mic_VR 3 Posted March 15, 2007 Ok i know there is always questions regarding this but.... I've got a lovely pool of blue water under my car right now and I think it's the thermostat housing thats broken so... 1- does anyone have a list of part numbers that i'll need to fix it? (thinking, thermostat housing - 2 parts?, thermostat, gaskets etc etc) 2- does anyone know if there is a 'how-to' on here about replacing the housing on a VR6? I know people get annoyed when similar questions seem to be being asked all the time but any help would be appreciated as due to the amount/rate of water loss i can't risk moving the car until it's fixed. Cheers Mic Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 15, 2007 OK, this is realativley easy one. I replaced the whole thing last week on a vr6, will pm you a parts list in the morning when i get into the workshop mate. its a case of uncliping the pipes going into the housing, and the bottom rad pipe....draining all the coolant out.... undo the 3 bolts that hold the housing onto the head.....clean up the side of the head with a scraper and then some emery cloth....bolt the built up new housing onto the head, with all the rubber o rings inside it and the funny shaped one that attatched to the head well lubed up ;) re attatch the hoses, refill the coolant system.....stick the heaters on hot and full, run the car up with the lid off the expansion tank to get any air out....run it up to temperature...should be job done! watch out for air trapped in the system...worst times you can feel bubbles moving through the pipes to and from the matrix. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 15, 2007 big_chris1981, you my man are a star! excellent answer, if i can get the parts ordered tomorrow and the job done on saturday I'll be a very happy man indeed. Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrbeige 0 Posted March 15, 2007 It is the thermostat housing then? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 15, 2007 looks like the most likely cause Stu, although I might be phoning you on saturday morning after I've pulled it all about and it's not. Might need you to lend a hand! :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
stormchaser 0 Posted March 15, 2007 There is a thread further down this list by cheesewire about a guy makeing ally thermostat housing might be good. The thread says ALTERNATIVE TO STOCK VR6 COILPACK AND OTHER BITS. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 15, 2007 hes not got any made yet unfortunately.....this little lot will come to about £75 + vat from the dealer...including a new thermostat..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 16, 2007 stormchaser, ally one would be great but as big_chris has said they're still in testing stage at the mo and I think I'll be forced to go for a plastic item for the time being. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coolrado 0 Posted March 16, 2007 I've got a lovely pool of blue water under my car right now shouldnt it be pink water? vw engines dont really like the normal ethelene glycol blue coolant, you should really only use the proper vw G12+ or an organic acid type coolant approved for use in vw/audi engines which are usually always pink. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 16, 2007 Very true, but i've found that the previous owner was not exactly mechanically minded. Probably start taking all the bits off and find more issues with it. TBH i wonder sometimes how he kept it running! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
coolrado 0 Posted March 16, 2007 a mate of mine bought a mk2 gti which the previous owner had used a very strong mix of blue coolant in, all of the coolant hoses where perished and the plastic flanges where all brittle and bleached, it may have just been the age of the car but i have seen mk2's that have allways used G12 or G11 with far more miles on which are still running original hoses and flanges with no such problems. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 16, 2007 021 121 117A 22.87 1 22.87 021 121 119A 2.32 1 2.32 021 121 121A 9.64 1 9.64 021 121 113D 9.64 1 9.64 N901 368 02 0.85 1 0.85 075 121 113D 14.00 1 14.00 N101 392 01 1.48 1 1.48 N903 168 02 0.85 3 2.55 025 121 142 0.37 3 1.11 N904 762 01 1.37 2 2.74 N014 782 1 1.18 1 1.18 N011 524 23 0.10 8 0.80 N014 703 5 0.25 2 0.50 N100 922 01 0.37 3 1.11 there you go mate....part numbers, price per unit etc...all prices are retail excluding vat. Cheers Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 16, 2007 021 121 117A 22.87 1 22.87 021 121 119A 2.32 1 2.32 021 121 121A 9.64 1 9.64 021 121 113D 9.64 1 9.64 N901 368 02 0.85 1 0.85 075 121 113D 14.00 1 14.00 N101 392 01 1.48 1 1.48 N903 168 02 0.85 3 2.55 025 121 142 0.37 3 1.11 N904 762 01 1.37 2 2.74 N014 782 1 1.18 1 1.18 N011 524 23 0.10 8 0.80 N014 703 5 0.25 2 0.50 N100 922 01 0.37 3 1.11 there you go mate....part numbers, price per unit etc...all prices are retail excluding vat. Cheers Chris Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 16, 2007 Nicely done mate, I'll get onto my local stealer in a bit to sort it out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 16, 2007 Ok this problem is turning out to be a bit trickier than I first thought. Anyone members live close to cambridge who are good with/have experience of the VR engine who might be able to offer a second opinion? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 16, 2007 whats up now fella? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 17, 2007 whilst looking at taking the housing off, noticed quite a bad oil leak. Problem is that the engine is so covered in crap that i can't really see which bits are worse! Hopefully I'm going to be able to get on today and clean it all off and then have a better idea of what to do next. In reality the oil loss isn't stopping it running whereas the water loss means i cant move it at the moment. so still fixing that first but if i can i'll look at the oil leak at the same time i will All good fun! :roll: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 18, 2007 Where do you reckon the oil si escaping from? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 19, 2007 Unfortunately didn't get much chance to look at it over the weekend in the end. Think the oil is coming from around the chain housing covers above the thermostat housing. I think i'm just going to get all the pipes off and have a good look at it....... if i get a chance in this crazy weather.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 20, 2007 ok, having had a closer look at the pipes etc on the vr I'm not sure on the best way to drain the coolant. Removing the bottom rad hose seems the logical choice but is a bugger to get at, and if i use the drainage plug I assume i still need to drain the rad somehow? any ideas chaps/chapettes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 20, 2007 bottom rad hose.... undoing the ones on the thermostat hosubg will pee most of the water out of the top half of the system though.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 20, 2007 Cool, I can't get it up on a ramp at the mo so I think I'm going to get the drain plug out, drain the top half, then get the thermostat housing out of the way and drain the rad out of the bottom hose. All good fun. Cheers Chris, again :oops: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
big_chris1981 0 Posted March 20, 2007 No worries fella, good luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mic_VR 3 Posted March 24, 2007 All fixed now, i'll get a pic up of my old housing tomorrow. Muchos thanks to big_chris1981, all went 'relatively' smoothly with a selection of carefully chosen swear words. But all done and running now with the correct coolant and everything! :mrgreen: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CazzaVR 0 Posted March 25, 2007 Nice one! Gotta do this myself in the next few weeks- not to bad a job, just a bit fiddly! Which part numbers do all the O-rings/seals have? Have sourced housing elsewhere, but want VW gaskets. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
