petemcr

well, funnily enough, after posting this I started reading the thread that MonnlightVR6 had posted and someone had posted about a thread you'd started Rob which I was going to look for next, the fuels been in there for about a year and a half now, it did run alright to move it to where I've done the work but it has been a year since then. I've just been over the timing on it to make sure it's all right and it seems right, I even cranked it a few turns and made sure the cam plate still slots in nicely. I'm wondering if it is fuel now, maybe when I first started it it has burnt off some of the fuel left in the line but because it was low and it has been on a lean for so long the fuel pump isn't putting any through, I might try disconnecting the bottom fuel line is it and turning it over to see if fuel is running through or not.

I've sort of been dragging my feet with this as it has been winter but I've finally got around to starting my VR6 after replacing the head gasket and it's playing up. I put on the HT leads etc.. and just put the inlet manifold on while I started it, turned it over a few turns without the fuel or spark to let the tensioner bolt do its thing, then put everything on, after about 3 - 4 turns it started up but the revs started to lift so I knocked it off immediately, happy it was starting I took to putting all the air pipes to see how it idles, then came to start it only this time it wouldn't start at all. I've took off the inlet/rocket and checked the timing, still all lines up and the chain has tension on it so it doesn't look to have jumped a tooth from what I can see but still no joy starting it, now it has been stood for some time and it's on an axle so it's leaning to one side but I can smell fuel getting to the inlet. What would my next steps be to diagnose this, should I put some fresh fuel in to make sure it's not the old fuel causing it? It sounds like it's getting compression but it just doesn't seem to fire or even try, it's not like it sputters and then trys, there's just nothing so I'm wondering if it's either fuel or spark.

Anyone got any advice on refitting the cam sprockets after a headgasket replacement, I've managed to time up the engine, so that the notch on the intermediate sprocket is showing, engine is at TDC and marked up and the cams have the plate locked in to them, I fitted the sprockets finger tight and fitted the cam cover/tensioner to test the timing was right, turned it over two turns of the crank and checked the cams and the timing plate went straight back in no problems. So I've torqued them up, problem is there's no slack between the two sprockets but it seems like the chain is slightly slack on side where you would have the dizzy and no so much on the side with the tensioner where you would expect it to be loose so that the tensioner can take the slack out. I removed them and started back over and have managed to get tension on the dizzy side but now the timing doesn't match up. Should there be any slack on the dizzy side at all? or should the tension bolt take that out of it once the engine is turned over?

Cheers man, I was ready to get a new set of bolts and start over, glad I don't have to now

I've just used one I got from Stealth racing on my VR to raise the compression, I think a lot of people use copper gasket to make sure it gets a good seal, I've had my head skimmed but not the bottom so I've used it, Vince at Stealth told me they use a paste they get from America just on the side where the oil breather is as this is where it is known to leak, but I didn't fancy paying £17+vat for a big tub when all you use is a very small amount.

Really stuck on this one, so any help would be great I've used a friends torque wrench to torque up the cylinder head bolts, asked for advice of my mate who works in a garage as he had used the same wrench on a ABF 16v engine, which I believe is the same torque settings as the VR6, so I rang him up and asked him and he said go off the settings given on Autodata (40nm, 60nm, then 180 degree turn or two 90 degree turns) and said it's on the front, sure enough it is but it's foot pounds, I think it's metric as it has M on the rear and it's in 1.2, 1.4 etc... The bolts are in, and possibly over tightened, I don't know if he knows he has done the same on the ABF but I want to know how much trouble I am if they are over tightened, I know they're stretch bolts but is this over stretching them and if I try to run the engine will it snap the bolts, or will they be fine, will it have warped the head even though I did them in sequence or should I just pull them out same order I put them in and order a new set and try it with another torque wrench in NM to be sure. Also using a elridge metal headgasket on this which I know are thinner than the old cork style ones, not sure if that will make any difference. Any help would be great

That is how I came across the issue prior to me taking her off the road, I'd had a track rod end changed out and took it to get aligned but the guy struggled due to the seized bolt, shame as well, he had it on one of the Hunter systems for tracking and had it all set up perfect, then the second he came to lock up the track rod it just kept spinning and knocking the tracking out, but oh well will be sorted soon. Hopefully I can get it free enough I can do the same as yours daveb142 and it's no issue when I come to get her tracked again.

