oneohtwo

I pm'd you but the forum is a bit wonky at the moment, so not sure it went through. With the Corrados do you have a VR6 lower radiator support member in reasonable condition? I can deal with surface rust, but anything that needs cutting and repairing would be the same as my current one. Thanks,

Slight hiccup in the project. I've set about trying to tidy up the engine bay, dealing with a bit of rust here and there and generally smartening. Came to the rad support, and had a plan to deal with a large bulge of rust that had formed in the middle of the upper and lower sections. It's been there since I had the car, so not a great surprise. Plan was to cut it out and effect a small repair... unfortunately, it was rather larger than hoped. Cut most of it out but it still keeps going and it's in a difficult area to repair that is probably beyond the resources I have at my disposal. So I have decided just to replace the whole member. It was that horrible layered flaky stuff that just keeps growing, that was only going to get worse so I don't have any regrets about removing it, but struggling to find a replacement part!

Looking for a VR6 rad support in reasonable condition. Mine had a massive chunk of rust in the middle, which I had hoped to cut out and weld in a new piece, but having cut some of it out it just goes too far.

Ah nice, they rang me not too long ago so it seemed progress was going well. Hopefully won't be too long now! Currently just doing some tidying of the engine bay, sorting some rust under the battery tray and the rad support and just general cleaning. Had the oil pump apart and all looked in decent condition, no scoring marks so that's good. I've gone for the 263s as well, looking forward to seeing the difference! Did have a look to see if there were other little tweeks here and there that might be worth playing with, but it does seem like the 263s are the only thing that makes a difference.

I'd be happy to pay as well. Some of the suggestions above about having part free access and another part members, and a tie up with Corrado Club GB sound quite reasonable to my mind. It's such a valuable resource. Have to say I don't fully understand how everyone has transferred to facebook. Whenever I've looked at the pages there's nothing on there!

2k paint is a two part paint and contains a hardener so if you're going down the airgun route you may need to mix it yourself which may be one of the reasons it's not recommended. The other, and it's possibly more likely to be this, is the fumes/spray mist is nasty stuff that you do not want to breathe in. The HSE recommends air-fed breathing apparatus for spray booths. As far as I am aware there are no particular issues with drying and spraying. I have used it in aerosol form (so didn't have to mix) and didn't have any issues, and it left a good finish. It is popular for clear coat because it can be harder wearing than a single part paint. I did the spraying outdoors with a breathing mask (albeit I wasn't aware of the 2k at the time) so that probably lessened the fumes as opposed to being stuck in a spray booth. Biggest issue I had was getting a good blend. The bit I did was on the A-pillar but still got a bit of halo effect at the top. Not really noticeable and far better than before when the paint was peeling, but it is there.

To be honest, this might well settle it, thanks. The main reason was to reduce bay temps (with coating/wrapping) so that would be counter productive. Out of interest, which 6 branch did you have? Cheers for the link, might give them a shout, but as above probably gonna knock the idea on the head.

