Blue Smoke

[Timo. 0]

Well after the recent batch of this to go wrong with my car I though I was in for a well deserved break from having anything go pear shaped with it.

But low and behold it manages to surprise me again. Getting the blue smoke on start up and after overrun when sinking the throttle.

99% certain its the value stem seals/guides. Holy sh$t!! £££££

Insurance is up for renewal in two weeks. I did not need this.

 

Anyone know how much star performance would charge to fix this. Obviously going to replace all the other things worth doing whilst the heads off. Hopefully not the timing chains but probaly the chain tensioner/guide thingy.

Anyone had it done by them recently of an idea on the price. I'm thinking £500

Was supposed to be getting them to chip my car, but it looks like I'll have to wait a while before doing that. :cry:

 

Not a happy boy :cry: :cry: :cry:

 

simon

[PhatVR6 0]

seals are £2.84 each. but seeing as you'll have to take the head off, add onto that a full head gasket job.

 

if you want to know ho much star will charge the try ringing them up and asking them.

 

get a peter russek vr6 engine manual and do it yourself, not a big job.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Not good mate...... you're having a run of real sh#tty luck :cry:

 

No idea on costs but when they're stripping the head you'll see if the chains etc need doing or not.

 

K

[Timo. 0]

seals are £2.84 each. but seeing as you'll have to take the head off, add onto that a full head gasket job.

 

if you want to know ho much star will charge the try ringing them up and asking them.

 

get a peter russek vr6 engine manual and do it yourself, not a big job.

 

yeh, I was thinking getting the works done to it whilst it was off. I did have the plan that when my head gasket ever went that I would get some high lift cams put in. I was hoping that it would be a while before it was going to go, but now that this problem has come along i think I knock that idea on the head. Cant even afford this to get fixed let alone adding the price of cams, although I think I'll have a chat with star performance about this option anyway.

 

I have done just about everything that has gone wrong with it myself, but even this is beyond my abilities. I have a few mechanic friends but they dont have any experience with these type of engines especially the timing chains etc.

I really want it done properly so I dont need to worry if I've done it right.

 

cheers

 

Simon

[vr6storm 0]

IIRC Star normally quote approx 10-12 hours labour for a head gasket change.......best to give them a phone and see what they'll charge tho............

[Timo. 0]

IIRC Star normally quote approx 10-12 hours labour for a head gasket change.......best to give them a phone and see what they'll charge tho............

 

oh bugger, just away for a good :cry: :cry: :cry:

 

timo

[dr_mat 0]

As a guideline, Stealth offer a package - new valve stem seals, guides, new head gasket, new tappets, new timing chains/tensioners and clutch for an all-in price of £1300..

Not cheap, but it certainly covers everything that's likely to need doing for the next 100k miles!

[Rpmayne 0]

Get a compression check done before it goes in for only head work, might get the same surprise as me and find its the bottom end aswell. :mad: Not trying to scare you, but its worth checking before it gets taken apart and your fully comitted. Ended up costing me thousands instead of hundreds. Infact could have bought another Corrado! :shock:

 

This thread has a few piccies of what I found in mine...

 

http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewtopic. ... highlight=

[PhatVR6 0]

how much!! I'd do it for half that if I had the time!!

[Timo. 0]

Was on the phone to star P this morning, gonna cost me £850 inc vat. Pleased with that price but still I dont have a single penny spare to pay for it. Insurance is due for renewal in 2 weeks :cry:

 

Still, it has to be done so I've booked it in for this weekend. Gonna take a week for them to do it!!! No car for a week!! :shock:

 

Nevermind, I'm off to work now to try and earn some extra £££

 

Gutted, any donations welcome! 8)

 

 

timo

[dr_mat 0]

Bummer dude. That is a good price though..

I'm looking at a bill of around £1900 next month for shocks/timing chains/abs sensor/shrek manifold plus fitting..

I think being skint is part of being a Corrado owner, sorry to say...

[Timo. 0]

Really getting worried that it may be more sinister than I think. I'm 99% sure its the valve stem seals but after reading so many threads on bore wear etc I am a little worried, ok a shed load!!!!

 

Blue smoke on start up (when revving) after been sat over night or for a while.

Blue smoke when hitting the throttle after overrun (ie slowing down for a 30 limit)

No smoke when flooring it through the gears, none on gear changes.

No lack of performance (in fact it hasn't gone this well for months)

Excellent fuel economy (broke my own record the other day, 37.3mpg on a 50 miles journey, windy road and raining, from a cold startup)

 

please reassure me, or tell me it straight. Going slowly insane :mad:

 

cheers

 

timo

[Kevin Bacon 5]

It's your valve stem seals mate, relax!

 

You can do the stem seals without even lifting the head, if you've got access to an air line?

 

As the other chaps said, you'd have smoke all the time if you had bore wear.

