I do not understand how anybody can dislike a video or the information provided from you, I really appreciate the time you take to explain things as simple as you can without leaving out any information. Those 7 people that have disliked must have just hit the wrong button.
doesn't sound anything like that in real life! they sound much MUCH better in person, and even in other videos ;) mic was getting a little overwhelmed lol
flinchey Nah, I'm also not too tbh sure but basically OBD is the way diagnostics were made and with OBD2 VR's because of the added 'safety' stuff like O2 sensors being different to OBD1s. But here's a link to give you an idea of how a OBD1 VR sounds like: facebook.com/video.php?v=10153553937458504&set=o.208384122530062&type=3
I am the first owner of a 2003 VW Jetta GLI with the 200hp VR-6 engine. It was my daily driver for 15 years. The engine is just iron clad. Coupled with a manual 6 speed it is extremely reliable and pretty efficient. I cannot seem to let it go, it’s now a good little weekend warrior. 242,000 miles and still going. Keep on Buggin’!
Great video dude! Thanks for having me on the show. As many times as I have heard that sound clip at the end, it still makes me smile. Hell I DRIVE that car and the video makes me smile :) :)
HumbleMechanic Thank you for your the time and effort on this collaboration with Jason. Jason, high quality and informative as usual, thank you both for sharing.
Thanks for the video, love these engines, have a Coil pack ABV code engine in my 94 Corrado VR6 (European version). Love the noise they make, great to learn how they work.
The video collaboration between Engineering Explained and The Humble Mechanic is phenomenal!! The white board is very descriptive and informative by EE and is then brought to life by the real thing presented by THM! (Plus your little clip of the exhaust note, you can’t go wrong with that!)
Engineers that designed this engine at Volkswagen are absolutely brilliant, it's actually a real piece of art when you get down to the engineering details of the vr6.
Actually the VR6 took the engine design from a '63 Lancia V4. However, the late genius DR. Piëch based the VW engine design of an IL-6 cylinder and called it VR6 - Verkürzt Reihen - Shortened Inline6. From there a VR6 - 1 cyl = VR5, then a VR6 - 2 cyl = VR4 x 2 = W8, then a VR6 x 2 = W12, and finally a W8 x 2 = W16
Great to see real engines in the show. Not to say there's nothing wrong with the whiteboard. Aaand the sound at the end. Killer. Subscribed to HumbleMechanic.
My 2003 GTI VR6 (24v engine) has been totally reliable for almost 16 years now! Not one issue! Initially, when I bought the car, they recalled it for a coilpack issue, but they installed new and improved ones, and i've not had anything else come up all these years. This engine is the most reliable i've ever had, even more than the Japanese cars my family has owned over the decades! This engine is so smooth, with good torque. I love tooling around town in almost any gear I want. Incredible!
Dude hell yes! Thank you so much for responding to my request and doing this engine!!! Really stoked to see that you actually followed through with it. Can't wait to hit play now
So cool man. I've got a VR6 VW Corrado, first bought in Newark - USA by a portuguese immigrant, then when he came back to Portugal, he brought it and several years after i had the chance to buy it. It's from 1993 and it has only 40000 miles. Nice youtube channel you've got man.
Oh man, as soon as the Humble Mechanic started going at it with the engine-talk I could tell how much he loved explaining it. I get that way when I'm talking about my computer, haha. I really learn a lot from these videos, thanks!
+Chris Monopoli germans know EXACTLY how to build mechanical things. hence why THE most durable vehicle ever made was crafted by their hands. but it has the most basic electrical system i have ever seen. BUT ask a german to build electrical systems, and you are GOING TO HAVE A BAD TIME.
+lola fick that's the runner up. a single link timing chain is a bit of a no no. the car im talking about is the w123 chassis, or for those that don't know the 300D of the late 70's and early 80's
Well....I could argue as the most unreliable car according to reliabilityindex.com is the BMW m5 and the bottom 10 car list is stuffed full of German cars! Merc, Audi, BMW Check it out quite surprising.
The R in VR stays for REIHE and is a word for line right. But the word is Reihe. Thank you for all these videos. They helped me allot for other engine projects.
Interesting video. The slightly uneven firing from the mis-alignment makes for an interesting exhaust sound. Lancia pioneered the low angle V configuration in a 4 cylinder engine in the 1920s.
I'm kind of a Honda/Ford guy. Never really messed with VW stuff. Very interesting motor. The head is basically just like any other DOHC head, except they made it massively wide to span the cylinder configuration. Looking up some parts for this motor online. A lot of the stuff isn't much more expensive than parts for my K24. I can see why a lot of guys like these.
jamie MacKenzie Yeah man, cool is cool. Period. Why some car guys get caught up in brand loyalty is beyond me. There are so many ways to get horse power. Why not enjoy all of them?
Yeah, It's really not expensive at all. It's just scary at a glance to a some people who've never wrenched on one before. I've had my VR completely apart many times for turbocharging and after for maintenance and no part's price has ever been shocking compared to anything else i've worked on.
SpaceManDawn Not only that, but the more you learn about other brands, the more you learn about yours as well. I used to have a SOHC d16y8 and dreamed of getting a GSR or an SI Swap, but learning from what I learned from my VR6 The difference between those motors is small enough that you will max out the handling of the FWD car, before the Power Output of any of those engines on boost. Most if not all of Honda's motors flow incredibly well due to an incredible head design such that coveting an engine that has .2 liters of displacement isn't really worth it. With that being said, the K-Series engines are beast... Mechanical marvels..
SpaceManDawn The cool thing about these motors are they're like the LS Big blocks of VW. They're main design was not to maximize the amount of Power per liter, but rather maximize the amount of power in a given amount of space in an engine bay. The only issue with them (Especially with the earlier versions of the VR6) is head flow is terrible.
Good job Jason and Charles. I'm a Chrysler tech, and was interested in the VR6 after seeing a block in an unrelated vid. You guys make a good team. To bad you missed the mistake with the drawing of the valve train. I like the fact that the engine is a single over head cam with 2 cams in a single head. Going to look for more VR6 vids, starting at with the HumbleMechanic channel. Thanks
@@EngineeringExplained You took the easy way out rather than stick to the original. That's why you keep saying and thinking that VR6 is a V6 than a Verkürzt Reihenmotor6 - Shortened Inline6
I noticed the Humble mechanic mentioned a coil pack providing power to the spark plugs. I have a general idea on how they work but having you explain it would make it so much clearer. I'm also curios about how a front wheel drive works. I own an 02 impala with the 3.8L v6 and it never ceases to amaze how all that motor and transmission is crammed under the hood. Love your videos and your very simple and informative way of explaining how it all works
This was way cool! I love the idea of hearing the theory and ideas behind some sort of technology and then seeing the application of it! Subbed to HumbleMechanic and I'm absolutely looking foreword to more of these!!!! The contrasting voices and styles of presentation was rad also.
