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VR6 Engine tech / Re: Ignition Wire replacement?
« on: November 26, 2015, 02:05:38 pm »My ’99 VW EVC has been getting “misfire” codes - #2 and #4 cylinders. Has happened twice and seems to happen when I “punch it” i.e. accelerate very rapidly. Took it to the dealer again and it seems I will need new wires, plugs and coil. The PO replaced all of that before I bought it, but looking at the invoice, the parts were very inexpensive 3rd party so, that is probably the cause. If I was a DIY engine guy, maybe I would replace piece by piece, but I am not, so it just makes sense to just do it all at once.I think the six is shortest, and the 1 is longest. The 5 and 1 could be interchangeable.
So here is my quandary - VW still offers all the parts except for ignition wire for cylinder #5. My dealer did find 2 dealers in the PNW that had original #5 wires, but would not sell them (holding them in reserve - go figure). I prefer to stay with VW parts. So my options are:
USE VW Wires - the #6 wire is the longest and should/may work for the #5, so my dealer would order the #1,2,3,4 wires and (2) # 6 wires. If that does not work, he can return the wires. But if he does that, then I/we will need to find a 3rd party set.
JUST USE 3rd party set - the question is which brand? Online I can find prices ranging from about $70 to $400+. Brand names include Denso, Standard, Beck/Arnley, Karlyn, Bosch, and NGK.
Does anyone have experience with any of the 3rd party brands and can make a recommendation?
It had an obvious timing chain rattle but it ran good so I ignored it. I drove it for a couple years and put about 25k miles on it before the timing chain failed. I studied the manual and decided to remove the engine rather than the transmission. I have done a few engines over the years but this was the toughest. After getting towed home I got to work on the teardown. 
Stripping the block bare so I could squeeze it out, the parts laid out the length of the van. 
By the following afternoon it was ready to pull. I had broken a few bolts off in the process. I chained up the block and grabbed my crowbar, a few pumps on the hoist and the engine was out.
I removed the upper chain cover. The damage was extensive. All the plastic guides were destroyed, the upper guide pin was erroded by the chain to the point that the part number was no longer readable,
and pices of the gides were sucked into the oil sump strainer.
The lower cover removal was tough because a triple square bolts on the torque plate stripped. I used my phone to find and order parts on the fly and parts begain to arrive before I had the engine clean. 
I put the chain and guides in and the timing was almost done.
I put on the upper cover and installed the tensioner so I could crank it a few times. I turned the crank and it came to an abrupt stop and It was then I realized my valves had crashed. I disassembled my chains and pulled the head to find the intake valve had been sheered off and punched a hole in the top of my number five piston.
My first thought was to go cheap and replace the broken pieces but I was in too deep so I decided on a complete overhaul. I disassembled the block and sent it over to the machine shop to have it bored 40 over.
With the 82mm pistons it would be a small 3 Liter. Pistons, injectors, gaskets, head bolts, waterpump upgrade, crackpipe, stat housing, and the list goes on. I spent the next two days cleaning, painting, and rebuilding parts.
I had to build another head because the valve head had been bounced around in the cylinder and tore up the seats. 
The block was bored I washed it with soap and water and sprayed it with hi temp semi. My first attempt to install the pistons didn't go well. I was using a ring compressor and I caught a ring and snapped an oil ring. 84mm kolbenshmit rings are not easy to come by in the us. It took four days to find another set and have them shipped.
When I got them I tuned the end gap with a file checking the gap with every stroke and when they were perfect I soaked them with assembly lube and worked them in with my fingers and a screw driver and torqued everything down.
I carefully installed the head gasket and the new head following the torque sequence exactly.
I found that never seize makes a good polishing compound for aluminum.
The timing chain assembly went together nicely. I installed the oil pan, valve cover, water pump, torque converter, and the freshly painted exhaust manifold, I was ready to drop the engine back in. 
The remaining parts would have to be put on after. To get the engine back in I had to lift it high and drop it down vertical then lift the van and drop the front down to clear the fire wall and frame. I used long pices of threaded rod to pull the engine to the bell housing. Then spent the rest of the night and the next morning on my back and hunched over the engine installing the rest of the pices. By mid morning the assembly was complete and I was ready to fire it up. 
When I turned it over it fired right up and I could immidately hear a intake leak so I shut it down and retourqued the allan bolts on the intake and started it up again. The intake leak seemd to be gone but when I reved it up I could feel a slight stumble. I connected the vagcom and confirmed the number two was misfiring. I rechecked my plugs, coil, injectors eventually I had to accept the obvious, the intake had to be reseated. Taking the intake crossover off a vr6 is not fun. The radiator, serpentine, ac, alternator, smog pump all had to come off again. I found I had folded the corner of the intake gasket when I installed it so I had to order another one. Now she is back togather and runs better than new. 
