Help! Need some VW experts advice!
 

So I have a 97 Vr6, and after swapping the MK3 head gasket to the thinner metal MK4 HG (a lot of ppl have done it with no problems and the HG is on the correct way), changing valve guides + decking the head (done at Alec's automotive), and new timing chains, upon start up it threw a cam code p0341 and sounded horrible. Could my timing be off by 1 teeth therefore its throwing a cam code? Also is this a valve train sound (lifters or oil starvation)??? It started up fine and idled smoothly at 850 rpms with the code and sound..


Also when i did my timing, i couldn't get it dead on the spot but rather just 1-2mm past the mark to lock the cam plates in the cam locking grooves, however before this job, my timing was way further off (8mm) but everything was fine, no codes or sounds so I'm dumbfounded and this is stressing me out a lot.

Now:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps3d996e47.jpg

Before:
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps5f51ee3d.jpg

If youve decked the head and are running a thinner headgasket then your timing will be out. Adjustable cam gears will compensate for that. The reason the timing is out is due to the fact your cam centers are now closer to your crank center.

The video is not loading for me so I can't hear the sound. But once we had a bow in the shop that needed a head gasket and the head were warped, so we had the head machined and when installed it ran with a knocking sound. After lots of on and off with the head we found that after machining the head the piston was actually hitting part of the head. It made a very light mark. I wonder if this is the case as you went with a thinner gasket and you got the head machined.

that doesn't sound good thats for sure. is the vr6 normally an interference motor? sounds like the piston is hitting something

yup its an interference motor. A lot of ppl have done the thinner HG without running into any problems but as for decking the head, i'm not really sure about that. I specifically told the machine shop not to deck the head because of the thinner HG im using, however they said it all depends on warpage. So after I told them to call me and confirm before doing it but they didnt.

I called the machine shop on Friday and they said they cant remember how much it was decked, probably .005 to .008. Anyways i should have the tranny out by tmr and gonna try to reset the timing, but this time i'm hesitant on doing it myself.

Anyone with VW experts want to make some quick cash?? i'll pay someone to come down and help me time it when everything is off. Shouldn't take more than 15 mins.

thay are interference engines and after doing what youve done Ive seen such problems

Update: So rechecked timing, everything seems fine and lines up nicely when theres no tension. but after i turn the motor, the crank goes out again by 2mm in order to fit the cam locking plate in and have the intermediate shaft lined up.


Also i found out that 6/12 lifters were spongy. Im guessing the machine shop didnt place them upside down when they removed them.. Also im still upset about them shaving the head and that there still might be a chance of clearance issues.

dubberz.com and vwvortex.com

this would all be covered on the vortex