 

K

[Timo. 0]

I hope so, cheers. Feel better now. Thought I may aswell do the whole lot, or at least, get star P to do the whole lot. It will hopefully last another 100K miles that way. Its just beyond my capabilities. I want to be sure its done right aswell!

 

Nevermind, its going in tomorrow morning. Boo hoo :( No car for a week. Gonna miss it. It was bad enough not having it for 3 days when the coolant pipe blew.

 

cheers kev

 

Simon

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You'll miss it but think how good it will be afterwards and not having to pour oil into it every 5 minutes :lol:

[Timo. 0]

mmmm, it is using a fair bit. And Mobil 1 aint cheap :cry:

 

I guessing it wont get an oil change when taking the head off, I am right??

 

Would it be a good idea to do it soon though?

 

And will I need to run it in a little after its been fixed?

 

cheers

 

simon

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Mobil 1?? Blimey mate, 15/50W Motorsport I hope and not that water thin 0/40W pap?

 

I'd do a change, or have them do it as crap will inevitabley drop down the oil ways when they lift the head off.

 

No need to run valve gear in mate since it is constantly under high stress and friction, but if you have new cams and followers put in, then a 100 miles or so of avoiding the rev-limiter would be prudent!!

 

K

[Timo. 0]

Mobil 1?? Blimey mate, 15/50W Motorsport I hope and not that water thin 0/40W pap?

 

I'd do a change, or have them do it as crap will inevitabley drop down the oil ways when they lift the head off.

 

No need to run valve gear in mate since it is constantly under high stress and friction, but if you have new cams and followers put in, then a 100 miles or so of avoiding the rev-limiter would be prudent!!

 

K

 

yup, it is that 0w40 pap. The 15/50 wasn't out when I last changed it. Maybe that could be half of the problem. That oil has probably help highlight the problem earlier which can only be good, surely!!?!!

 

I think i'll take it easy anyway and then get around to changing the oil when I have the cash

 

cheers

 

simon

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The VR doesn't have tight enough tolerances to use 0/40. I used to use it on a 16V and it drank the stuff. Going up to 15/50W reduced consumption by 80% !!

 

I'm not saying using that oil is the sole reason for your burning, but it's not helping!

 

Stick to VW's silver Quantum stuff, it's plenty good enough for the aeging VR motor!

[Timo. 0]

Mmmm, bugger. I was going to move onto the 15/50 stuff when I changed it next.

 

cheers Kev, a great help you are as always!!! 8)

 

off to work now

 

ta

 

simon

[Supercharged 2]

Before getting any major work done I would change to Silver Syntha asap as Kev says...

 

A mate of mine with a VR tried the gold syntha (cooking oil) and found that he got a nice puff of black smoke between gear changes and got thru 3 litres of oil in 5k miles! went back to Silver and his oil consumption returned to its usual one ltr per 3-5k's and 18 months later its still running just as clean.

 

VW's quoted 1ltr per k is just to cover themselves as new cars even now tend to use alot during run-in but if anyone is using that much now then it must either be leaking, burning or coming out of the exhaust!

[vr6storm 0]

i think it also depends on whatever oil the VR has been fed since new......mine for instance has always had a diet of fully synthetic(normally synta-gold) since new and i get an oil-consumption of just under 2litres per oil-change(5k miles avg)

[Supercharged 2]

i think it also depends on whatever oil the VR has been fed since new......mine for instance has always had a diet of fully synthetic(normally synta-gold) since new and i get an oil-consumption of just under 2litres per oil-change(5k miles avg)

 

Yeah Deffo. I'm not saying the isn't a problem at all but a 10 year old car is going to be more likely to leak oil thru seals than a 3 year old car and the thinner the oil the more chance there is of this happening but going from a 10w to a 0w is always going to cause trouble, especially as VW don't even list 0w!

 

I did try Gold syntha (5w-40) when I first got the car (I had some spare) and it certainly highlighted the leaky sump gasket! which was not noted on the service 2k miles before and the guy that owned the car previous to me (friend of mine) had not even noticed it! - since changing the gasket i've been running on Silver, and changing it every 3k miles (as I only do about 9k a year) :)

[Timo. 0]

well its too late to change oil now, its going in this morning. Managed to get a hold of a few more bob too so I think I might just get it chipped whilst its in there. That was my intention two weeks ago but then this problem came along and that idea went out the window. I am only getting it done if he gives me a good deal, mind!!! 8) 8) 8)

 

Think I might put on my brave t-shirt today. Perhaps the 'I AM THE STIG' one shall do :mrgreen:

 

cheers

 

simon

[dazzyvr6 0]

vw dont even put quantum synta in engines when doing a service,well not in my case anyway,they always used shell helix,all manufactureers say to use there own brand oils etc to make more money for themselves,if vw made petrol they would recomend that aswell :lol: