paul_c 1 Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 I'm half way through an engine conversion. Well I say half way, probably more like 5% done. The engine and transmission (and a host of other parts) are now removed from the donor car, which was a Cat C write off, 1998 Golf VR6, 109,000 miles and no service history.I am planning to split the engine and transmission and look at the clutch, I'm happy enough to be able to look at that and determine if its been replaced recently, or has plenty of life left in it. But what other parts should I be looking at? Are there any known weaknesses, for example oil cooler, electric water pump?Obviously there's the cam chains too. Is it possible to remove the cover and visually inspect it to see if its within a certain tolerance, or tell if its been replaced (recently)? I'm guessing, if its never had a chain change then 109,000 miles is a sensible time to get one done!I just don't want to needlessly spend money on parts, since I've priced up some of the replacement parts and they tend to be costly. I'm happy enough to address issues involving another engine removal in 2-3 years time. Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 PS I drove the car only for a couple of minutes - the nature of the crash meant the radiator was trashed, so there was no coolant in the car. In those couple of minutes, it didn't grumble or make any unusual noises (to my inexperienced in VR6 ears). Link to post Share on other sites
craggsy 91 Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Whilst its out and gearbox is off check all the chains and guides, unless you know they have been done Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Whilst its out and gearbox is off check all the chains and guides' date=' unless you know they have been done[/quote']How do you check if they are good? Link to post Share on other sites
craggsy 91 Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 You'll see the guides wearing thro'. Could be an idea to just change them for peace of mind Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Well, I'm on a break, I've just removed the gearbox so I might whip off the cam chain cover and post a pic, for you to cast your expert eyes over, if that's okay? Link to post Share on other sites
craggsy 91 Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Before you do make sure you have the sealing stuff to reseal it Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 No time pressure, so I can order the seals I break, on Monday. Just realised the flywheel has to come off, to get to all the cover bolts, and I didn't have the relevant tool to undo the bolts. So it looks like this is "to be continued" tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted July 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Now taken the cover off, need to check if the chain and guides need replacing or if there's plenty of life left in them.[img width=640]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/paul_c2/VR6/Dsc03772reduced.jpgArea B has a little wear, tapering from nothing to maybe 0.3mm next to zone A. Most of the wear is in area A, which is nearest the crank. It tapers from area B to near the end, from around 0.3mm to 0.8mm. Any ideas guys?[img width=640]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/paul_c2/VR6/Dsc03773croppedwithlabels.jpgAlso, do you need to remove the (top) cam cover, to reach a couple of bolts to undo, to remove the top cover? CheersModerator edit by: craggsy Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted July 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 PS Forgot to mention, the hydraulic tensioner was around 2/3 the way through the extent of its travel, when I removed it. Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted July 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2007 Did a bit more background reading and found a comprehensive guide on how-to change the chains and tensioners. The author had a damaged upper tensioner but the lower one was fine. So, I took off the inlet manifold and cam cover, lucky I did because I found the upper guide rail damaged. Is it reasonable to change the guides, but leave the original chains if they're okay?The damage[img width=640]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/paul_c2/VR6/Dsc03791reducedandcropped.jpgWorn but not too bad - maybe 0.4mm most of the way along its length it rubs. You can also see the damage to the guide rail a little better.[img width=640]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/paul_c2/VR6/Dsc03795reduced.jpgAnother area of concern. The pink stuff is obviously coolant, initially I was worried the head gasket's gone. But on further inspection, you can see the gasket for the thermostat housing wasn't fitted properly, its obviously leaked under pressure and the coolant has dribbled down the engine[img width=640]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a139/paul_c2/VR6/Dsc03789reduced.jpgHmmmm, those cams look way too pointy...... (6) Moderator edit by: craggsy Link to post Share on other sites
paul_c 1 Posted August 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Anyone? Link to post Share on other sites
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