VR6 Timing refurb - While it's apart?!

[bad2vbone 0]

Hiya,

Not a regular, but had a VR6 rado for a few years with 140k miles on the clock. Just discovered while sticking in a fresh set of hydraulic cam followers last week that the upper timing chain tensioner has just started to catch the top rivets.

Had a quote I thought quite reasonable of £500 to change all tensioners (the curved metal bits, the plastic guides, and the oil pressure operated tensioner bolt itself), both chains and a new clutch-it has done 140k after all, with genuine parts including labour at a specialist. While they've got it that far apart, any suggestions on anything else that could and should be changed?

Have had a search but couldn't find any similar q's, did find a very good quide of how to change them if i was keen enough myself though!!

Many thanks.

[Toad 0]

That's not a bad price really.

 

Swap rear engine mount as it will be a lot easier with it all in bits. Get mk4 style solid plastic upper tensioner and bolt. New cam position sensor (if it's a coilpack car) Main crank oil seal (imagine that's included in the price)

[zak 0]

have a read through of the timing chains how to in the knowledge base, it has a comprehensive list of parts to change while doing the job. Off the top of my head in addition to the parts you have mentioned i would also change the lower crankshaft seal, the clutch lever arm and inspect the thermostat housing and coolant transfer pipe and associated hoses and replace if necessary.

[dr_mat 0]

The only other thing I can think of is the chain intermediate shaft. It goes off into the head to drive the oil pump, and they can get rattly with old age.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Actually it goes through the block and it's the bearings that fail, not the shaft itself....

[dr_mat 0]

Actually it goes through the block and it's the bearings that fail, not the shaft itself....

 

Durrr of course I meant block. Doh!

Presumably the bearings can be replaced at the same time, but it's for sure impossible to replace them without taking the chains off..

[bad2vbone 0]

Hey, Thanks guys, that's a pretty comphrehensive list! I'll giv them a bell 2moro &see how much they add on 4that lil lot. Rear engine mount might be a no no, i think they are planning on just lowering the engine on the gearbox side 2do the work so could add alota time 2do the job if i ask 4that, i'll c. They sound quite confident, say they've done a few of them, company is vw specialists RK Engineering btw, don't know if anyone's ever heard of them?!!

Hopefully all thermostat housing is ok, had a new rad, thermo and electric water pump a couple years back and i went through all that then.

 

Cheers.