I was waiting for the most decent engineering video about this engine, used in the 2008 R32 and the 2010 R36. Thanks man, you blow my mind everytime you make videos like these, and thank you again for all the trouble you go through to make those videos possible, test drives and new videos. Thank you again
Really nice work !!! enjoyed watching this video !!! I´m driving a PASSAT 35i FACLIFT VR6 for 4 years now and as like your mechanic said, the air intake sound makes me go crazy ^^, goosebumps most likely all the time when hit the pedal to the metal........very special engine
So the W8, W12, W16 are basically two VRs on the same crank shaft. The W8 for example it would be two VR4s on the same crank. There was someone down my street had a Passat W8, I drove it when it was for sale. I didn't have enough money for it, but it was a really nice car. It preformed well
HumbleMechanic it was so cool to drive it sounded awesome. I guess that's the reason why they never sold many W8 Passat models. I wish they still used the VR6. Do you know why they stopped using it? Did the 2.0T replace the VR6? I know that is used in a lot of VW products now
Bryan Doherty For the longest time, I wanted a W8 wagon. Heck even with free labor, i would struggle to afford the parts. You can buy them dirt cheap now, I just don't think I would get mixed up in one. They still use the VR6 in the Touareg. You are correct that the 2.0T TSI did replace the VR6. They are moving more towards simplifying the car line. More cars will share more parts than ever before. Part of that is using MQB. That is where different parts of the car(think from the center of the front wheels to the steering wheel) are the same on every car. It allows them to save money, and build cars that share more parts. This should make the brand better from a reliability standpoint. I worry that it may become more generic looking and feeling. They are doing awesome things with the new 1.8t and the 2.0t. The are different variants of the EA888 series engine. The new GTI 2.0t is AWESOME. Well almost everything about the new GTI is awesome. I can't wait until the performance pack hits later this year. I think the MK7 Golf R will hit mid 2015. And if a boy can dream, the Golf R Sportwagon.
I wanted one for a long time too, but I'm not mechanic, I understand how most everything works but not enough to do major maintenance myself. I never knew the Touareg ever used the VR6. That's what I thought. It seems to be a really good engine, so does the 1.8T. You would know more being a VW mechanic, but I've never heard anything bad about the 1.8T or 2.0T. I really hope it doesn't make all VW group products feel the same. The MK7 GTI is really nice, I've seen quiet a few on the roads where I live, really good looking car. I really want the Golf R Sportswagon, it looks really nice. I've heard it will have 296hp
HumbleMechanic As an owner of a Golf MK6 R, I can say that I would MUCH rather have the VR6 R32 or R36 engine instead of the 2.0 TSI. Yes the TSI is more economical and produces more power than a stock vr6 engine, but the sound of a vr6 engine is just incredible. Also when turbocharging a vr6, they will make 400+ hp easily.
I'm not sure if this has been said, or if it was mentioned in the video and I missed it. But I believe your drawing only refers to the 24v setup. For a 12v each cam does both Intake and exhaust. There isn't one cam solely for intake and one cam solely for exhaust. Each cam has 2 lobes per cylinder; one for intake, one for exhaust. The 24v is exactly as you showed, each cam has one sole purpose, Intake or exhaust. The Humble mechanic did a great job of displaying that with the 12 valve head.
Just got my first VR6, pined after them since they showed up in the Corrado after the G60. Cool engine after all these years that has a unique sound and power delivery.
I love the VR6. it is one of the sweetest sounding engines around, and the power and torque are amazing especially considering the relatively small displacement for a 6 cylinder engine.
@Christian Helmsworth yep that takes the cake for small V6. 1.8L. I remember arguing with a friend years ago who insisted it was the same 2.5L duratec V6 like the MX6 Mystere had. I told him, no, its not. Its got its own V6 and is only a tiny 1.8L. They sounded so good (so did the 2.5 but the 1.8 was cool) they were not very fast but I really liked them and the sound was enough for me. A purple one came in trade to the dealer i worked at and i drove that to the licencing office for a few days lol
A six stays a six forever. I drive a German 5 cilinder. In low revs it's smooth as a six, when put to the edge it hammers like an eight, it drinks like a little four. And when it sleeps it dreams of his famous uncle, the legendary Audi S1.
I'll stick with Chevy's cast iron wonder: inline 6 cyl 194/230/250 cu. in. engines-they last FOREVER! Cheap and easy to maintain too-so what if they are a bit "heavy" or "inefficient"-reliability rules in my book
bolderiks that made no sense. It’s going to take more than the # of cylinders to design something that performs that way. You can easily make a 6 or 4 perform the same way - tuning, camshaft rotating assembly design.
EXCELLENT video! If i'm not mistaken, the VR6 engine has won many awards, including 'Wards Best Engine', and is used (in a different, multiple VR config) in the Bugatti Veyron as well!
Question is, what is wall thickness where the top of piston (and rings, to a degree.) is located from the point of max acceleration to BDC. The wall thickness at the bottom of the cylinder is not as important as it is obviously only housing the piston and not containing the cylinder pressures created during combustion. Another consideration I guess is the wear characteristics of the thrust side and what inherent scope there is for rectification of cylinder ovaling by increasing bore diameter and fitting oversized pistons.
Honestly, one of your beat videos yet! Really interesting topic and I loved the fact that you showed us a real VR6 engine, as well as the engine noise! This was one thing that I missed in some of you previous videos, but if you can keep doing this, it would be awesome!! 😆
That was a great video. The mash up of the white board and actually seeing the engine was great. Hope to see more like this, very educational. Thank you to the two of you!
This video makes me want to rebuild my vr6! and that clip at the end! Amazing sound and I'm glad i get to hear it every day! If it wasn't my daily I'd already have the chains changed especially since shops want to charge $1000 dollars! I'm glad you also, put Humble Mechanic in the video, now I have something else to watch!
90k views and only 1% subscribed to Humble Mechanic because of it? I would have thought that there are more VW enthusiasts than that watching this videos.
***** Honestly it's a fantastic turnover rate. If I get a post shared on a major auto site I'm lucky to gain a few hundred subs. That said, more people should check out his channel, he's a great fellow!
Your video are great; you really know what you are talking about. I have one complaint/suggestion.......get a mic. Your audio quality is fair to poor and makes it more difficult to appreciate what you are saying. You don't want your audience to work at hearing you. Talking louder helps, but that does not improve the quality of the sound.
You said that 1 camshaft will open all intake valves for all cylinders while the other will open all exhaust valves. But, in the humble mechanic video, the camshaft at the right(or left) opens both intake and exhaust valves for where it is positioned and so does the camshaft on the opposite side... I was wondering if what you explained is for the 24 valve VR6 while humble mechanic showed the 12 valve VR6?
+John Ino Sare +fitty77 I was just about to ask the same question. Same goes for the W16 video. I just see how one camshaft for inlet and one for outlet would work without adding unnecessary complicity.
So, great video, but is just me, or is there an error ins the initial explanation? Each camshaft, controls both exhhaust and intake valve, against the initial idea that one camshaft does all the exhaust valves, and the other all the intake valves... Really nice sound in the end... WOW
The white board is the 24 valve, the mechanic had the 12 valve. The 12V a camshaft controls both intake and exhaust, 24v one cam is all intake other all exhaust.
The difference in intake running length is actually compensated in the intake manifold. However, the VR6 engine was originally designed to be a turbocharged engine. This is also the reason why this engine can be turbo-ed so easily. 400+ HP with stock internals (lowered compression) is not a problem. I have a few videos on my channel from my old VR6 Turbo which made over 400 hp without any major mods to the engine itself
i took a porsche cayenne 957 model, 3.6 vr6,l,installed forged carilla pistons 10.5;1 ,and a gtx3582r garret turbo,running water /meth,17lbs boost 4 inch dia down pipe,1000 injectors,, 530hp, no issues, got 40000miles so far,
Interesting video, but you could have credited Lancia for this engine concept. Lancia patented the narrow angle V-engine already in 1915. In 1922 Lancia introduced the model "Lambda" with a V4 engine and the model "Trikappa" with V8 engine, all narrow angles. The successful Lancia Fulvia had a V4 narrow angle until the end of production which was mid seventies. "Der V-Motor mit engem Zylinderwinkel wurde von dem italienischen Unternehmen Lancia & C. entwickelt, weshalb die Bauart als „Lancia-Prinzip“ bezeichnet wurde. Grundlage dafür war ein Patent von Lancia & C. vom 1. Juli 1915"
I had a '92 Corrado SLC and with the Autotech exhaust, it sounded like a four cylinder at idle and driving around, a V8 when it started to wind out, and an inline 6 at full zonk-
So this is the first time i saw a video of you and i think it's awesome! I am a mechanical engineering stundent from Austria and i can learn somthing with your videos. Thank you!
As I would say. Invention from Lancia. Just as combination of compressor with turbo. And also TDI is a invention from Fiat also as common rail. So not a invention of VW
This the first time I learned anything about the VR6, very interesting. What are the stock engines power specs? What kind of aftermarket support is available? Is there a way to use this in a rear wheel drive configuration?
Well, just bought an Austrian Moto, its great! Love it but have to say, the abs lite, TCS lite and various other sensors are going hawire, like any bavarian cars I see in my bays regularly. But my goodness, sure does Haul some Ask (me all about 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds). And dont even go to AUS is diffrent than the Deoichland!
+robert retka Try to migrate to Japan then, good luck on that one... Don't worry, you probably wouldn't actually have to migrate anyways. Their nationalism prevents this.
Very good informative video guys. That vr lump at the end looks brand new! They really are bomb proof too! Shame abouut the rest of the mk3's falling apart as we drive them!
@WolfoxBenny. Very beautyfull engine indeed. Runs smoothly when well adjusted. Thought it was 12 or 14 degrees and very shortly build. And lots of aluminum. The engineers had to built it as light as possible because of its location in front of the front axle. These cars are still popular in classic ralleys because of the low weight and ridgid coach.
I had a total of 3 Lancia Fulvias with the narrow V4 back in the 80's. Wish I still had them now. The Lancia narrow V4 goes way back before the Fulvia though. It goes back to 1922 in the Lancia Lambda, so nearly 100 years ago. Just saying.
Great video. One bit, I'm pretty sure VR is an abbreviation for verkurzt reihenmotor which translates to shortened inline motor. Also love the face plant IPA in the background.
VW should have equipped the Golf V R32 with a supercharger, just imagine how fast that thing would have been with 350-400hp! I mean, they even put that engine into the Audi TT, that thing may be the most brutal sounding VAG engine ever made, but compared to the 265hp 2.0l TFSI equipped cars it was WAY too slow...
Awesome vid! It's always fun to get car people that don't know about the VR with this: "My engine has a V formation, 2 cams, yet is a DOHC". Gets the heads scratching quick! I just wish VW would have made the Mk4 engine bay a weee bit longer, my BDF is just a little bit too cozy in there.
Even with the stock system, sounds great. I plan to chip the computer so it redlines at a higher RPM, because the internals are rated to 7500 RPM. Also sounds good with the air filter off too!
Your cam layout drawing does not match the actual engine. Each cam does intake and exhaust on each cylinder bank. Valves do not cross over as you show.
His drawings are for the newer 3.2 and 3.6L VR6 engines. The older 2.8 ABF and bored up 2.9 ABV engines with 12 valves use a "Dual SOHC" setup which obviously have a different cam layout.
As I recall, the VR-6 does NOT work like an inline six. With an inline six, each cylinder has its own crank journal. With the VR-6, each crank shaft journal has two cylinders attached to it. So saying its "just like an i6" is not really correct.
+Stuka87 Except the VR6 has seven main bearings because in fact each one does have it's own crank shaft journal. To add onto the tech, the 24v isn't new. They also were 2.8L with exception of the R32.. That changed for the 02 model with the 01 being last year of the 12v. I in fact have a 24v block from factory but a 12v head. Of note that the 99-01 12v had different lift/duration between the two banks of cylinders to account for the different runner lengths.
EinachserLS What he describes was not uncommon where two rods are on the same journal. Just look up the smallblock. Most V6s for balancing purposes are not a true shared journal but do have an offset with two pistons between each main. I am thinking that is what stuka thought. The VR6 does alternate rod/main.
Stumbled on this video by accident but I love the design over the more traditional V6. Having the 2 heads and 2 exhaust manifolds in a traditional V6 is a real turn off once you start working on them. A found a new appreciation for this engine.
Engineering Explained 1. Shouldn't it be essentially called a "Double" SOHC? 2. You stated that the camshaft on the left essentially controls all the Inlet valves of the 6 cylinders and the camshaft on the right controls all the exhaust valves. But, Humble mechanic's model seems to contradict. His left camshaft seems to control both the Inlet valves and Exhaust valves of cylinders 1, 3, 5 and his right camshaft operates both Inlet valves and Exhaust valves of cylinders 2, 4, 6? Can you please clarify?
Engineering Explained According to your model it's a DOHC. But, according to Humble mechanic's model it should be called a "Double"SOHC. clarification please?
Intake and exhaust issues are dealt with via runner volume. They do overheat and warping is the last thing you'll worry about as the heads crack when overheated. And although you may not get the external symptoms you'll get small cracks intersecting the spark plug holes allowing coolant to seep in causing premature plug wear and slight coolant loss.
I do not understand how anybody can dislike a video or the information provided from you, I really appreciate the time you take to explain things as simple as you can without leaving out any information. Those 7 people that have disliked must have just hit the wrong button.
Robert Scott Haha, I appreciate the kind words. Glad you enjoy the videos and find them easy to learn from!
If nothing else, take the time to appreciate the sound at 14:50.
doesn't sound anything like that in real life!
they sound much MUCH better in person, and even in other videos ;)
mic was getting a little overwhelmed lol
ENGINEERING EXPLAINED DO US A THROTTLE BODIE VIDEO ME MUST KNOW
@flinchey That's because OBD1 vr's can sound more aggressive and have a more bass tone than OBD2's and he clearly said he's one is a 98'
Karabo Ntswane I don't understand what you're saying.
by OBD1 you mean 12 valve, rather than the 24 valve ones?
flinchey Nah, I'm also not too tbh sure but basically OBD is the way diagnostics were made and with OBD2 VR's because of the added 'safety' stuff like O2 sensors being different to OBD1s. But here's a link to give you an idea of how a OBD1 VR sounds like:
facebook.com/video.php?v=10153553937458504&set=o.208384122530062&type=3
I am the first owner of a 2003 VW Jetta GLI with the 200hp VR-6 engine. It was my daily driver for 15 years. The engine is just iron clad. Coupled with a manual 6 speed it is extremely reliable and pretty efficient. I cannot seem to let it go, it’s now a good little weekend warrior. 242,000 miles and still going. Keep on Buggin’!
I thought it was like a regular V6. Had a friend that had a Jetta VR6 lot of power and loved the unique sound
Great video dude! Thanks for having me on the show. As many times as I have heard that sound clip at the end, it still makes me smile. Hell I DRIVE that car and the video makes me smile :) :)
Great to have your help! I make car noises every time I pass my Subaru. Somehow it doesn't get old. Hope to shoot another video with ya sometime!
HumbleMechanic Thank you for your the time and effort on this collaboration with Jason.
Jason, high quality and informative as usual, thank you both for sharing.
patw52pb1
Thank you for that. I really appreciate it. Always a please to work with Jason.
That's a beautiful vr man! Nice work!
Thanks for the video, love these engines, have a Coil pack ABV code engine in my 94 Corrado VR6 (European version). Love the noise they make, great to learn how they work.
The video collaboration between Engineering Explained and The Humble Mechanic is phenomenal!! The white board is very descriptive and informative by EE and is then brought to life by the real thing presented by THM! (Plus your little clip of the exhaust note, you can’t go wrong with that!)
Engineers that designed this engine at Volkswagen are absolutely brilliant, it's actually a real piece of art when you get down to the engineering details of the vr6.
And when you put 2 together you get a W12
Actually the VR6 took the engine design from a '63 Lancia V4. However, the late genius DR. Piëch based the VW engine design of an IL-6 cylinder and called it VR6 - Verkürzt Reihen - Shortened Inline6. From there a VR6 - 1 cyl = VR5, then a VR6 - 2 cyl = VR4 x 2 = W8, then a VR6 x 2 = W12, and finally a W8 x 2 = W16
where are more in depth details about shallow angle engines?
VR6 Owner checking in here, I'm learning all about my new engine :D
Love the collaboration between white board and real metal
markgriz Also white boy and real man. #WBRM
Engineering Explained
markgriz both are true!
Here in 2022 after buying an Atlas Cross Sport…..man, it’S awesome to see how much your channel has grown and changed! Congrats!
One of the best engine designs ever. A near ideal combination of performance, size and complexity.
I love the purring sound this particular engine makes as you're coming to a stop.
Great to see real engines in the show. Not to say there's nothing wrong with the whiteboard. Aaand the sound at the end. Killer. Subscribed to HumbleMechanic.
THANKS!
I'm getting an 03 GTI VR6 soon, and you have just further sold me on the VR6 over the 1.8T. That sound. Just wonderful.
One of the best engine's VW ever made... The soundtrack of my youth (:
Too bad sales could not keep the Corrado going. I had a 16V Scirocco. Two very underrated sports cars.
I used to have 2003 golf gti vr6 6speed.. I'm very impressed with that engine.. German muscle. Good Job... With the explanation..
From a fellow engineer and mechanic/car enthusiast, thanks for the awesome and informative video! Sick VR6 swap as well!
English: VR6
Danish: VRSÆISER!
One of the most brutal engine sounds in the world.
Best regards from a Ford dude :)
I love the exhaust note of the VR6
I had VR6 Golf with single muffler, it sounded so good. :)
My 2003 GTI VR6 (24v engine) has been totally reliable for almost 16 years now! Not one issue! Initially, when I bought the car, they recalled it for a coilpack issue, but they installed new and improved ones, and i've not had anything else come up all these years. This engine is the most reliable i've ever had, even more than the Japanese cars my family has owned over the decades! This engine is so smooth, with good torque. I love tooling around town in almost any gear I want. Incredible!
Mine had a misfire but with new coils and plugs fixed that for me, other then a battery issue i had the car is running great.
Dude hell yes! Thank you so much for responding to my request and doing this engine!!! Really stoked to see that you actually followed through with it. Can't wait to hit play now
So cool man. I've got a VR6 VW Corrado, first bought in Newark - USA by a portuguese immigrant, then when he came back to Portugal, he brought it and several years after i had the chance to buy it. It's from 1993 and it has only 40000 miles. Nice youtube channel you've got man.
VR6 isn't "V" R 6 it means Verkurzt Reihenmotor 6
Which translates into shortened straight 6
Alexander Hernandez nein
Or maybe it means straightened V6
But still it is a combo of a V and a straight engine... So the VR6 name actually has a double meaning.
In Slovak it’s “Vidlicovo Radový” which means combo of both V and R :D
That's correct. Unfortunately neither Jason nor Charles knew about it.
Oh man, as soon as the Humble Mechanic started going at it with the engine-talk I could tell how much he loved explaining it. I get that way when I'm talking about my computer, haha. I really learn a lot from these videos, thanks!
WELL DONE. THIS WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND NOT THE LEAST BIT BORING. THANKS TO BOTH OF YOU.
+ROBERT HORNER glad you like it!
+ROBERT HORNER fix that caps lock dude!
My Porsche Cayenne has this engine and dear god… what a seriously satisfying engine. Very reliable too.
If there's one thing VW does well, it's engine castings. That VR6 block is beautiful.
+scdevon VW does a lot of things well the Germans build good cars you can't argue that VW, Porsche, Audi, & BMW all well built machines
+Chris Monopoli germans know EXACTLY how to build mechanical things. hence why THE most durable vehicle ever made was crafted by their hands. but it has the most basic electrical system i have ever seen.
BUT ask a german to build electrical systems, and you are GOING TO HAVE A BAD TIME.
+Keith You forget that it is the Japanese who make the Toyota Hilux..
+lola fick that's the runner up. a single link timing chain is a bit of a no no. the car im talking about is the w123 chassis, or for those that don't know the 300D of the late 70's and early 80's
Well....I could argue as the most unreliable car according to reliabilityindex.com is the BMW m5 and the bottom 10 car list is stuffed full of German cars! Merc, Audi, BMW
Check it out quite surprising.
The R in VR stays for REIHE and is a word for line right. But the word is Reihe. Thank you for all these videos. They helped me allot for other engine projects.
Great video. Thanks. I drive a 1966 Lancia Fulvia 1,216cc narrow V4 ( about 12 degrees ). Lancia may have pioneered the narrow V.
Interesting video. The slightly uneven firing from the mis-alignment makes for an interesting exhaust sound. Lancia pioneered the low angle V configuration in a 4 cylinder engine in the 1920s.
I'm kind of a Honda/Ford guy. Never really messed with VW stuff. Very interesting motor. The head is basically just like any other DOHC head, except they made it massively wide to span the cylinder configuration.
Looking up some parts for this motor online. A lot of the stuff isn't much more expensive than parts for my K24. I can see why a lot of guys like these.
a true petrol head like myself! no hate :)
jamie MacKenzie
Yeah man, cool is cool. Period. Why some car guys get caught up in brand loyalty is beyond me. There are so many ways to get horse power. Why not enjoy all of them?
Yeah, It's really not expensive at all. It's just scary at a glance to a some people who've never wrenched on one before. I've had my VR completely apart many times for turbocharging and after for maintenance and no part's price has ever been shocking compared to anything else i've worked on.
SpaceManDawn Not only that, but the more you learn about other brands, the more you learn about yours as well.
I used to have a SOHC d16y8 and dreamed of getting a GSR or an SI Swap, but learning from what I learned from my VR6
The difference between those motors is small enough that you will max out the handling of the FWD car, before the Power Output of any of those engines on boost.
Most if not all of Honda's motors flow incredibly well due to an incredible head design such that coveting an engine that has .2 liters of displacement isn't really worth it.
With that being said, the K-Series engines are beast... Mechanical marvels..
SpaceManDawn The cool thing about these motors are they're like the LS Big blocks of VW. They're main design was not to maximize the amount of Power per liter, but rather maximize the amount of power in a given amount of space in an engine bay.
The only issue with them (Especially with the earlier versions of the VR6) is head flow is terrible.
Good job Jason and Charles. I'm a Chrysler tech, and was interested in the VR6 after seeing a block in an unrelated vid. You guys make a good team. To bad you missed the mistake with the drawing of the valve train.
I like the fact that the engine is a single over head cam with 2 cams in a single head. Going to look for more VR6 vids, starting at with the HumbleMechanic channel. Thanks
i am disappoint you didn't try to pronounce reihenmotor
Haha I would have sounded like a dog attempting to bark. Not in my best interest.
Rye-Hen-Motor
Dušan Pešić yes that would have been good!
Yes also V is called Fau in German so the whole thing is spoken differently in German, lol. So Fau Rye-Hen-motor Sechs Say that five times fast, lol.
@@EngineeringExplained You took the easy way out rather than stick to the original. That's why you keep saying and thinking that VR6 is a V6 than a Verkürzt Reihenmotor6 - Shortened Inline6
I noticed the Humble mechanic mentioned a coil pack providing power to the spark plugs. I have a general idea on how they work but having you explain it would make it so much clearer. I'm also curios about how a front wheel drive works. I own an 02 impala with the 3.8L v6 and it never ceases to amaze how all that motor and transmission is crammed under the hood. Love your videos and your very simple and informative way of explaining how it all works
This was way cool! I love the idea of hearing the theory and ideas behind some sort of technology and then seeing the application of it! Subbed to HumbleMechanic and I'm absolutely looking foreword to more of these!!!!
The contrasting voices and styles of presentation was rad also.
I was waiting for the most decent engineering video about this engine, used in the 2008 R32 and the 2010 R36. Thanks man, you blow my mind everytime you make videos like these, and thank you again for all the trouble you go through to make those videos possible, test drives and new videos. Thank you again
TheSupergunman3000 Very welcome, glad you enjoyed the video!
Really nice work !!! enjoyed watching this video !!! I´m driving a PASSAT 35i FACLIFT VR6 for 4 years now and as like your mechanic said, the air intake sound makes me go crazy ^^, goosebumps most likely all the time when hit the pedal to the metal........very special engine
I love your series of engine layout videos. I've always thought that the vr6 was a bit more complicated than what you've shown it to be.
So the W8, W12, W16 are basically two VRs on the same crank shaft. The W8 for example it would be two VR4s on the same crank.
There was someone down my street had a Passat W8, I drove it when it was for sale. I didn't have enough money for it, but it was a really nice car. It preformed well
AWESOME car to drive, but horribly expensive to fix. The engine has to come out for a lot of repairs.
HumbleMechanic it was so cool to drive it sounded awesome. I guess that's the reason why they never sold many W8 Passat models. I wish they still used the VR6. Do you know why they stopped using it? Did the 2.0T replace the VR6? I know that is used in a lot of VW products now
Bryan Doherty For the longest time, I wanted a W8 wagon. Heck even with free labor, i would struggle to afford the parts. You can buy them dirt cheap now, I just don't think I would get mixed up in one.
They still use the VR6 in the Touareg. You are correct that the 2.0T TSI did replace the VR6. They are moving more towards simplifying the car line. More cars will share more parts than ever before. Part of that is using MQB. That is where different parts of the car(think from the center of the front wheels to the steering wheel) are the same on every car.
It allows them to save money, and build cars that share more parts. This should make the brand better from a reliability standpoint. I worry that it may become more generic looking and feeling.
They are doing awesome things with the new 1.8t and the 2.0t. The are different variants of the EA888 series engine. The new GTI 2.0t is AWESOME. Well almost everything about the new GTI is awesome. I can't wait until the performance pack hits later this year. I think the MK7 Golf R will hit mid 2015. And if a boy can dream, the Golf R Sportwagon.
I wanted one for a long time too, but I'm not mechanic, I understand how most everything works but not enough to do major maintenance myself.
I never knew the Touareg ever used the VR6. That's what I thought. It seems to be a really good engine, so does the 1.8T. You would know more being a VW mechanic, but I've never heard anything bad about the 1.8T or 2.0T.
I really hope it doesn't make all VW group products feel the same.
The MK7 GTI is really nice, I've seen quiet a few on the roads where I live, really good looking car. I really want the Golf R Sportswagon, it looks really nice. I've heard it will have 296hp
HumbleMechanic As an owner of a Golf MK6 R, I can say that I would MUCH rather have the VR6 R32 or R36 engine instead of the 2.0 TSI.
Yes the TSI is more economical and produces more power than a stock vr6 engine, but the sound of a vr6 engine is just incredible. Also when turbocharging a vr6, they will make 400+ hp easily.
I'm not sure if this has been said, or if it was mentioned in the video and I missed it.
But I believe your drawing only refers to the 24v setup. For a 12v each cam does both Intake and exhaust. There isn't one cam solely for intake and one cam solely for exhaust. Each cam has 2 lobes per cylinder; one for intake, one for exhaust. The 24v is exactly as you showed, each cam has one sole purpose, Intake or exhaust.
The Humble mechanic did a great job of displaying that with the 12 valve head.
Proud new owner of a MK4 GTI VR6 :)
+Espinox let me guess, reflex silver?
+Ben Dover nope hahaha I went out of my way to not get a silver one like everyone else. It's black
Espinox good pick. even still silver looks so damn good on mk4s
Ben Dover I agree! Mk4's have a pretty timeless design, as well.
for sure. still my favorite modern design
Just got my first VR6, pined after them since they showed up in the Corrado after the G60. Cool engine after all these years that has a unique sound and power delivery.
Is it a V engine or an in-line engine?
Germany: yes
I love the VR6. it is one of the sweetest sounding engines around, and the power and torque are amazing especially considering the relatively small displacement for a 6 cylinder engine.
The mx6 has a small v6
@Christian Helmsworth yep that takes the cake for small V6. 1.8L. I remember arguing with a friend years ago who insisted it was the same 2.5L duratec V6 like the MX6 Mystere had. I told him, no, its not. Its got its own V6 and is only a tiny 1.8L. They sounded so good (so did the 2.5 but the 1.8 was cool) they were not very fast but I really liked them and the sound was enough for me. A purple one came in trade to the dealer i worked at and i drove that to the licencing office for a few days lol
A six stays a six forever. I drive a German 5 cilinder. In low revs it's smooth as a six, when put to the edge it hammers like an eight, it drinks like a little four. And when it sleeps it dreams of his famous uncle, the legendary Audi S1.
bolderiks 5+5
I miss mine
I'll stick with Chevy's cast iron wonder: inline 6 cyl 194/230/250 cu. in. engines-they last FOREVER! Cheap and easy to maintain too-so what if they are a bit "heavy" or "inefficient"-reliability rules in my book
bolderiks Lol well said
Mk5 jetta 2.5se?
bolderiks that made no sense. It’s going to take more than the # of cylinders to design something that performs that way. You can easily make a 6 or 4 perform the same way - tuning, camshaft rotating assembly design.
EXCELLENT video! If i'm not mistaken, the VR6 engine has won many awards, including 'Wards Best Engine', and is used (in a different, multiple VR config) in the Bugatti Veyron as well!
You guys did a GREAT job with this.
Question is, what is wall thickness where the top of piston (and rings, to a degree.) is located from the point of max acceleration to BDC. The wall thickness at the bottom of the cylinder is not as important as it is obviously only housing the piston and not containing the cylinder pressures created during combustion.
Another consideration I guess is the wear characteristics of the thrust side and what inherent scope there is for rectification of cylinder ovaling by increasing bore diameter and fitting oversized pistons.
Honestly, one of your beat videos yet! Really interesting topic and I loved the fact that you showed us a real VR6 engine, as well as the engine noise! This was one thing that I missed in some of you previous videos, but if you can keep doing this, it would be awesome!! 😆
Glad you love it. Jason and I have been talking about doing some other videos together. I have been hording parts for years and years. :)
That was a great video. The mash up of the white board and actually seeing the engine was great. Hope to see more like this, very educational. Thank you to the two of you!
Glad you liked it. It was a blast.
Did a timing chain on one of these (the first gen) back in my main dealer days. That was fun, that was...
All this is over my head until the end. Sweet music to my ears. Thanks man.
well explained! makes me appreciate my 3.2 vr6 that much more
Golf 5 R32?
