VW A3: 2.8L AAA VR6 Water Pump Part 1 

Let me know how it goes.

***** I sure will

Very kind of you to say... thank you! It seems that a lot of people can't follow along with 1st person POV videos... and most people seem to need "verbal" verification as to what is being done. I guess for those people, 1 + 1 = 2 is only true if they hear someone say it!? =) Thank you for watching!

@@EXOVCDS lol. actually some people talk way too much on their videos. thanks again. peace

Thank you for watching & taking the time to comment!

Thanks... but I'm just average.

+Thomas EXOVCDS Im purchasing a Jetta VR6 for my kids to drive and have never owned or serviced VWs. Wanted some insight to typical replacement parts that will/may be eventually needed. Extremely helpful. Thanks for passing on your knowledge.

VWVortex is the place for the most info: forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisplay.php?5001-VW-Model-Specific-Forums select the forum that applies to the vehicle and search through it for specific issues that arise or post here when the time comes. Plastic coolant / thermostat flange, water pump, timing chains (buy a standard vehicle for easier transmission removal... tranny has to come out to replace chains), water leaks, rear axle bushings, front control arm bushings... all age related items. No real, stay away from items (aside from automatic).

Good luck... let me know how it goes / went!

I just need to get a wrench for the pulley.. living in " no where" texas makes it difficult. ebay here i come

I think you can hold the pulley by placing a socket through one of the openings & wedging it as the pulley is turned.

my shop i ordered from sent my pump to a shop 40 miles away.... waiting for them to open so I can get it.

D'oh!

Thank you for watching!

Do you have any advice for getting the pump out when it’s stuck in the block?

Thank you for watching! Happy New Year to you & yours!

Yes.

I always wanted to put a VR6 into my E30 318i... One day I'm gonna have a one of a kind project on my hands!

Don't tell me you still have the one from where you posted on the Bentley forums?in your profile..

No, I had to let her go a while back.

Water pump.

Jacobo Bo Agurcia Si puede ver lo que estoy haciendo, no hay necesidad de traducir. qué parte no puedes ver

Buenos dias si labomba falla se combina el agua con el aceite o estan por aparte?

Yes

The CV axle is attached to the transmission... the engine & transmission need to be raised, so that the water pump can be accessed. If the cv / axle is attached to the transmission, it can restrict the lifting of the engine & transmission. It could also cause damage to the cv / axle. Replacing the water pump can probably be done without touching the CV axle... but I do it to prevent damage and to make lifting the engine / transmission easier.

Yes, you can try to rotate it... spray penetrating oil around the pump housing and let soak overnight. Cracking the water pump is OK if you hit it too hard... just make sure that the block doesn't get damaged.

Thomas EXOVCDS 🙏🏻

The water pump pulley? You can place a socket in one of the pulley holes... rotate the pulley until the socket makes contact with one of the water pump mounting bolts... and then lever against the socket to loosen the pulley bolts. At 9:43 you can see 3 round holes in the pulley... rotate the pulley until you see something you can rest a socket against.

The first time always takes longer... you'll have it in & out in under 2hrs next time!

I have never come across a loose impeller on a VR6 (AAA) engine... bearing failure or coolant leaking out of the weep hole, are the only reasons for me having to replace these pumps in the past. With the engine at idle... place a long screwdriver against the engine block, close to where the water pump pulley is. BE CAREFUL!!! A slip of the screwdriver can cause the screwdriver to get caught in the belt!!! Once the screwdriver is touching the block, place your ear against the screwdriver handle, listen & feel for bearing vibration / noise. Bearing play can also cause the pulley to wiggle / wobble... so do a visual inspection as well. If you don't hear / feel any vibration, place the screwdriver on the alternator housing (in case it's the alternator bearings). If you still can't pinpoint the noise... disconnect the serpentine belt and let the engine idle. Do you still hear the noise inside the car?

@@EXOVCDS Thomas, I'll follow your diagnostic suggestion with the screwdriver if possible. I have the BDF engine. Space on the top side of the engine so tight that the pulley for the water pump cannot be seen or felt from the top side. Other pulleys, along with the belt and cooling hoses are in the way. Seems like the only option is to remove the skid plate and try to access the water pump pulley with a screwdriver from the bottom side unless there's a better method you can suggest. Working on this engine with my knuckle dragging ape hands and very little experience is frustrating. I might just replace the water pump as preventative maintenance considering the high milage. I plan on replacing the serpentine belt, tensioner and engine mount anyway, so I might as well do the pump. Meyle and Febi (German aftermarket part manufacturers) offer replacement pumps for roughly $50 compared to the $160 OEM pump. Is this a part where you think it's safe to use one of the aftermarket manufacturers mentioned or should I only use an OEM pump on this engine? I definitely appreciate your feedback and videos.

