Love my VR6 engine in the mk2: not found anything difficult or overly expensive to do myself, including head gasket, timing chains, etc, although I understand the jobs would be expensive if you paid a decent garage (circa 700 for chains). I get 33mpg on a mixed 10mile run to work, obviously a lot less when it's pushed a bit harder, but the 6 pot sound is worth the fuel bill! Kept maintained, I can't see why it's any less robust than any other VW engine. If I were to pick two gripes, it'd be the long gear ratios and the vague cable change setup. Definitely invest in the Bentley manual if you plan to understand the engine better and do everything DIY.
Yeah alright, what 16v's you been driving? I take mine up to luton couple times a week, from sunny southend, through M25 and M1 morning traffic, aqnd im usually getting at least 39mpg. And when my timing was out I actually got 47mpg for pretty much the whole journey.
I get 38-41 mpg on a long run, that's with a 16v running more power than your normal vr6... oooohhhh the controversy!
Fix to Gripe number one: Fit a Mk4 V5 gearbox. 3.9 final drive = awesome acceleration. Lowers top end though with a knock on effect of fuel economy. My old mk2 vr6 with standard engine ran 14.1 1/4's which for a 190ish bhp FWD car ain't bad. The other fix, if your feeling adventurous is to rip the standard box apart and fit a 16v final drive of 3.6. Fix to Gripe number two. Mk4 Shfter mech and the use of the shifter tower you should get with the V5 box. Shorter throw, more direct feel. And all these MPG figures of 30+ are very disapionting. It seems no one knows how to drive a VR6 properly. If your into double figures your driving it wrong
Now that is interesting, I've never fancied ripping my gearbox apart but if the V5 has a 3.9 FD that's gotta be a viable option..... how close to a straight swap would that be then?
Both the above mods work very well Whats all this 30mpg? VR6 ? Do you switch the engine off and coast?
Very close. The V5 Block is basically the same cast as a VR6 engine so bolts line up. Only slight difference is with the front engine mount. Mk4 doesn't have a front enginemount like mk2/3's so a couple of holes aren't drilled in the casing/drilled in a slightly different place. Taking a gearbox apart, especially 02a/j's aren't that scary really.
Interested in this V5 gearbox malarky, not bothered about MPG really as the car will only get used on weekends and evenings for hooning! Couple of questions: Do all V5 boxes have 3.9 final drive? Are the ratios different in some V5 boxes? What is the best code box to go for? I have seen an EBS code one for sale at a good price. Thanks
hes been ripped off as the engine dose not need to be removed to do a head gasket on a vr6 55.00 strip and skim gasket set 65.00 labour 2hour at the most 80.00 someone, rip off garages takes me 45mins blind folded lol