@@TakalaniMpilo A3 3.2, same engine as the R32 though
This video makes me want to rebuild my vr6! and that clip at the end! Amazing sound and I'm glad i get to hear it every day! If it wasn't my daily I'd already have the chains changed especially since shops want to charge $1000 dollars! I'm glad you also, put Humble Mechanic in the video, now I have something else to watch!
90k views and only 1% subscribed to Humble Mechanic because of it? I would have thought that there are more VW enthusiasts than that watching this videos.
***** Honestly it's a fantastic turnover rate. If I get a post shared on a major auto site I'm lucky to gain a few hundred subs. That said, more people should check out his channel, he's a great fellow!
Engineering Explained
and very handsome too.. ;)
Thanks for the nice words from you and *****
HumbleMechanic And so modest! ;)
HumbleMechanic
Many persons still haven't found this website yet
Man, your channel is very good, here in Brazil I see it almost every day!
Your video are great; you really know what you are talking about. I have one complaint/suggestion.......get a mic. Your audio quality is fair to poor and makes it more difficult to appreciate what you are saying. You don't want your audience to work at hearing you. Talking louder helps, but that does not improve the quality of the sound.
Met a guy today that has one in the front of his 65 Notchback drag car.. i think I am hooked now!. Very cool engineering 👌
You said that 1 camshaft will open all intake valves for all cylinders while the other will open all exhaust valves. But, in the humble mechanic video, the camshaft at the right(or left) opens both intake and exhaust valves for where it is positioned and so does the camshaft on the opposite side...
I was wondering if what you explained is for the 24 valve VR6 while humble mechanic showed the 12 valve VR6?
+John Ino Sare +fitty77 I was just about to ask the same question. Same goes for the W16 video. I just see how one camshaft for inlet and one for outlet would work without adding unnecessary complicity.
John Ino Sare 1 camshaft open both intake and exhaust valve?!
Appreciate your great clear explanation guys, can’t believe this is 7 years video 😅 I just recently came to hear about the VR6 engine
God, I miss my R32. I will NEVER have a car that sounds that good.
First experience of this type was a Lancia 1.3 in a Fulvia. 1963 and '64 models, had the modernised; up to the minute; next gen. 11 deg V.
So, great video, but is just me, or is there an error ins the initial explanation? Each camshaft, controls both exhhaust and intake valve, against the initial idea that one camshaft does all the exhaust valves, and the other all the intake valves... Really nice sound in the end... WOW
+fitty77 there are different generations of valve train systems on the vr6
Didn't know that. Thanks :)
This is the best channel on TH-cam.
The cams drawing on the white board is wrong, each cam does both intake and exhaust for their respective cylinder row.
Mikey I was thinking the same thing the mechanic explained it the right way
The white board is the 24 valve, the mechanic had the 12 valve. The 12V a camshaft controls both intake and exhaust, 24v one cam is all intake other all exhaust.
@@Dabestshindig
Thank you guys.....its a blessing to learn from you all. Here in Singapore, cars are just too expensive to own.
Best sounding engine ever made.
This young man is very knowledgeable and makes easy to follow presentations.
Im in love with the sound im glad i never sold mine :)
The difference in intake running length is actually compensated in the intake manifold.
However, the VR6 engine was originally designed to be a turbocharged engine. This is also the reason why this engine can be turbo-ed so easily. 400+ HP with stock internals (lowered compression) is not a problem.
I have a few videos on my channel from my old VR6 Turbo which made over 400 hp without any major mods to the engine itself
i took a porsche cayenne 957 model, 3.6 vr6,l,installed forged carilla pistons 10.5;1 ,and a gtx3582r garret turbo,running water /meth,17lbs boost 4 inch dia down pipe,1000 injectors,, 530hp, no issues, got 40000miles so far,
Interesting video, but you could have credited Lancia for this engine concept. Lancia patented the narrow angle V-engine already in 1915. In 1922 Lancia introduced the model "Lambda" with a V4 engine and the model "Trikappa" with V8 engine, all narrow angles. The successful Lancia Fulvia had a V4 narrow angle until the end of production which was mid seventies.
"Der V-Motor mit engem Zylinderwinkel wurde von dem italienischen Unternehmen Lancia & C. entwickelt, weshalb die Bauart als „Lancia-Prinzip“ bezeichnet wurde. Grundlage dafür war ein Patent von Lancia & C. vom 1. Juli 1915"
I had a '92 Corrado SLC and with the Autotech exhaust, it sounded like a four cylinder at idle and driving around, a V8 when it started to wind out, and an inline 6 at full zonk-
How to remember the firing order.
15 is to young, 36 is to old and 24 is just right ;)
That is awesome!!! :)
Won't work, 36 and above is my preferred
If only all mechanics were as good as Charles! He is definitely humble! GREAT sounding motor!
A W configuration engine is basically two banks of these.
I too watched the video 😂
So this is the first time i saw a video of you and i think it's awesome! I am a mechanical engineering stundent from Austria and i can learn somthing with your videos. Thank you!
40 years ago Lancia made a Vi4 which I think it operated the same.
As I would say. Invention from Lancia. Just as combination of compressor with turbo. And also TDI is a invention from Fiat also as common rail. So not a invention of VW
Lancia patented narrow v engine in 1915 and used it from 1922 with Lambda (narrow v4) and Trikappa (narrow v8)
This the first time I learned anything about the VR6, very interesting. What are the stock engines power specs?
What kind of aftermarket support is available? Is there a way to use this in a rear wheel drive configuration?
I love German engineering.
bad german engineers no krout dog!
hate to break it to ya but the japanese were part of the Axis powers in ww2... you know, the ones who were allied with the nazis. soooo....
yeah I love Japanese engineers too.
Well, just bought an Austrian Moto, its great! Love it but have to say, the abs lite, TCS lite and various other sensors are going hawire, like any bavarian cars I see in my bays regularly. But my goodness, sure does Haul some Ask (me all about 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds). And dont even go to AUS is diffrent than the Deoichland!
+robert retka
Try to migrate to Japan then, good luck on that one... Don't worry, you probably wouldn't actually have to migrate anyways. Their nationalism prevents this.
Great video. Both clips explained questions I had. That 2.8 swap at the end is super clean too.
UHPdriver thank you :)
actually VW didn't invent the VR-engine... Lancia invented this engine layout already in 1921... Lancia Lambda used a VR-4
Really
Very good informative video guys. That vr lump at the end looks brand new! They really are bomb proof too! Shame abouut the rest of the mk3's falling apart as we drive them!
James W that one is fully rebuilt and every part was cleaned and painted, or replaced. The one in the early part of the video is in a sad state. :)
+Engineering Explained you might want to see the Lancia Fulvia V4, even if 2 cylinders less, is the same concept but done 50years ago
glad to see someone else is awake and has seen a lancia v4
Naw fam the Esssex v4 fam. The 70's.
@WolfoxBenny. Very beautyfull engine indeed. Runs smoothly when well adjusted. Thought it was 12 or 14 degrees and very shortly build. And lots of aluminum. The engineers had to built it as light as possible because of its location in front of the front axle. These cars are still popular in classic ralleys because of the low weight and ridgid coach.
I had a total of 3 Lancia Fulvias with the narrow V4 back in the 80's. Wish I still had them now. The Lancia narrow V4 goes way back before the Fulvia though. It goes back to 1922 in the Lancia Lambda, so nearly 100 years ago. Just saying.
Great video. One bit, I'm pretty sure VR is an abbreviation for verkurzt reihenmotor which translates to shortened inline motor. Also love the face plant IPA in the background.
Mistake at 8:38 - Lamborghini has V12. They are still using their own design, although the company is owned by Audi.
bircov owned by vw. 😉
Nice video! My VW has the latest 3.6 VR6 engine and I must say I'm in love it. I love the uniqueness and the specific exhaust note it gives out.
VW should have equipped the Golf V R32 with a supercharger, just imagine how fast that thing would have been with 350-400hp!
I mean, they even put that engine into the Audi TT, that thing may be the most brutal sounding VAG engine ever made, but compared to the 265hp 2.0l TFSI equipped cars it was WAY too slow...
Awesome vid! It's always fun to get car people that don't know about the VR with this: "My engine has a V formation, 2 cams, yet is a DOHC". Gets the heads scratching quick! I just wish VW would have made the Mk4 engine bay a weee bit longer, my BDF is just a little bit too cozy in there.
This engine sounds amazing in my Touareg.
Angry Whale a Touareg with a proper exhaust does sound amazing!
Even with the stock system, sounds great. I plan to chip the computer so it redlines at a higher RPM, because the internals are rated to 7500 RPM. Also sounds good with the air filter off too!
I did not know this. I wonder how the power of that extra rpm is. Or if it goes flat???
I belive power increases but torque drops off.
Angry Whale if torque drops HP drops as well. You need torque to calculate HP so if torque drops, peak HP will also drop.
I've Been working on my 87 gti vr6 for a while now and this video was very helpful.
Your cam layout drawing does not match the actual engine. Each cam does intake and exhaust on each cylinder bank. Valves do not cross over as you show.
I caught that too. I was wondering if anyone else noticed. Guess I'm not the only one.
4 or 2 valves/cyl ?
danisim9 is totally right - the drawings are for the 24v engine; the head shown is the older 12v engine.
i don't know these engines just commenting on presentation.
His drawings are for the newer 3.2 and 3.6L VR6 engines. The older 2.8 ABF and bored up 2.9 ABV engines with 12 valves use a "Dual SOHC" setup which obviously have a different cam layout.
I've Listened To Several Of Your Video's. Your Knowledge & Ability To Explain Is Phenomenal! Thank You For Your Professionalism & Sharing!
As I recall, the VR-6 does NOT work like an inline six. With an inline six, each cylinder has its own crank journal. With the VR-6, each crank shaft journal has two cylinders attached to it. So saying its "just like an i6" is not really correct.
The firing order and interval are "just like an I6."
+Stuka87 Except the VR6 has seven main bearings because in fact each one does have it's own crank shaft journal.
To add onto the tech, the 24v isn't new. They also were 2.8L with exception of the R32.. That changed for the 02 model with the 01 being last year of the 12v. I in fact have a 24v block from factory but a 12v head. Of note that the 99-01 12v had different lift/duration between the two banks of cylinders to account for the different runner lengths.
+Stuka87 If that were true a VR6 would be running almost like a 3.2 litre 3 cylinder. An engine more suited for a farm tractor really.
EinachserLS What he describes was not uncommon where two rods are on the same journal. Just look up the smallblock. Most V6s for balancing purposes are not a true shared journal but do have an offset with two pistons between each main. I am thinking that is what stuka thought. The VR6 does alternate rod/main.
+Stuka87 He did say "more in common" at around 0:41.
Stumbled on this video by accident but I love the design over the more traditional V6. Having the 2 heads and 2 exhaust manifolds in a traditional V6 is a real turn off once you start working on them. A found a new appreciation for this engine.
what about a W engine? i drove an isuzu w-12 something or other, cab over, it was fun, but i never quite figured it out.
Check out my video "W16 engine" :)
W configuration engine next please. Great videos. I've learned a lot from them. As an engineering student myself, they are helpful.
hey your diagram is wrong, one cam doesnt control just the intake...looks like a sohc per bank to me
+Dante Sixx Two different varieties of VR6 explained in the video. Newer ones have one cam for the intake, the older block shown did not.
Dante Sixx its still a dohc because it only has one head.
Definitely in my top ten list of engines. Dat sound...
Technically is that not SOHC , since there is one cam for each "bank" of cylinders?
Matt Kite Well, it's a single head, and there are two cams. So I'd probably still say DOHC.
Engineering Explained 1. Shouldn't it be essentially called a "Double" SOHC? 2. You stated that the camshaft on the left essentially controls all the Inlet valves of the 6 cylinders and the camshaft on the right controls all the exhaust valves. But, Humble mechanic's model seems to contradict. His left camshaft seems to control both the Inlet valves and Exhaust valves of cylinders 1, 3, 5 and his right camshaft operates both Inlet valves and Exhaust valves of cylinders 2, 4, 6? Can you please clarify?
Engineering Explained According to your model it's a DOHC. But, according to Humble mechanic's model it should be called a "Double"SOHC. clarification please?
Learn about engines and find your own explanation
Intake and exhaust issues are dealt with via runner volume. They do overheat and warping is the last thing you'll worry about as the heads crack when overheated. And although you may not get the external symptoms you'll get small cracks intersecting the spark plug holes allowing coolant to seep in causing premature plug wear and slight coolant loss.