Timing chains mk3...

[Golf Loon]

thanks for the help guys,

yea it was camden gti that quoted me $2000

Thats including all parts, the proper vw sealant and a new rear main. Plus lots of labour. If it is done faster, it costs less.

You should also change the clutch unless it has been done recently, which will cost you another $350 in parts, but no more labour.

[Tomahawk]

would i still be looking at around $2,000 for the chains to be done in a GL, not a Vr6?

cheers, Tom.

[Golf Loon]

GL has a belt not a chain and is a much easier job to change.

[Tomahawk]

ok thanks heaps. sorry for the silly question but im pretty new to this haha

[Rob Burns]

This may seem a little weird but why would you want to replace the timing chain? It's not a maintenance item like a timing belt.

[Jmac]

At high Ks the Vr engine suffers from stretched chains and worn guides. can be catastrophic if it all jumps. Scrambled cyl head springs to mind.
Jmac

[Rob Burns]

I understand that but the original post doesn't have enough information about why the poster wants to change the chain and reads (to me) as if the poster has been told the chain is a maintenance item. Every post after that seems to just assume that the car needs the timing chain replaced when that might not be the case. I just wanted to make the poster aware of that before they went and shelled out/budgeted for $2k for something that might not need doing after all.

[Jmac]

I understand that but the original post doesn't have enough information about why the poster wants to change the chain and reads (to me) as if the poster has been told the chain is a maintenance item. Every post after that seems to just assume that the car needs the timing chain replaced when that might not be the case. I just wanted to make the poster aware of that before they went and shelled out/budgeted for $2k for something that might not need doing after all.

Yeah thats a fair call that
Jmac

[Mrk_Mickey]

I understand that but the original post doesn't have enough information about why the poster wants to change the chain and reads (to me) as if the poster has been told the chain is a maintenance item. Every post after that seems to just assume that the car needs the timing chain replaced when that might not be the case. I just wanted to make the poster aware of that before they went and shelled out/budgeted for $2k for something that might not need doing after all.

With all due respect mate, the cars are old and the timing chains just don't last. They go, and this is around the time that they do. If he's considering getting it replaced because it hasn't been done before then that could, and dare I say will, potentially dodge a whole can of worms.

[tassie_euro_mk1]

Can of worms indeed Mickey.

It happened to me.

My timing chain guides deteriated without any warning. It just started running rough then about 1 km later it stopped. Bought a complete package from GAP. Great price and quality. My father is a mechanic by trade so I left him the car for a few weeks. Fidley job, even with the front of the car off and the head removed.

The guides broke into heaps of pieces. We were finding pieces everywhere. sump, etc.. And because the chain slipped It had bent all my exhaust valves.

Car had done 170,000ish at the time of the incident.

Have you thought about converting the chains to a single row? I didnt do it to the VR but dad has converted a few other makes of cars to single chains and believes it to be a better way to go.

So in the end for the guides, chains, labour work on the head (valves, headwork inculding seals and machining, etc done by a very good engine reconditioner mob here in Devonport) cost me just shy off $1000. Labour on the VR itself ie, engine removal, head removal, replacing chains, etc and many many nights after work just too come home and work on his sons car haha, was free. (thanks dad!)

So i would recommend getting them done as soon as you can (if you havnt got documentation that it has already been done). Its just something that will eventually happen. Its like heater cores and window regulators on VR6's, its something that has a fairly good chance of letting go, especially with the amount of k's that are showing on Vr6's these days.