Well, looks like I will be grabbing a can of Plusgas after new year, good to know though as I was going to get a full new track rod, helps cross of a job on the forever growing list. Thanks for the advice guys, hopefully next week I can start to rebuild her and get her ready to go back on the road for summer, happy days :cheers:

Anyone got any advice on this issue, I don't need to sort this out as of yet as I'm still doing the engine but I know it will need doing for the MOT when I have her running but I'm not sure how to tackle this. The locking nut on the Drivers side track rod is seized on, when I had her on the road I took her to get tracked as I had a new track rod end put on and he could not get the nut free, he put gas on it and heated it up, turned it twice and it had seized back on within seconds of it cooling. What are my options, I was looking at Track rods, OE ones seem very high and there's nothing wrong with the actual rod and I don't want to replace it with a cheaper one. Am I best just having a new nut put back on it and try and cut the old one off, the thread on the rod looks fine but the nut just won't free up at all. Any help would be great, the engine is going back together and I want to get her booked in for an MOT as soon as I can.

Just found the guide for it then, needless to say I will be doing this, £8 for a nice new tank rather than the £40 I was going to pay for an OEM one

Cheers dude, the mk4 expansion tanks look to be a lot cheaper and nicer looking, do they mount up the same?

That, is so true, I remember having to use a set if grips on my old MK2, what do you do about the sensor? Looks like its a different plug on the mk4

Is there much benefit to the mk4 expansion tank? I've been looking at getting a new one as well because mine is looking worn but there doesn't seem to be a lot of the original ones about

£35?

I'm going to look at the roose set I think when it comes to it, do they look ok when they're on? I wanted a bit of an OEM sort of look

So, I've just come across these and as I'm in the middle of a rebuild I was debating them as a pose to the original pipes, but obviously they're on eBay and they're coming from china, plus half the price than your pay for a good quality set, anyone know what the quality of these are like? Will I be worried about them rupturing all the time if used http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=140887845378

Very nice, feel any improvements from the higher compression when driving?

I've been doing some serious sanding to smooth of the block, some of the marks really don't want to come out though but I've managed to get it nice and smooth Before After Also removing the old air con pump seen as it never worked and looks like it weighs a lot and spoke to stealth racing about the thin metal head gaskets, any one using one of these? Guy I spoke to told me they use some gasket paste on the side as they weep a little oil if not used

Hahaha and there it is

Is it like the R32's by any chance? A couple of people I know have Golf R's and I know the 24v Is a baby R32 so I'm guessing the lower delivery is all down low, one of theirs which has had work done is really twitchy, you touch the throttle and it just flus off. Funny enough there is a bottom end on eBay at the moment that has everything bar the pistons for £400 or so

Well this is my issue, I think I'm gonna just put it back together and see if it is knocking or if it's fine for now, then start looking at either a new block with low miles to drop in it, or just the vr6 from the v6 4 motion and just bite the bullet and use the money for that It hasn't had issues with knocking before so I'm just going to see how it runs once back together and hope for the best for now

Ok, sorry for the poor angle of this video but it was in the best place to hear it, now it's pretty apparent now that the "steam engine" as my friends have come to call it, but I noticed today that it sounds like it may be knocking as well, or it may be the exhaust gaskets knocking around... But after seeing the bore wear I'm now wondering,

It's not my daily, it was until the head gasket went, I'm assuming with the bore marks then that it will go pop?

I need to decide what I'm going to do now, do I just get the head back on and get it running for now till I decide, I didn't really want to have to remove the bottom end but if it's going to start going in to getting it out and having it machined etc.. Do I just bite the bullet and go for the 2.8 24v conversion and loose that lovely vr6 sound. It has never felt down on power while I've had it, so if I put it back together now to use over summer would it really cause that much damage?

The side ones aren't too bad, barely catch a nail at all, however the one on the very left is fairly deep and I'd say you'd catch a nail in it. It did burn a little oil when you gave it the beans but it wasn't too bad, I presume if I put it back together I'll just be back to burning off oil again? I've found someone who's selling a 2.8 VR fairly cheap, I'm wondering if it would be possible to get the 2.8 and have it bored out to 2.9 and use my pistons, provided they're not damaged on the side of the piston, just as an option