Timing chain on 4motion

[MR LG 7]

Hi peeps,

Whats the deal with timing chain renewal as some people are saying it will never need changing and others tell me every 100k.Mines done 116k and hasn't been changed and runs quiet as a mute mouse and on start up there is no metal like noises.What are your thoughts on the matter?

[MK4motionVR6 41]

Hey fella I really wouldn't worry too much as there's a lot people being way overzealous on this subject...

There's also a whole lot of misinterpreted information on the technicalities of the infamous vr6 timing chains i.e. Stretching! 1st of all chains do not stretch... This is a myth, however they can & do wear out, the way in which a chain wears is in the side to side movement of each link. The parts that tend to wear out in the motor are the guilds & tensioners causing the chains to become slacker which can eventually effect the timing, especially on the 24valvers due to them having VVT (variable valve timing). Worse case scenario of worn guilds tensioners & chains, is that the slackness can eventually cause the chain to jump a tooth or even snap a chain, but this is generally on a badly maintained motor with extremely high milage and is very rare!

The tensioners on the very early 12valver VR6's were made of lesser quality to those of later models & have been know to fall apart on high milage motors with again... Poor service history!

Having said all of this, I did change the timing components on my 4motion 24v only because I had the box off to change the clutch & flywheel, so then I thought fuck it and took the motor out aswel. Anyway once I stripped it all down, there was defiantly some wear on all the timing components but nothing detrimental, bearing in mind it this motor had 157,000miles on her, she'd probably gone on to do another 100,000 easily however, after I rebuilt it all there was a notable increase of performance, nothing massive but definitely better, it just feels tighter & more responsive. The timing checks via vag-com were also improved from -7 & -9 to -1 & -2. Once again though too many guys get scared when this test result shows their timing to be slightly outside of tolerances as were mine! This test/check with VCDS (vag-com) shows a result which translates to a measurement of microns.. Which is minuscule and its this result that can give you an idea of the wear in the guides & tensioners..

Hear are some pics of the timing components I changed on my motor..

So conclusion... If your motor is running sweet with no alarming noises or performance (especially with your milage) I wouldn't worry at all mate. She'll probably go on for another 100k, just keep up good services with quality oils/parts and maybe increase your service intervals.. I do mine every 6mths or 5000miles but that's because I'm a bit anal haha.

[MR LG 7]

Thanks for such a descriptive reply,

That has set my mind at ease . I have had my 4motion for 6 months now and am learning new things everyday about it which is good as its quite complex for a hot hatch. I didn't realise it was a VVT till now either. I had a couple of fast cars before I had kids, my last car however was an astra 1.4 ,it was a good drop in performance from my 200sx that's for sure but to jump into the Golf after that made me feel happy once more and there's still room for the kids :D.I work at a motor factors in Mid-wales so it will get regular oil changes and any parts it will need. Am also starting to save cash back for a dual mass and clutch, its ok atm but always best to be prepared. Haldex oil and filter also will be changed as not sure if its ever been done!!.

Edited May 21, 2016 by MR LG
added pic

[MK4motionVR6 41]

It's defiantly worth servicing the haldex mate.. I'm way over the top with mine as I change bothe oil & filter every 10k or 12mth which every comes sooner. Anyway the usual is oil every 20 & both every 40k.

I've adapted my filling point with a custom snap fix set up, makes life so much easier & dont spill a drop??

[clarky24v 0]

Chains are fine , it's the guides are have to worry about

[MK4motionVR6 41]

On 11 June 2016 at 4:57 AM, clarky24v said:

Chains are fine , it's the guides are have to worry about

The chains may appear fine but they do wear. If you make a comparison with a new set, you'll see the difference immediately. The links wear and create more side to side movement. If you hold up the old chain on its side at either end, you shall notice the difference of wear from a new one, in that the old one shall fall into a bigger loop than the new... Hope that makes sence! 

No point in skimping on the chains when it's all stripped down, you may aswel change the lot... Granted the chains may last a little longer than the guides however, it just makes more practical sence to change everything.

one very important thing to remember when rebuilding the timing components is the correct fittment of the chain sprockets to the intermediate shaft... Always use new bolt (red arrow in pic) or at the very least a good quality thread lock and tighten to the correct torque setting, the last thing you want is that bolt working its way loose!!