VR6_Pete 0 Posted March 12, 2005 Hi all, Can somebody please recommend the best way to change the thermostat on a VR6... Is it best to remove the entire thermostat housing? It looks like this is necessary to get reasonable access to the underside of the unit to get to the thermostat. Can it be done with the housing left in place? Was going to change mine this afternoon, but didn't realise how tricky it was going to be until I tried to find the damn thing! I also need to get my self some of those special pliers to undo the 'spring-style' jubilee clips. Also what's the general consensus on using the VAG G12+ coolent additive or just using ‘normal’ antifreeze? I went with the G12+, just wondering if its worth the extra bucks? Couldn't find any real info on what's in it, other than anti-corrosion formula... Cheers, Pete. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VR6 0 Posted March 12, 2005 http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewtopic. ... highlight= Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VR6_Pete 0 Posted March 12, 2005 Thanks for the link VR6, but its a bit different on the VR6 engine... Any info from anyone who's done the job on a VR6? I am just interested to know whether the job can be done withour removing the thermostat housing block... Cheers, Pete. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
willscott20 0 Posted March 13, 2005 I have done it on my vr6 if you still need to do it and couold give you a full description Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 13, 2005 Hey Pete, bad news bro the whole thing has to come out. The lower cover that actually holds the thermostat in place is blocked by the top of the bellhousing on the transmission... http://members.shaw.ca/vr6_corrado-2/T-Chain13.jpg It isn't that hard, there are only three Allen bolts the thermostat housing to the cylinder head, two long that are easy to see and one short one. Basically you will have to drain all of the coolant out of the motor using the drain right by the back of the atlernator as shown by the arrow in this pic... http://members.shaw.ca/vr6_corrado-1/Workin32.jpg You want to remove #3 on the right side but you must be very careful with the cross-over pipe for a couple of reasons. It gets very brittle over the years and the spiggot where the oil cooler coolant hose attaches can break off and the o-ring right behind the main water pump can also be damaged and leak. Here's the deal, you remove the three Allen bolts from the thermostat housing after the coolant has been drain (the drain can also snap off as well) and then you grab the cross-over pipe right behind the thermostat housing. With your other hand you grab the thermostat housing and then you start wiggling the thermostat housing while holding the cross-overpipe in place. There is only an o-ring holding these two pieces together but they will not want to seperate. It is kind of a pain getting them apart but it is not too bad. Once they are apart you can get the new thermostat in there and be done. The thermostat housings warp over time and they commonly leak and once you have it out they seem to leak no matter what you do. I usually replace the whole assembly to be safe so this is just a warning, once you start playing around with this you may end up replacing more than you expected. Make sure to carefully follow the torque specs, it is very easy to over-tighten the assembly. Cheers, Dennis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VR6_Pete 0 Posted March 14, 2005 Hi Dennis, Thank you very much for your words of wisdom and very useful info. I thought I would have to take the housing assembly off. Thank you also for your very useful tips on how not to break things! It sounds like you may have learnt the hard way!? I don't suppose you have the torque settings for those allen bolts, in case i cant find them? I guess they don't need to be very tight. Are you suggesting that buying a new thermostat housing would be a good idea? sounds expensive, can you give me an indication of how much this would cost? GBP or Canadian dollars... Does anyone over here make a pattern of the part? Many thanks, Pete. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted March 14, 2005 The stat housing is about £25 from VW. I would also replace all the seals and the bottom half of the stat cover, which isn't included with the stat housing. Basically, the whole darn lot inc the stat is about £50.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RS VR6 0 Posted March 14, 2005 Removing the battery can sometimes make it easier. Also use some sandpaper to clean the side of the head before putting the thermostat housing back on. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Posted March 14, 2005 This is all of the parts for the thermostat housing less the actual thermostat... http://members.shaw.ca/vr6_corrado-3/ThermoHousing3.jpg The only piece missing there is the coss-over pipe, I've done enough of these to get a good idea of how they work or fail. As you can see they are kind of complex but I am working on a replacement that will never fail again but it still needs some development work then testing. I checked the torques settings and all of the fasteners are 7 lb/feet each including the ones holding it to the head. Cheers, Dennis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted March 14, 2005 Are you the chap that produced the metal transfer pipes? A replacement of that quality for the stat housing would be superb! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Graham_E 0 Posted March 14, 2005 no he's not kev, but there is one planned apparently, ive asked for an email as soon as they become available. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