Anyone know of any half decent exhaust manifolds knocking about currently? Obviously Supersprint, but they are a bit silly money. I know the Raceland efforts were popular not too long ago, but they appear to be defunct. Wasn't after any performance gains, and I can't imagine you'd get any, but my reasons were two-fold: - bit of weight reduction as the stock one is quite a weighty lump of iron - I was thinking of ceramic coating, or at least wrapping it, to reduce the temp under the bonnet a touch. It would always get mega hot in there, and could feel it coming into the cabin Now, there are plenty of ebay specials about but I am a bit reluctant about those for obvious reasons. There are some branded ones about TA Technix, Direnza and OBX. Ultimately all look pretty similar, apparently knock offs of the Supersprint. OBX seem to have two types, 1 that appears to match the stock manifold closely with a relatively short 6 section and long 2, as well as the Supersprint type... TA Technix https://www.amazon.co.uk/TA-Technix-EVOFÄVR6-Technix-EVOFÄVR6-Compartments-Manifold/dp/B00DKWF47Y Direnza: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/350700275892?rt=nc&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Dd8facee2c94347aa976c3d7ed6ccb59b%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D7%26sd%3D333021301998%26itm%3D350700275892%26pg%3D2385738 OBX: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/173675648921?rt=nc&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3Dc3c460a5c1ef4c1f908558a09cf2d355%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D113828876834%26itm%3D173675648921%26pg%3D2385738 https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/183690270894?rt=nc&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20160908110712%26meid%3D2ecd80d0e454444d8cbbab56a8e964f0%26pid%3D100677%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D173675648921%26itm%3D183690270894%26pg%3D2385738 But I have also found these: https://races-shop.com/golf/88046-exhaust-manifold-stainless-steel-vw-corrado-vw-passat-vw-vento-vw-golf-fmvwfk05.html From a company called Friedrich Motorsport which do seem reasonable, manufacture in their own factory, and they look a bit better quality. Anyone got any experience of the above, or alternatives? I rather suspect I am best off keeping my money in my wallet, but it seems like a nice idea!

Right, so it's out! Found a fair amount of debris in the sump including a couple of bits of plastic. No idea where they've come from... So will probably open up the oil pump and just make sure everything is all ok. Have started tidying up the engine bay, gonna re-wrap all the wiring, give everything a solid clean and repaint the battery tray. Only downside is I managed to break the lower timing chain cover... just the bit in the corner. It was stuck on a rusted peg and wouldn't budge, gave it a bit of brute force and it snapped around the edge. It's a tiny bit just around the edge, but pretty annoying having to replace bits unnecessarily. Anyway, taking it up to Stealth on Monday. Quite excited!

Good thinking. I do have the Bentley manual so could probably find out from there, but I have tried to avoid delving into the wiring diagrams so far.

Hmmm, no. To be honest it might be alright, and I may have to live with it if there's not a viable new one. The insulating material has cracked off where the wire goes in, so the connector plate is free and the wire has pulled out a bit. Thinking about it I could potentially glue the plate back into place with epoxy resin, then cover the bare wire with electrical tape.

Right, eventually got an answer from VW about the part... and no surprises that it is obsolete, came as part of the whole ABS pump unit apparently. The question now though is, does anyone know anywhere a replacement might be found?! It seems a pretty obscure part so searching is tricky!

No, no BMWs! I think I should be able to borrow a car to run them up in so that should sort that. Seems preferable to go there in person whilst they inspect the bits... it's almost a pilgrimage!

Spoke to Vince and he didn't seem overly concerned with the damage to the head as long as there is a seal around it. He says they've come across it plenty of times, and was generally caused by a combination of the old G11 coolant/anti-freeze and the quality of alloy used in the head not getting along. Reckoned they'd be able to refurb that fine. Also said if the honing had worn the only real solution would be re-boring, which is as suspected, and that just re-honing in their experience wasn't worth the trouble. Also reckoned it was unlikely to cause issues further down the line, and they've never experienced issues with re-bored engines. So all in all, I think I'll go down that route. Keeps the original engine in the bay which is a major plus for me. Money I wasn't really expecting to spend, but there we go... but worth doing it right. Just have to sort a way to get it up to Stealth now!

Thanks for the advice all. The Cabmasters are old Ford stock apparently, spoke to the guy yesterday, intended for the Galaxy/Sharan - not sure what code they are. Price is also now £1k which is a bit less palatable than the £700-800 that I am sure it was when Jim got his. With the need to strip it down and give it a once over as well, I think I may rule out that option unless all else fails. Don't like the sound of putting a "Ford" engine in the Corrado either! Agree, some expert advice is needed, think I will give Vince a call. Sadly I am nowhere near Stealth (London) so difficult to take it along in person, but hopefully he'll be able to give a steer from the photos. This is the same for me as well, so would be my preferred option if it is practical!

Right, after further inspection I noticed the top of piston 6 was damaged: God f**king knows how that happened. I guess some debris got in whilst changing spark plugs or something. Anyway, that is less good, and there naturally is corresponding damage to the cylinder head. So that is at least 1 new piston... presumably I'd have to get all 6. I have therefore resolved that the block will have to come out whatever happens. The coolant jacket also needs a proper clean as it's pretty gunged up and I wouldn't want to do everything else and leave that as is. As I see it I have 3 basic options: 1) Get existing head and block refurbished Pros: - Possibly cheaper option depending on how much work is needed - was quoted £250-£350 for the head rebuild - I will know what has been done and can select who will do the work - Original engine stays with car (not really a major issue) Cons: - Fairly sure block will need reboring, weaking/making the block more prone to overheating or future damage. I've not measured the bores, but not sure it is even worth buying the equipment to do that - Will need full set enlarged pistons for the new bores. - Head already been repaired/skimmed after previous head gasket blow. A second repair seems like it's never going to be as good as the first, which wasn't as good as brand new etc - Seems less likely to last 2) Buy already refurbished parts, like this head https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RECONDITIONED-CYLINDER-HEAD-VW-FORD-MERCEDES-2-8-12V-VR6-1992-1998-021103373C/163400027184?hash=item260b668c30:g:R4oAAOSwH3haLT-G Pros: - Head cost about the same as refurbing existing - Already fully rebuilt with new parts and no prior damage/failures, so hopefully tougher - If a block can be sourced can avoid overboring cylinders - Can keep existing cylinders (except damaged one - may make no difference if have to buy a full set of 6) Cons: - Don't necessarily know history of parts - Might be hard to source a new block in good condition. May end up needing same work done to it making it more expensive. 3) Buy one of the new old stock Cabmasters engines, that I think Jim Bowen had Pros - As new, everything should be solid for many miles (This is the big one really!!) - Price was around £700 so if still that then not likely to be any more expensive than other options - Can plug straight in, no rebuilding necessary Cons - Have already bought some parts for existing engine, but could sell on - AAA not ABV so originality not quite there (I slightly like the uniqueness of the 2.9 and feel the Corrado should have it, but it's not a big one really) - Dizzy, but presumably can swap my chain cover to keep the coil pack? Need to check the price of the Cabmasters engine, but otherwise leaning towards 2 or 3. More I think about it 1 doesn't seem worth it...

Yeah that's worrying. Gasket looked in OK condition and the damage to the head was next to cylinder 5 not 1. I always got this as well. A new PCV was the first thing I installed after I bought the car, as it was either missing or falling apart when I bought it, can't remember which. After that still got all the oil on the outside of the hose and dripping onto the exhaust heat shield. I always just assumed it was due to excessive blowby from worn piston rings or a bad seal on the hose - turns out that suspicion might have been right looking at the bores... Is that from the Corrado FB group? Thanks, yeah that could be a good shout. Seems like a decent price... I would have thought refurbishing my old one would be near that price anyway.

I don't really know what caused it originally, it happened not too long after I bought it. It has always been topped up with antifreeze since I've had it. The top of the block is absolutely fine and looks in pretty good nick to be honest, the only concern there is the bores. I think you might be right about dealing with the head... apart from being a weak point I'll always know it's there. and this sounds like it could get pricey so looking to source a replacement might be as cost effective. Couldn't agree more! Looks like the bank balance will be taking more of a hit than first thought... the best laid plans! First things first I think I'll get the bores measured, then look to start sourcing a new head, or take the old one to someone who does that sort of thing for a living and see what they say. Thanks for the second opinion both.

Good tip, thanks, and now having got the head off certainly will be having to do that either way! Not quite as good as I hoped, cylinders 2 and 4 are polished to a mirror finish, not even a trace of honing left. 3 and 5 still had some honing intact, but not a lot: Head off: Cylinder 4: Didn't have time to check if there was any lipping at the top of the cylinder. Other things, lots of deposits in the coolant which isn't tremendous so will need a good clean out , and not sure why cylinder 1 looks is that much different in terms of deposits than the others? Burning better? Then the other not so great looking news, found an area of pitting on the head gasket: Now, it is locally isolated and there is a full seal around it, there's no path to a cylinder which I would have expected had the head gasket gone and exhaust gasses were leaking. So what I think this might be is old damage from when the head gasket blew previously. The head gasket was skimmed at the time, so I am wondering if they just took enough material off get a full seal around the cylinder but not all the way down to completely remove the damage as that may have been too much. That's all I can really think. Unfortunately don't have any pictures to confirm if it is the same area of pitting. So it does beg the question of whether it's OK to leave it as is or do something about it? Would appreciate some thoughts on that. Also, deposits on the valves don't look great so maybe the plan of leaving the head as it is, isn't viable. So I guess now I have to think what to do about the bores and head... I guess first thing is to get some bore measurements and see how badly they've worn and go from there. Any advice from experienced hands out there would be appreciated!

Good plan, it is certainly peace of mind getting Stealth to do it. I had got to the stage where I was paranoid it was going to fail at any moment (and in fairness I wasn't too wrong) so didn't feel comfortable driving it anywhere and I am a fair way from Stealth! Plus I wanted to tidy the whole engine bay whilst I was there. I don't think I'll rebuild the head as that was only done... I was going to say recently but it's nearly 10 years ago, **** time goes. Anyway they re seated the valves, did a skim, replaced the seals and it hasn't done mega mileage since. About 30 000 miles in 10 years which doesn't seem too heavy. Anyway, Have got this far... Actually, a little bit further. Got the cams out and have commenced cleaning the wing. New 263 cams are on the way and have the replacement chain tensioner kit from Stealth. Next is to get the head off to have a look about and give it a clean. I think the cylinders should be OK as they were compression tested a couple of years ago and the readings were OK (170-180). I plan to take the sump off to give it a clean out and a general inspection as well, and replace the gasket, as there always seems to be an oil leak from somewhere, but it's so dirty I can never trace it. Just wondering whether I may as well pop the pistons out and change the rings whilst I am there. As you can see from the pictures a fair bit of oil in the inlet manifold so might be worth it...

Ta, that might be enough to go to VW with! Yeah, I've pulled the bracket off before to inspect it (I believe I found it hanging off sometime ago, which is probably why the connection is knackered). At the moment there is just a small thread of wire connecting it at the top...

Just a quick one: Anyone know what this part is called or number? It is hanging on by a thread so in need of replacing but no idea what to take to the dealership or search for! The electrical bit stamped with the VW/Audi logo at the front. Ta!

Thought I could hear the timing chains sounding a bit rough, and yep sure enough it seems I've caught the timing tensioner just in time: A bit longer and that could have been game over... So time for the new tensioner, and I guess I should do the chains as well, which is a big old job. Whilst I'm there I think I'll look to do a couple of other bits as well as refresh the engine bay and smarten it up. Initially I'm thinking: New (or cleaned) injectors Autotech 262 cams (remap after perhaps) Replace crack pipe and thermostat (had these bits from a few years back anyway) And then fit the 288 brakes I've got hanging around, plus get the Bilstein B12s I've been hankering after for ages as will need to get the drive train off. Lots to do! If that all goes smoothly I think I'll look at the OBD2 conversion, if I can source the parts. I'm just considering whether it is worthwhile taking the 'head off while I am here just to have a general look at things. If the cylinders are a bit knackered then it doesn't seem a lot of point doing the rest....

Hi Mate, yeah these were sod a while back unfortunately.

From memory (As I had this issue a while back, the sill had been damaged next to the wheel arch and repaired badly. It was just shot) the rear most part of the sill is integral with the whole rear quarter panel so it becomes pricey and a bit wasteful to buy new. I don't know if anyone made just the sill, but you could try scrapyards see if they have any Corrados available from which you could remove the sill. In the end I had a body shop cut it out and replace, they did an OK job but it isn't perfect. Have to be looking directly at it to notice the profile isn't quite right.