Jim

This solution certainly works in summer but the car is pretty much unusable this time of year without a heater - all it takes is some light freezing rain and you're screwed when you can't keep the windscreen heated to clear it :( I was lucky that my matrix blew towards the end of the summer when the weather was mild - so I bypassed it for a while and then tackled it before the weather really turned. If you run into any problems doing the job, be sure to ask on here - plenty of us have had the pleasure of this job now!

Yeah - clearly not healthy!

Hey mate - sorry - missed this post last night. Very kind of you to offer but I think I'll decline for two reasons.. 1 - I'd be afraid of damaging them somehow as I know they're rare and 2 - I'd probably want to keep them as I've wanted a set forever and ever!! :) I'll just get an oil pressure check done with the traditional type of tool I think. But really appreciate the offer :) On that subject, have you checked out this vid? Someone running their rather poorly sounding VR6 without a cam cover at all!!

Let's hope it's not that.

To confirm your heater matrix is leaking, you should pop off the shelf underneath the glove box and have a feel around the underside of heater box itself which is a big black plastic unit dead central at the bottom centre of the dashboard. If you get coolant on your fingers, you know you've got a fun job ahead of you :)

It's pretty hard to describe the noise - I'm going to have to try and grab a video clip I guess. I'd say it was like a bicycle chain ticking / clicking but then with a bit more volume and 'echo', but I'm pretty sure it's coming from more at the top end than the bottom end. That said I've no idea what sort of noise worn bearing shells would make so I guess it could be anything. As I understand it they were replaced during my rebuild so they should be fine as can't have done more than 7000 miles since then? But then if there's been any kind of oil supply problem anything is possible. The noise is more rythmic / has a pattern unlike when timing tensioners are kind of warn where it's more this constant kind of constant clattering noise. In terms of it going past 2,000RPM - originally, yes, the noise would sort of clear as the revs built but again I have to say since switching to this thicker weight / better quality oil, I'd say the ticking does seem to come and go right through the rev range.

Yeah I am considering the possibility that the oil pump could be to blame here... I was wondering if the thicker weight oil is amplifying the problem of it being a bit weedy and unable to pump it at a high enough pressure. Having already spent quite a lot on the last round of work, I'm reluctant to just go throwing more money at replacing parts until I can be reasonably sure they're actually faulty so an oil pressure test was definitely in my mind. Was looking at oil pressure test kits - can get one for £20 but people saying that the accuracy of those is a bit pants and that you're better off with a £70+ kind of kit.. but I think I'd rather put that towards labour at Stealth and let them do a pressure check save getting a kit I literally use once every couple of years :)

I need to spend my money on getting my car working correctly before spending it on nice things like alloys :(

Cheers Kev - Interesting piece of kit :) Not cheap, but not a bank breaker either. Will see what Stealth have to say about it all in the new year. Really wish I had the money for a Schimmel built motor - top to bottom end with all his goodies installed like the cams, etc.

The holy grail of Corrado wheels :)

Sounds awesome mate. Smooth as butter :)

Disappointingly after a couple of runs, the top end ticking and tapping seems worse than it ever has been which is hard to fathom. It seemed pretty good after putting the tappets in and the first drive but has become progressively worse - even more so now with the 10w50 Pro Race S that I just filled the car with last week. It's not just the normal level of VR ticking and tapping.. there's definitely something amiss. From about 1,500RPM upwards it sounds like a bicycle chain clicking and ticking away, loud enough to be heard quite clearly in the cabin with the windows all shut. Yet at idle it's lovely and quiet - smoother than it has been in ages. It's only as the revs start to build that it starts sound terrible making me wonder if an oilway is blocked in the head or something. The ticking doesn't come from the timing chain side, rather the opposite side of the head. Going to get christmas out of the way and arrange a visit to Stealth for a general check over and oil pressure check. I need to get this sorted as it's really getting to the point where I can't be doing with this any more.

Indeed. A pretty horrendous state of affairs up that way :( Hope no one on here has been affected.

Certainly be an interesting watch.

Looks fantastic. The engine must absolutely purr and be lovely and quiet?

Hm. See I've no idea what stuff was replaced during my rebuild in 2014 (as I never did get a breakdown of the work done despite repeated requests), so no clue on whether the oil pump or any associated gear was touched.

Nice work - these look fantastic!

Done a few miles in the car now since doing the work and thought I'd give some feedback. Injectors have improved things overall. Everything seems smoother generally - smoother acceleration, smoother idle, etc. Well worth doing. Drivability with the stock cams doesn't seem that different compared to the SP263's.. I guess I'll only notice the difference from them missing more at the top end of the rev range, which I've not really ventured into yet, but around town and on an A road cruise it seems no different to me. Tappets have quietened down somewhat now and the specific stuck tappet type noise has gone (which lead me to tackle this job in the first place) however I'd say there is now more valvetrain noise overall - noticable 'ticking' audible in the cabin at various revs whilst crusing at 60/70MPH which has been a problem with my motor since forever, and which I presumed this would cure. So I've just ordered some Fuchs Pro Race S 10w50 as I've had very good experiences with this oil in the past and think it'll quieten things down quite considerably as I'm currently running Synta Silver and am really overdue an oil and filter change. Also got some new plugs and an air filter on the way (the correct NKG plugs and Mann filter) so hopefully she'll be purring like a kitten after that lot are fitted. Cheers.

Looks nice and clean and unmolested :) Agree about the wheels though - they've got to go! :)

You can say that again.

Pleased to report I spent the morning and some of this afternoon on it and she fired into life about 2pm. Bit clattery and lumpy for the first few seconds but quietened and smoothed down. I've not took it for an extended drive yet (just took a gentle drive back to my other lock-up) but so far, so good. Refurbished injectors have made a major difference - it's much much smoother, and I think things are quietening down though I think the tappets will need a bit more time to fully bed in. Had a poke around the engine bay but couldn't see any large obvious oil leaks from the little split on the head gasket where it poked out of the head on the timing chain side and my sealant all appears to be working OK. Just relieved to get it back to the other garage for now - will either pop back tomorrow or next weekend sometime for some more tinkering and to take it out for a proper run. Thanks for all the help, advice, and understanding whilst I was getting worked up about this nightmare! This forum is a godsend! :) Will also need a correct map for it now that it's back on stock cams - I'm still running a map for the SP263's. Cheers.

Thanks so much for creating this great resource Andi. I'm amazed you held out and kept this place going this long given you'd not owned a Corrado for a decade - it's certainly been appreciated by so many people, myself included. But it's not just been about keeping my Corrado on the road. I've met so many good friends through this forum, that have gone on to be great mates and.. hell.. I've even travelled around Europe and made friends in other countries just because of the Corrado, and this forum. Thank-you so much and all the best with your future endeavours :)

Thanks Rog. I think really nothing compared to the nightmare you were going through with your engine, but certainly added a few more grey hairs for me this time around. Just haven't had any time to get near the car to finish putting it back together either since at least getting the cam sprocket plate on.. hoping for some time this coming weekend. And I don't even have any family or kids - how people with those sort of commitments find any time to themselves is beyond me!

If you're feeling flush, they're available new from VW in Germany... http://shop.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/vwcp/scirocco-corrado/corrado/power-unit/engine/g-supercharge-037145401c.html It is gonna set you back about £2000 though :(

If you're feeling flush, they're available new from VW in Germany... http://shop.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/vwcp/scirocco-corrado/corrado/power-unit/engine/g-supercharge-037145401c.html It is gonna set you back about £2000 though :(