it'll quieten down the engine and maybe buy me some time.. it's worth a shot in my book, although I do now have a spare engine I really want it to stay a spare...lol So today I dropped the oil and filter. Checked out the filter and it's full of metal particals.... not good.. Filter housing full as well Although there didn't seem to be any in the oil.. So I thought I better drop the sump, there was a few bits in the bottom of the sump but not much however the oil pump strainer was full so i removed the pump and got all the bits out. Then I got a surprise, I pulled this big bit out of the stainer.. Comparing it with my spare engine it appears to be part of the upper chain tensioner, there is also a bit of the securing rivet. mmmmmm I'm actually quite pleased, it now looks like the tensioner has failed and broken up so hopefully the rest of the engine is fine, I ran out of time today so tomorrow the plan is remove the upper chain cover and check it out, hopefully the tensioner is damaged and a replacement will solve my problems... however the gearbox needs to come off to get to the bottom of the tensioner... bugger... better than an engine out though...lol I'll let you all know what tomorrow brings... Oh, quick pic of the inside of an oil pump.. Rog.

Sorry mate, I meant my electric cooling PUMP, not fan... Basically as soon as I turn on the ign the pump starts running. Rog.

Why don't you put this pic in your original thread. Rog.

Rob, I wonder if your car needs the ecu reset procedure carrying out, as I understand it if the battery has been disconnected this needs to be done. Rog.

Out of interest, my electric cooling fan comes on whenever the ing is turned on (even when engine is cold), is this normal? Rog.

Personally, if it ain't broke don't fix it...lol, do a comp test to see if the HG is good and if it's all ok clean it up, fix the rocker leak and chuck it back in. Rog.

As above, good luck mate, be good to see this cracker back on the road. Rog.

Bad news mate but tbh I don't think the HG has gone, yes there is a leak somewhere but but the pics it looks that maybe it's leaking higher up and tracking along the head/block interface. BTW, how have you mounted it on the stand?? Rog.

Just founds it in the wiki, might explain my slight poor running when cold, cheers mate. Rog.

What's that all about? Rog.

Very nice, good price as well, welcome to the club. Rog.

Try disconnecting the battery for 30 secs, I had a starting problem with mine and that cured it. (Also have a Clifford) Rog.

Just had a quick look and its a ABV.. :) Chuffed to bits with that. Rog.

Evening chaps, I've managed to pick up a replacement engine for my Storm but I've not sure if its a 2.8 or a 2.9 how can I tell the difference? I assume the 2.9 is a ABV and the 2.8 a AAA but I can't find an engine number, the rocker cover has been polishd so no longer has its ID sticker. Rog.

Just take the stud to a local nut and bolt place and pick up some stainless nuts. Rog.

Sean, is it nuts that you need mate, I can't see how a bolt can attach to a stud. Rog.

Give Dan a shout at Devon Dub Shack mate.. http://www.devondubshack.co.uk Rog.