What is this noise coming from my VR6?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Aye, half a litre of ATF added to the oil for 100 miles or so then an oil and filter change, the detergents in the ATF clean everything up nicely.

 

Risky! I haven't listened to the sound clip yet as I'm at work, but if it is tappet related, I'd just replace them. The only have a limited life span, approx 80K, so they'd be better being replaced anyway. They're only £6 each from GSF and not a big job to change.

[Mr Sands 0]

Tappets are not too expensive, just the labour can be.

*** Has anyone had them replced recently? Maybe at Stealth? ***

 

Yup, as part of my top end rebuild.

[diggerbucket 0]

Well.... a splash of ATF and 30 miles later and it's quietened down quite a bit! I can hardly believe the difference! I guess that confirms it's a sticky tappet, agreed?

 

Stuart, the last oil change was done about 4000 miles ago, gonna change it at the weekend for some Synta if I have time and see how it is after that.

 

cheesewire, the ATF trick is very popular with the old mk2s 8) I might go ahead and change the tappets sometime as I'm now pretty convinced that's the problem 8) It's probably just within my technical ability too :lol:

[ben16v 0]

never heard of ATF being used before

 

where has this trick come from?

 

is it really a good tip or a sure fire way of wrecking your engine?

 

i only have a tap for 2-3 seconds on cold start which i assume is fine for 163k on a valver so i`m not goona do it just wondered

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Cool, you learn something new every day :-)

[diggerbucket 0]

ben16v, I found that loads of people on Club GTI were doing it on their Golfs so started doing it on my GTI. Only ever heard good things about it. I woulnd't go too far with it in though, just a couple of days or so to clean evrything up :)

[StuartFZR400 0]

Tappets are not too expensive, just the labour can be.

*** Has anyone had them replced recently? Maybe at Stealth? ***

 

Yup, as part of my top end rebuild.

 

Mr Sands - did you have all of them replaced and at what cost (keeping parts seperate from labour)?

 

cheers

[dr_mat 0]

As Cheesy Haywain Wire (whatever he's called this week) said earlier I think - the tappets cost about £8 each all inc. So that's *12 for a VR6, *16 for a 16v .. (obviously!).

Genuine VW tappets are about twice that.

 

What does our good friend the oilman think about this ATF lark?

[StuartFZR400 0]

I knew that bit (hence forewarned the thread starter it'd be over £100), but was curious about labour cost. Be worth asking stealth directly for a quote and while they're at it , what the cost of doing the KR camshaft is (two birds with one stone possibly) + chain etc?

[dr_mat 0]

Ah, didn't get your comment about keeping parts separate from labour .. thought you meant you'd be doing it yourself ..

 

FWIW I think Stealth quote ~ 3 hours for labour to *just* do the tappets on a VR. I don't know if the 16v is any harder or easier ..

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Changing tappets is real easy, both on the valver and the VR6.

 

If you're not scared of of taking cams out and are methodical, then it's an afternoon's work. Don't need any special tools....maybe just a torque wrench for the bearing caps.

 

Yep, VW ones are expensive, but INA are the brand of tappets you need and they are what GSF sell, so there's no point letting VW bleed your wallet dry for the same thing.

 

Dr Mat, I actually live in Constable country and a stone's throw from the actual Haywain scene :lol:

[Mr Sands 0]

Tappets are not too expensive, just the labour can be.

*** Has anyone had them replced recently? Maybe at Stealth? ***

 

Yup, as part of my top end rebuild.

 

Mr Sands - did you have all of them replaced and at what cost (keeping parts seperate from labour)?

 

cheers

 

I'd say the guesses from the guys above about costs for parts and three hours labour is about right. I don't actually have an itemised breakdown of each task Vince did, simpy a summary of the job and a costing I'm afraid.

 

Ed.

[Jonny_L 0]

My VR sounded exactly like that when I put the new engine in.

I thought it was something really serious, went away for a week and worried the whole time, then I realised I'd not put enough water in, problem solved. I'm not an expert, but is it possible it could be the water pump?

 

Unless like me you've not got enough water in :oops:

[adamukcorrado 0]

My vr6 has always got rattley when hot, i've changed the chain's/tensioners etc, the whole cylinder head inc VAG tappets ( :shock: ), the oil pump, only ever used syna silver oil and only VAG parts, literally many £k's spend, and still it sounds like a diesel when hot!! :brickwall:

 

The performance and sound when it's not rattling makes it all worth while tho!!

[diggerbucket 0]

Back to this old thread......

 

It's taken me months due to travelling for work etc, but I did finally get in there and get the cams out. Cams looked good, no wear or anything.

 

Using a guide found on CGTI I stripped the tappets, thoroughly cleaned them and rebuilt them. They were IMMACULATE, no scratches or anything to indicate sticking and also the little piston inside every one of them was free to move.

 

So now it's back together and the noise is no better :cry:

 

The noise is definitely isolated to what sounds like just one tappet/valve/whatever.

 

I don't think the timing is off, as the problem developed gradually rather than suddenly. And as far as I could see the timing was fine when I had it all apart.

 

So I guess the next step is to look at oil pressure, get it tested or whatever to see if it's ok.

 

Is there a way to check for blocked oilways without taking the head off etc?

[Roger Blassberg 0]

I suggest that you look at your water pump. Release the belt tension by screwing in an M8 bolt , take out the airbox for easier access, and check the water pump pulley for any untoward movement in the bearings and that it turns easily and freely. I just changed mine; it was so bad that the pulley was running out very badly, so much so that the belt was all over the place, and there was a horrible clattering noise. When I removed the old pump it was practically siezed up, I could hardly turn it by hand. One new pump and a precautionary replacement ribbed belt, and say goodbye to noisy engine misery.

 

Whist you're in there, check that the tensioner pulley bearing is ok; there's an article in the knowledge base on changing that. Run the engine briefly with the belt de-tensioned to check that the noise is due to one or other or both of these causes.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[dr_mat 0]

That's worth looking at, because any vibration from the water pump pulley (or the oil pump, for that matter), will come straight back up the block and if your (real) head is in the right place it'll sound like it's coming from the (cylinder) head...

[diggerbucket 0]

Good idea, will check that when I get home next week :)

 

I know it's not the tensioner bearing as I've already had that problem and replaced it a while ago.

[Roger Blassberg 0]

Did you change just the bearing or the whole tensioner? There is a lot of shoddy rubbish coming out of China these days, so unless you can be sure that the bearing you used is of reputable and reliable quality, be slightly suspicious and check it again anyway.

 

Best wishes

 

RB

[diggerbucket 0]

I replaced the whole tensioner.

 

If it's that it'll show up when releasing the tension anyway. Thanks Roger :)

[Stan 24v 0]

I had a sound like that from mine mate, it was the oil pickup which had got blocked and there wasnt enough being sent to the tappets. May be worth whipping the sump off to have a look?

 

The next problem I had, you dont want to know about, but lets just say I no longer have a 12v engine :shock:

 

:D

[Dogzyboy 0]

Thread revival time! :)

 

My VR has just developed a similar noise to this. The water pump is needing replaced & will be getting done when I get the time. Just wondering Diggerbucket, did you manage to sort your problem & was it the water pump causing it? If so, I can sleep easy tonight! :)

 

Cheers,

Dogzyboy

[fla 9]

Just wondering Diggerbucket, did you manage to sort your problem & was it the water pump causing it?