MX6.com - View Single Post - VW VR6 valve spring malfitment! who has them installed?

**fredio54** · 6-30-05, 0:45

Being the mildly paranoid sort that I am, I decided to get one spring from vw before jumping in headlong. Having measured the spring, the head, the old spring, the small spring, the HLA and the retainer, I can now provide the following information :

All data obtained using a small s/s ruler, so not perfectly accurate, but pretty close. All measurements should have +/- 0.25 mm on them if I was going to be purely scientific, but I trust my eyes.

Mazda Outer :
38.5mm free length
19.5mm fully compressed
29.25 OD
22.75 ID

VW VR6 :
42.25 free length
20.5 fully compressed
30.125 OD
22.5 ID

Mazda Inner :
37.5 free length
19.5 fully compressed
21 OD
16.5 ID

Std Mazda Retainer :
28 overall diameter
22 first step
15 last step

Washer that stops the springs pounding there way through the ally head :
29.5 OD, with a 15.125 OD for the centre spigot.

Head hole - washer clearance :
0.5mm

the spring fits inside the inner bore of the HLA with some clearance, i didnt measure how much.

I checked both of my heads(jap, and NZ new), both the same(well duh).

obviously i have only one spring, and even VW have tolerences, i may have got unlucky, and ended up with the one in a million that is this big, however given the low tolerences in vws past engineering work, i would hazard a guess and say even if i am on the larger side of the tolerence curve, anyone that ordered 16, would get at least one this big, and probably more.

Conclusions :

The VW springs are an 1/8th of a mm too large to fit inside the recess in the ally head. Possible solutions include :

1 : Super Maori Stylez (gheto) allow the large seat pressure to jam/bed the spring into the head rendering it quite secure, and very central, however making it difficult to remove in future, and possible/probably liberating shards of ally from the head into the oil!

2. machine the socket on the head to suit.(expensive, and time consuming)

3. lightly grind one end of the spring to allow it to fit. this is the option i will be favouring unless pointed to a better one. it wont weaken the spring signifigantly, and provides a neat solution. (also time consuming, however my time, not someone elses at XX $/hr...

Question time :-)

Who among you have an FE3 with these springs in it assembled right now?

Who among those noticed this clearance issue?

Who from those did something to rectify the situation, and what was it that you/your engineer did?

Serious replies with something other than opinion to offer ONLY please!
It seems to me that some(perhaps many of you) are not serious about this mazda game, however I am. I like this motor because 1. the bottom end was unbreakable even without the extra beef, and squirters, 2. it flows well enough to make excellent power, and the big one 3. it is readlily a rwd motor :-) moral of the story, if you dont have something good to offer leave this thread alone. that way, there will be less useless posts, and it will be infinitly more readable and more rich and dense in info than otherwise. if you want to complain about this paragraph, do it by starting another fred bashing thread, or PMing me.

Have a nice day, and i look forward to a limited number of usefull replies.

Fred.

6-30-05, 0:45	#1 (permalink)
fredio54 Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Auckland, New Zealand iTrader: (1)	VW VR6 valve spring malfitment! who has them installed? Being the mildly paranoid sort that I am, I decided to get one spring from vw before jumping in headlong. Having measured the spring, the head, the old spring, the small spring, the HLA and the retainer, I can now provide the following information : All data obtained using a small s/s ruler, so not perfectly accurate, but pretty close. All measurements should have +/- 0.25 mm on them if I was going to be purely scientific, but I trust my eyes. Mazda Outer : 38.5mm free length 19.5mm fully compressed 29.25 OD 22.75 ID VW VR6 : 42.25 free length 20.5 fully compressed 30.125 OD 22.5 ID Mazda Inner : 37.5 free length 19.5 fully compressed 21 OD 16.5 ID Std Mazda Retainer : 28 overall diameter 22 first step 15 last step Washer that stops the springs pounding there way through the ally head : 29.5 OD, with a 15.125 OD for the centre spigot. Head hole - washer clearance : 0.5mm the spring fits inside the inner bore of the HLA with some clearance, i didnt measure how much. I checked both of my heads(jap, and NZ new), both the same(well duh). obviously i have only one spring, and even VW have tolerences, i may have got unlucky, and ended up with the one in a million that is this big, however given the low tolerences in vws past engineering work, i would hazard a guess and say even if i am on the larger side of the tolerence curve, anyone that ordered 16, would get at least one this big, and probably more. Conclusions : The VW springs are an 1/8th of a mm too large to fit inside the recess in the ally head. Possible solutions include : 1 : Super Maori Stylez (gheto) allow the large seat pressure to jam/bed the spring into the head rendering it quite secure, and very central, however making it difficult to remove in future, and possible/probably liberating shards of ally from the head into the oil! 2. machine the socket on the head to suit.(expensive, and time consuming) 3. lightly grind one end of the spring to allow it to fit. this is the option i will be favouring unless pointed to a better one. it wont weaken the spring signifigantly, and provides a neat solution. (also time consuming, however my time, not someone elses at XX $/hr... Question time :-) Who among you have an FE3 with these springs in it assembled right now? Who among those noticed this clearance issue? Who from those did something to rectify the situation, and what was it that you/your engineer did? Serious replies with something other than opinion to offer ONLY please! It seems to me that some(perhaps many of you) are not serious about this mazda game, however I am. I like this motor because 1. the bottom end was unbreakable even without the extra beef, and squirters, 2. it flows well enough to make excellent power, and the big one 3. it is readlily a rwd motor :-) moral of the story, if you dont have something good to offer leave this thread alone. that way, there will be less useless posts, and it will be infinitly more readable and more rich and dense in info than otherwise. if you want to complain about this paragraph, do it by starting another fred bashing thread, or PMing me. Have a nice day, and i look forward to a limited number of usefull replies. Fred.