PIC OF MY WORN PISTONS AND RE-BUILT ENGINE

[jaysVR6 2]

Thought I'd fill you all in as to what has happened to the VR. Well - It's all back on the road now and it's completely transformed.

Thanks to Dale from DB autos in Plymouth I now have a completely re-built engine. Initially I assumed the top end was worn such as guides and stems and like a good boy, on instruction, he totally rebuilt the head for me at the time he asked if I wnated him to check the pistons but stupidly I gambled (due to finances) and it didn't pay off!! (check the pic of one of my old pistons No.6. Note the scoring due to slap and worn bores, amazing from a 65k engine!)

Now 1.8k lighter but a brand new engine complete with forged pistons and a 2.9 re-bore I'm running it in, only 200 miles to go before an oil change and I can start to stretch the old girl.

I have popped it around to 5k a couple of times and it seems to fookin go! I can't wait to give it a real welly as it sounds completely different to what it did and from what I can tell it seems to be alot quicker - I'll deffo put up a sound clip as I can honestly say that I haven't heard a NA VR sound quite the same.

So it's down to Stealth next month for a re-map, decat and new exhaust.

[Eat this 2]

how much was the rebore and any idea a 3l rebore with pistons etc would cost?

[jaysVR6 2]

Pistons were around £650 and the re-bore was £25 a bore no matter what size I wanted them. I did consider 3.0l but I was advised (especially by both Dale and Vince) that 3.0 is really too far to go and way too close to the water jackets. If I had money to burn and didn't mind a new block every now and then hey I suppose I could have!!!

[Eat this 2]

any idea what gains your looking at from 2.8-2.9?

[mattverth 0]

any idea what gains your looking at from 2.8-2.9?

At a guess 16bhp

[jaysVR6 2]

I reckon I was considerably down on power due to alot of compression loss. (glad I saved the embarassment of a rolling road session!!)

I'll get it dyno'd next month at Stealth before and after and see what happens. VR Rados are around 190-200 ish arn't they?

[RIX 0]

the normal term is 5%,when increasing capaseti.so expekting it too give the same as a real 2.9,i found out that there is more to it the just 0.1liter more. i have found that they don´t have as much touque low down as the 2.8 cause of the cams(don´t if that true),but since yours is a obd2 right it should give something,but you newer relly know with these vr,i am also in the process of running in,dun it twice this years,cause vw supplyed the wrong rings got 2.8 insted of 2.9,ididn´t spare any expence i did it all the first time had some more km under the belt tho.but my luck isn´t god cause now my lifters sound bad,and even my olie pump is new.

[jaysVR6 2]

I'd agree with you there fella. I reckon 200bhp is being slighty over optimistic. I'm just hoping it's now healthy, will last and with the re-map and de-cat it will be up a few hp.

[RIX 0]

it does not matter if you have 210 or 200,as long as it pulls cleanly all the way too the redline.good did i say that i must be getting old he he.i have used over 5000 euro now,so i won´t use money one the car for a long period,other the maintens,iam dreaming of H&R coilover schrick manifold and hartmann exhaust,iam fitting my 312mm braks when the weather is better cause i did buy it in jan.

[FishWick 21]

Just like to add that my Corrado 2.9 was converted to OBD2 and it pulls MUCH better low down than it did when it was OBD1. That's with a charger in both instances. OBD2 is better, period :-)

The 2.9 in the Rado never was a torque monster low down, mainly because VW mucked about with the induction (different throttle and inlet manny) to give it more Horsepower at the top end and the squish area of the larger 82mm pistons changes the combustion characteristics too, but OBD2 on a 2.9 with the 2.8 intake and throttle is a winning combination ;-)

I think my block could do with a rebuild tbh. It's been slappy in the mornings for years but never gotten any worse. Oil consumption is acceptable and it doesn't smoke, well, only the tiniest of puffs after mega periods of overun on 6 month old quantum silver. Since switching to 10W/50, it hasn't puffed a single bit.

Vince just tells me to shut up and stop worrying if I ever query strange noises from the engine, so I'll take that as a good sign :-) I do really want a fresh block to make the most of my charger though. I'll get it done after I've moved house I think, although I'm leaning more toward sticking a 24V engine in actually as it's more cost effective (and a vastly superior engine).... we'll see!

[VR6Pete 1,455]

Vince just tells me to shut up and stop worrying if I ever query strange noises from the engine

heh.... funny you should say that

[Eat this 2]

how is the 2.8 24v vastly superior to 2.8-2.9 12v does it have variable intake or cam timing like the r32??

[FishWick 21]

Vince just tells me to shut up and stop worrying if I ever query strange noises from the engine

heh.... funny you should say that

Glad I'm not the only paranoid one' date=' LOL! The engine just sounds a bit thrashy sometimes. The creamy rumble seems to have gone over the past couple of years, so I just blame the block as it's the only part of the engine not done yet.

[b']Eat this, yeah the later 2.8 24V has variable timing and inlet, dual lambdas, OBD2 v 2 (or 3, can't remember), drive by wire, more flow, and it's a heck of a lot torquier and smoother too, and you can barely hear it at idle!!

[Eat this 2]

barely hear it BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO lol

[jaysVR6 2]

So Kev,

I was wondering if I needed a some 2.9 bits but you reckon otherwise eh? What do you suggest I do, just settle for a set-up, map and exhaust?