[team illuminata]

Popped the waste gate back on the other day. Doesn't seem to use a gasket!

Then this arrived. Can you guess what it is?

Repaired down pipe curtesy of Thompson Racing Fabrication (TRF)

I don't know much about welding but it can't be easy to weld stainless steel to cast iron. Apparently Audi didn't do a good job the first time.

I'm not installing it yet as the engine will want to lean on it while it's sitting on the dolly.

I did remove the leaking coolant reservoir though Yep, the more parts I install the more I remove. Even with the engine out Audi found a way to make it difficult to remove. This is leaking from the seam around the top. Any ideas about repairing it or does it have to be replaced. Can it be replaced?

 

[team illuminata]

I took the subframe back out so I could clean off thirty years of oil and grime from the engine bay with a toothbrush and some degreaser.

The photos really don't show the difference but it is quite a transformation. Before:

After:

 

[team illuminata]

Inspired by the clean engine bay I thought I'd go parts shopping. First thing to show up was this new hall sensor for the distributor. The old one broke the connector off during engine extraction but was marginal anyway. This one is meant for a Ford but seems to be a match. Not ready to disassemble the distributor right now though.

I managed to find a used coolant reservoir locally. This is after I cleaned it out. It is a slightly different shape on top but has the same part number. At least it's not in-your-face-shiny-new looking.

I thought it might be an idea to pressure test it so enlisted my bike pump. Gave it 22psi and a bath. No bubbles and it held that pressure overnight. I guess we pressure tested the pump too.

I sent off the steering rack for a refresh to Jorgen Automotive. They seem to be the authority in these matters and are only 45 minutes west of me. Sent it Monday, got it back Wednesady! Amazing turnaround. I specifically asked them not to bead blast the body as I wanted to retain the patina. Normally they would be like new when they are done.

I also sent out the turbo for rebuild but that won't be back till next week at the earliest.

Not sure what to tackle next. Might refurbish the wiper mechanism as it's slow and I can stand in the engine bay to work on it. I could open up troubleshooting the CIS system but that's probably too a big job for my current schedule, or I could add some relays to the headlights as they are a lot more accessible with the engine out. Damn, everything is a lot more accessible with the engine out on this thing.

 

[team illuminata]

I took the wiper mechanism out of the car today because it was running slow. Typical of this car: you can see it, can remove the bolts but have to jiggle the crap out of it to extract it! Will be fun putting it back.

The theory is that the spindle bearings and joints seize up over time. I sprayed the joints with grease and greased the pivots. I couldn't say that they were seized but I believe they are now free-er at least.

Another theory is that the gear lube gets old and dry but I have to drill out rivets to get inside. Not sure about that yet.

I then installed the replacement coolant reservoir.

 

[team illuminata]

I reassembled the wiper mechanism today and put it back in the car. Seems to work.

https://youtu.be/6jk4rw96TQw


As I had to remove a couple of relays to make enough room I cleaned the fuse box and coated all the relay contacts with dielectric grease.

Inspired by my electrical prowess I might tackle adding relays to the headlights tomorrow. I seem to remember reading about a simple plug and play kit that was available. Anyone have a source?

 

[team illuminata]

Oops, seems like tomorrow turned into two months. Sorry about that. Got a little distracted by wheel sales, 911 mods and this:

An 83 that looks like it wants to be a rally replica build. I'll post a link to it's buid thread once we get stuck in. But first we have to finish this one right?


So what did we do lately in that regard? Well, we received our rebuilt turbo. Like with the steering rack we asked them not to bead blast the housings.

Then we tackled replacing the Hall sensor on the distributor as ours had brocken it's connector.

We did add the headlight relay kit we got from Germany but we haven't tested it yet so perhaps we'll address that in the next update. Hopefully not two months from now.

Happy New Year!

 

[team illuminata]

I didn't test the headlight relay kit today as I thought better of it. With so many wires detached from there things I didn't think it a good idea to introduce some live electrons. I did put back the lower console hiding the relays etc. and lubed the hood/bonnet pull handle so it no longer makes that awful noise.

What I next was take stock of what's left to do and what I need to do it. I'm actually close to the point where I will be stopped for lack of parts, some of them apparently hard to find. Here's what's still to do:

28 Refurbish CIS
29 Refurbish hydraulic system
31 Refurbish front struts tops, bellows
32 Install down pipe and turbo
33 Engine Oil
34 Transmission oil
35 Compression test
36 Attach sub-frame to transmission
37 Torque crank bolt
38 Clutch slave cylinder line
39 Install engine, trans, sub frame
40 Reconnect ancillaries
41 Bleed brakes
42 Hydraulic fluid
43 Fire up
44 Test drive
45 Alignment


and what I'm still missing:

CIS vacuum lines and god knows what else
Hydraulic lines, being remade by a friend
Strut Bellows 2 431412135
clutch slave cylinder hose 1 431721465 NLA
subframe bushings rear 2 857199419B discontinued
belt alternator 1 055903137G 9.5x850
front brake line 2 433837400A

any suggestions on where to get this stuff? Would prefer original Audi.

 

[team illuminata]

As I'm starting to run out of chronologically logical tasks I'm going to be jumping around a bit. First such worm hole leap: sub-frame bushings. Not all four though, just the front two. The rears are NLA and I haven't sourced an alternative yet. So here we go.....

Drill

Cut

Pry

Succeed

Sleeve still in

More cut and pry

Squeeze

Fail

Succeed a bit then fail

Win

Repeat.

 

[team illuminata]

After lots of back and forth and soul searching (as well as part searching) we made some part-ial progress:

CIS vacuum lines and god knows what else
I printed out four parts diagrams from vagpart.com and marched them up to the shop with the plan that I would go through each one and highlight (with a hiliter) everything that I wanted to replace. This would mostly be vacuum lines and clamps but there are quite a few different sizes and types so I wanted to make sure I got the right ones and didn't miss any. Well, guess what? I could barley even match the diagrams to my car! It's like the car and the diagrams are for two different cars, not even the same manufacturer. I found one common part; a bubble shaped vacuum bottle, and followed it's line back into the engine bay and at the first connector it departed from the parts diagram completely! We are going to have to rethink this approach. This is one of four vacuum line diagrams vs the real world.

Hydraulic lines, being remade by a friend
Still waiting on these. Might be a while.

Strut Bellows 2 431412135
I found they match a Porsche 944 part so ordered a pair from one of our customers: Pelican Parts. Will see next week if Porsche and Audi were on the same planet back in the 80s.

clutch slave cylinder hose 1 431721465 NLA
I got close but quit. I found an ATE hose that matched but it proved to be a unicorn. Couldn't find one anywhere. Then I got a quote from our local fancy custom line shop for braided stainless made from my original fittings but baulked at the price ($140) and the lack of originality, then decided the original one was in good enough shape and installed it on the clutch cylinder.

subframe bushings rear 2 857199419B discontinued
A friend pointed out that I could used the Audi 80 M12 version with a 10mm sleeve so I went on a quest for those. They proved only marginally less rare than what I need so I orderded two proper ones from Audi Tradition. They have to be shipped to my friend in Germany and then to me so probably 2017 before I see them LOL

belt alternator 1 055903137G 9.5x850
This can wait. I'm tired.

front brake line 2 433837400A
Hours more research and all I could find were aftermarket braided stainless or some really inexspensive rubber ones from Centric. I've ordered both. The centric ones look like the real deal apart from not having the rubber dongles on though it does have two mounting grommets. The OE mounting grommet should slide off over the ends if one of these doesn't work but there's no way the big rubber dongles will. I have a few spares from our 83 so will cut one and see if it is possible to glue them back together over the Centric lines.

 

[team illuminata]

Finally got chance to install the rear subframe bushings. To be fair I did have to wait for them to come from Germany. I might havre to wait for another one now. Read on.........

Easily removed the old bushings and cleaned up the holes.

But my previous method of pressing them in failed

So got the press out but that didn't help

Now the bushing is all squished

It seems that a) these bushing won't squeeze into a hole the same diameter as the body and b) why did the front ones press in so easily?

 

[team illuminata]

This didn't help

But this did

[/url]

Now I just need to order another one from Germany

 

[team illuminata]

It's been over a month since I updated this thread so, even though not much has happened I will document it anyway. Actually, looking at my Flickr album there's been quite a lot of little incremental progress

First off I received a new and spare bushing from Germany and wasted no time pressing the last one home. You just have to make sure it is being pressed true then squeeze with confidence, after first lubing the sh*t out of it.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Then I replace the front strut bellows which arrived the same day as the bushings. Incidentally these are for a Porsche 944! Same part though.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


More bloody squeezing. GGRRR

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Then I installed the turbo, manifold and down pipe.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Need to find a suitable hanger for here.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


This stainless steel beauty from Vibrant should do the trick.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Next job is to attache the subframe then it's ready to go back in the engine bay. However, the engine bay is not yet ready to accept it as I still need to reinstall the steering rack and refurbish the CIS system. I may reuse the existing hydraulic lines as my supplier's are not in production yet and I want to be driving this in April.

 

[WAUOla]

Nice work!

Where did you get the bushings?

 

[team illuminata]

Nice work!

Where did you get the bushings?

Thanks

I got them from Audi Tradition in Germany. Had to ship them to a friend in Germany as they wont ship to the USA for some corporate BS reason.

 

[team illuminata]

I went through my parts bin to see what still needs to bolt on the engine before it goes back in the car. I was worried I might miss something and I was right. Found this heat shield

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


and a temperature sensor that goes in the back of the refurbished head but this plug won't come out and I'm afraid of rounding out the Allen socket. Worst case I have to drill it out and retap it but then the head would have to come off!

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Tried this to no avail

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


So resorted the the impact gun which thankfully worked. I forget how effective they can be.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Then I celebrated by reinstalling the subframe.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

 

[team illuminata]

Bought some inspiration over the weekend.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


It inspired me to go on a spending spree. Ordered air box grommets/mounts and filter.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Oil can gasket

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Bomb mounts

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Trans oil

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


and about $300 worth of vacuum hose, clips and copper washers!

As I can now see light at the end of the tunnel I also turned the engine round on the hoist so it's ready to go in. A little optimistic perhaps?

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

 

[team illuminata]

I thought I'd check as many sensors as I could before popping the engine back in. Seems like a reasonable plan. There are like twenty separate temperature sensors on this engine! OK, there's six but still........

Fortunately Audi stamped the range or trigger point on them. Well, most of them.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

I didn't check change over temperature. I just had hot water or no water but I think I proved they all do something so I'm going with that.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


This one tested good too but didn't want to go home

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Need to find a seal washer for this one. How hard could that be?

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

 

[team illuminata]

It's the little things that take the most time. I thought I hadn't made a lot of progress but when I looked at all the photos I've taken lately I realise I've done a lot of small things including spending hundreds of Dollars on tiny pipe clips, vacuum hose and aluminium sealing washers! But first...

I installed the ground cable after stripping the threads and fixing with a Helicoil

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Then went to install the steering rack but found one of the bulkhead plugs (top one of the three) and previously been pierced and bunged up with some sort of putty!

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


So I had to source a new one. Thankfully they are still available as Audi still use them.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

I realized it would be a lot easier to attach the hoses to the steering rack on the bench but how to determine the orientation so they line up later? It helps to have a 83 quattro project in the other bay to reference!

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Then hooked up the steering column inside the footwell. I think I may have got the steering wheel 180 degrees off but it was always going to need re-clocking anyway.

I think the next job is to replace all the vacuum hoses and clips but maybe I can find something else to do.

 

[team illuminata]

Replacing the vacuum hoses and clips is a PITA so I found something else to do. I replaced the air box mounts.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Of course that didn't take very long so it was back to replacing vacuum hoses and clips. Step one, I think. Is to figure what hoses and clips to buy from Audi. Just look at the parts diagrams and the car and figure out what applies. How hard could it be? How about "Bloody impossible!"? OK, not that bad but quite a lot does not match my car. I think I'm going to order as much vacuum line and hose clips as I think I need and just start replacing what physically matches. Of course allof the shaped rubber hose are NLA.

The parts diagrams:

ACTIVATED CHARCOAL CONTAINER by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

4. VACUUM HOSES; VALVE HOUSING; BREATHER VALVE by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

15. AUXILIARY AIR SLIDE; COLD STARTING VALVE by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

1320. VACUUM HOSES WITH; CONNECTING PARTS; FOR PNEUMATIC DIFFERENTIAL; LOCK by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


and the car:

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


This should be interesting.

 

[team illuminata]

In a moment of inspiration I found this on the underside of the hood. Doesn't help.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


I marked up the parts of the diagrams that resemble my car and went for it.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


The approach is going to be to reinstate everything that's missing in line with the parts diagrams, replace everything thats still there in line with the diagrams and just replace everything that's not in line with the diagrams with the best guess parts and assume it's right as it worked before.

Started with the vent flap as it was the most accessible and matches a diagram. The adjacent lines I tackled next do not match anything. It seems to help disconnecting them if you first cut the old tube along its length to free it from the fragile plastic connectors.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Et voila! Piece of cake.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


Inspired by my success and the fact that I appear to only have purchased a fraction of what is needed I decided to tackle the charcoal canister. This appeared to want to be on the bench though so, not wanting to annoy it I obliged.

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr

image by Team Illuminata Motorsport, on Flickr


of course I'm missing the clamps so progress has halted, again.