@@RedondoBeach2 Either of those pumps should be fine. Most aftermarket parts will last 5 to 8 years (or longer)... which isn't too bad.

Engine 1 3 5 2 4 6 Ignition coil: 2 5 4 3 6 1

Have you moved the fuse box aside? Also the plastic insert between the fuse box and pedal cluster? I think if you remove the clutch pedal, that will also give you more room.

Thomas EXOVCDS I'll remove that plastic panel and see 👌🏻🙏🏻, also should clutch pedal just come off after I unclick the white clip?

Once the metal retaining clip on the side of the pedal is removed, you should be able to slide the pedal off of it's pivot. As long as the clutch master push rod is disconnected from the pedal. The over-center spring will fly out of it's position... be aware / careful about that as well. It's been a long time since I had to remove one. A bit of a google search and I'm sure you'll find a pdf service file or DIY article on master or pedal removal.

Josh winget I wasn;t very happy with it... after a week or two it started to flicker and not work. I exchanged it and the same thing happened to the replacement light. Type "6 LED pen light" into google image search to find one that is the same / similar: images.google.com/

Josh winget Message me your address and I'll send you the one I have.

***** That would be amazing Thank you so very much

www.ecstuning.com/b-schley-parts/schley-3-bolt-pulley-holder/un1203280/

@@EXOVCDS THANK YOU!!! I'd buy you a beer if I could! Cheers brother man! 🍻

@@XCLR8 PayPal info is on my website. Fkh161 link in the description.

Yes, pretty much the same.

Yes... should be easy to spot. If the alternator belt is wet, most likely the water pump. Or if you have coolant dripping from the crankshaft pulley.

Thomas EXOVCDS it was the water pump (gasket has like rust )

Thanks for the update!

As long as your belt is sitting like this: media.corrado-club.ca/mods/images/vr6_ps_pump/vr6_ps_pump008.jpg all is fine. Running a belt backwards (after it has been on for a while) can create noise... if you are not having any belt noise, don't worry about it.

Thank you for watching!

+Thomas EXOVCDS Ok sounds good thanks for the speedy response. Not sure on the noise yet tho waiting in a coil to arrive in mail to start it up.

I have a deaf friend who has no problem following along with what is happening in my videos. I do talk more in my newer videos or at minimum add more text overlay. People forget that I record "while I am at work". Sorry if you meant something else.

***** Not a problem ... I didn't look at the date! Have you recorded any vr6 AAA head gasket jobs yet?

Similar, yes.

Oh ok, I have to do the timing chains and we’re pulling the engine so it’ll be easy to do the water pump

Way easier when the engine is out.

Thomas EXOVCDS question, so my timing went out while I was driving do you think it’s safe to put new timing kit and water pump and start her up?

Did the engine stop running or was it just running rough / lack of power? The VR6 is an interference fit engine... valves will hit the pistons if timing is too far out. You might end up having to pull the cylinder head as well. Use a borescope to check for signs of impact on the piston surface. Or set each cylinder to TDC and check for "leak down" (remove spark plug, force air into the cylinder and check if the cylinder leaks air). Check all cylinders... if leakdown is ok, do the chains & water pump.

From top or bottom... either works. No real set mileage... I've seen them fail before 70k and later than 120k miles. If it fits your budget or puts your mind at ease... do it when it feels right.

Any brand water pump you like best. Genuine VW or are Graf or Hebu any good.

+Johnny Woo No matter which you pick, someone will disagree... dealer, Graf, hepu are all fine by me.

Thank you for the reply, making my parts search easier. Sometimes it is worth the money buying genuine VW, sometimes it really does not matter. I bought some brand new aftermarket trans axles a few years back for another GTI, it came with sold axles instead of the hollow that came original. Lined up the marks on the trans axles with the transmission, but the vibration was terrible. Rebuilt the originals and it was so much smoother. No more cheap chinese trans axles. Genuine VW or rebuild trans axles, will not go cheap again on that part.

+Johnny Woo Yeah... stay away from aftermarket shafts.