wardycatt

This is just a general rant about the number of people on here who waste your time.
I was under the impression that this was a 'club', and therefore that people would generally relate to each other and be helpful to their fellow VR6ers. I have to say that this hasn't been my experience over the past 12 months or so.
People post parts for sale, I reply to their message on the forum... then nothing.
So I tried PM'ing people instead... nothing.
So I tried contacting the mobile numbers on listings.... ignored. Texts, phone calls, you name it - no reply.
Alternatively I'm offered some BS about how busy the sellers are, the dog ate the part in question, some disaster has happened etc. etc. etc. Accidents do happen, life does get in the way sometimes, but mostly this is just pure unadulterated BS. I'm long enough in the tooth to have heard it all before.
The only guy I've successfully dealt with so far is Jim Potter - whom I hasten to add I didn't have any problems with whatsoever. He offered a part, I offered some cash, he responded promptly and the part arrived the next week. That's how simple it should be. That's the whole point of the 'market place' section.
Everyone else has been a complete waste of my time. If I wanted mucked about, patronised and my time wasted, I'd just go to Halfrauds. Or Bumtree.
The admins should remove the selling privileges of those people who mess others about, in my humble opinion.
This is supposed to be a haven for VR6 owners, where you can buy stuff from people who know exactly what they're talking about. However, you'd need to get a meaningful reply for that to happen.
Sorry about that. Rant over. :-(

Basically, the PCV allows blow-by gases from the crankcase to escape. It re-routes them back towards the intake manifold, where they are sucked into the engine and burnt. This more complete burning of the gases them means overall hydrocarbon emissions are lower than if the gas (and associated crud) were allowed to escape first time.
Disconnecting your PCV should have no impact on the running of the engine (I THINK - feel free to correct me), as it is just providing a route for waste products of the combustion process to escape (and my one has been totally busted for 2 years, with no major side-effects that I can detect). In the past, these waste gases (and oily muck) were simply allowed to drip out of the engine (venting to atmosphere). Catch cans were used (at least) since the 1920s on some sportier models, and PCV valves became standard practice at some point in the past 30-40 years.
The benefits of a PCV are primarily that it deals with the waste gases (from an emissions perspective) without the need for continued user maintenance (i.e. emptying a catch can periodically).
I was split between replacing the PCV and going with the catch can. I've opted for the catch can due to my perception that the OEM PCVs used on AAA VR6 engines are of questionable build quality. However, as Pete mentioned (above), maybe this isn't as much of an issue as I think it is. But I've bought the catch can now, so that's what's being fitted!
The inside of my throttle body was covered in oily muck, as was the intake manifold. I don't know if this is to be expected from a fully-functioning PCV also? But the main reason for me changing it now was that the oil was leaking down the side of my engine, not only making it unsightly but starting to collect in the #1 spark plug well.
Will post a guide once done.

I'm no expert, but I think the oil is a red herring here. I can't see how that would periodically affect your idle. 
 
It's most likely some sort of sensor-related issue in my opinion. Idle control valve, MAF etc...

I bought a plastic moulding from MJ VR6 recently. Everything went as planned - item arrived well packed and in good time. 

Better late than never, here's a link to the part you need:
 
and the eBay item number :
 
360469359826

My feeling is, if your engine had simply been suffering from prolonged storage you would be OK (the coke trick is worth remembering, good shout). But the issues are starting to mount up, and you have to wonder what sort of life the engine's had, who's fixed it (and to what standard) and why it was put into storage in the first place?
 
Credit to anyone who mends things instead of replacing them, but I would be tempted to just turn it into a Top Gear-style coffee table.

@NPCS - Different people on here have reported various results. Some say it does next to nothing, others claim significantly improved stopping power.
 
Personally I think there should be some noticeable improvement (otherwise I wouldn't be in the process of doing this upgrade myself), but I don't expect to go through the windscreen when I stamp on the brakes with 312mm disks. It's difficult to say precisely what the difference is unless you conduct a properly scientific experiment. 
 
For example, if you upgrade to the 312mm calipers, you may change your brake fluid in the process. If the existing fluid has been in there for a while (many years in some cases), simply changing the fluid will improve your breaking... which you then might erroneously attribute to your new calipers. Ditto the new pads that are likely to have been installed as part of the upgrade - they may be doing more for the braking improvement than the bigger disks. So it's hard to prove exactly what improvement is caused *only* by the 312mm upgrade without some sort of test. 
 
I think it also depends on exactly which 312mm upgrade you go for. There are a wide range of compatible parts, some of which a rumoured to have slightly different dimensions or specifications. So the 312mm calipers from a Mk4 Golf may have a piston which is 1mm smaller than the piston from a TT's 312mm caliper, for example - which translates to different stopping distances (this is a theoretical example, don't quote me on that). But you catch my drift - you'd need to compare like-for-like in order to put this argument to bed once and for all. 
 
P.S. I'd personally go with dimpled as opposed to drilled disks. Or stick with plain disks and splash out on top-of-the-range pads instead. Each to their own I suppose - track use is a bit more punishing than my daily commute.