Guys, Sorry to jump the thread but are all VR6's chain driven? looking at a 92K for a donor for my MK2 VR conversion and he says they havent been changed and it isnt even in the service book!....Am i missing summit?! cheers as always cops
they are all chain driven. plenty have done 92k without the chains being done. I believe chains on a vr6 are one of vw's "doesnt need changing till it breaks" items, a bit like g60 superchargers. As in VW might say they dont need changing but...
I'll be changing my chain this weekend (and last weekend tbh - stupid Eurocarparts) it's done 133k and looking at the upper tensioner I don't think it would have done 134k without something going. I think 110k is the recommended mileage to change them but I've not had it long. If you've got the engine out ready to fit to your donor car Id change them then, the parts only cost about 120 but it took us 7.5 hours to get to the timing chain in mine [:^(] Oh and they rattle and sound crap when they need doing.
Thanks for all the useful bits of info guys. As I'm a noob to the vr6 scene any buying tips would be most appreciated. I've looked at (and walked away from) 3 VRs in the last 2 weeks. First had rear wheel arch rot (why don't people clean the poo out from time to time to avoid this?), second one inspired me to post on this forum as it really had power problems, and the last was yesterdays which had a very rattly engine and a possible coil-pack issue - don't need no big bills just yet... Thanks again guys
As Mr Ben said way back they don't really go until higher revs. Mine wasn't really awake at 3000rpm as someone suggested but was waking at 3500 and went mental at 4000! In the wet it continually broke traction at 3700 in third. Gave up with mine in the end because it just seemed like so much commitment to really make it go and it just encoursged me to go everywhere at 120mph! The chains are a real issue. If they havn't been done by 100K miles really they are on borrowed time. As noted above, the timing goes out as the chain stretches, they can then jump teeth which is really nasty and the pads can come off the tensioners once worn, the tensioner then digs into the chain and snaps it. Bit off a bugger to do the chains too. The gearbox has to come out or basically the whole engine/ box has to be lowered from the car as there is no space, then split the gearbox as the chains are at the gearbox end of the engine. If anyone is thinking of buying a VR and are not capable of doing this work themselves it's very important to get a quote from a reliable VW expert who know's what's involved so that you understand what the true cost of owning one of these cars can be.
