Taddraughn's C5 S6: Progress Thread

[taddraughn]

Figured I might as well start a progress thread so people can follow along and maybe answer questions or offer advice along the way if they're so inclined. Completely new to the Audi world, but so far the car hasn't been too difficult to work on, other than the fact that I don't have access to a lift like I did before moving to Raleigh a couple months ago.

Anyway, progress so far.. I picked up the car August 15th from Nathan with a Uhaul truck and auto transport and backed it into my garage (because the transmission only does reverse).





The next day I managed to get the Cat-back off, front clip of the car off (or hanging by ac lines), and started working on getting all the CV shafts and Driveshaft out. Had a crazy amount of trouble with the rear CVs and Driveshaft. They just didn't want to let go of the diff, but heat and an air hammer eventually convinced them.

The cat back is definitely not going back on the car..



Few more things out of the way like the suspension, coolant hoses, etc. and the engine was ready to come out





The V8 looks so ridiculous next to my Fulvia..


Engine is pretty dirty so now I have the intake off, and the valley pan out to clean everything up. Also was recommended that I check flatness on the valley cover so I sanded it with 400 and 600 on a piece of countertop that I was able to borrow and checked it with guide coat.

Seeing quite a bit of carbon build up, but I'm thinking it may be because the PCV has failed in the open position.. Nothing a little mineral spirits can't fix




Also cracked open the intake manifold to give it a good clean, but unsure how the shafts come out after removing the small bolt at the end of the shaft.. It seemed it would just slide out the other end at this point but everything seems well fixed to the shaft and I don't want to break anything.



Finger pointing to the bolt that was removed that I thought would allow shaft removal





Anyway, that's the progress so far. A little more teardown to do in order to get to the tensioner shoes, but hoping to get all the parts I need for the engine on order this week or early next.

[Ronin72]

Great workshop love the Lancia.... thanks for sharing.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[taddraughn]

Great workshop love the Lancia.... thanks for sharing.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Thanks! Yeah the Lancia is a long story (and very long build thread over on lancisti.net). Thought I was buying a car in good condition and ended up doing LOTS of welding and rebuilding literally everything on the car "while I was in there." Have probably 2-3k miles on it since putting it back together and it's a blast to drive!

[taddraughn]

Okay so here's some pictures of what the tensioner shoes look like. They're definitely grooved, but I would love some input on what is the normal state of the tensioners when the engine is off/sitting for a couple weeks. The one on the front of the engine has a slack chain and is depressed all the way, while the one on the rear of the engine is still holding the chain tensioned. Does this indicate an issue with one of the tensioners (not sure how they normally behave but I'd assume the tensioned one is the preferred state) or an issue with an oil check valve somewhere in the oil circuit. Or I guess the 3rd option is that it doesn't have tension because I've drained the oil, removed the filter etc...

In any case, the shoes do have grooves in them, although not super deep it seems this is a good time to replace them and rebuild the tensioners and test out the solenoids, etc.

Front of the engine tensioner assembly





Rear of the engine tensioner assembly. Wasn't able to move the chain since it's tensioned, but the groove looks the same as the other assembly.




EDIT:

Based on the SSP oil diagram, I'm going to assume that the issue is the oil retention valve for bank 2. I've seen a lot of people talk about replacing these on the s4 and allroad chain engines, but nothing about where they are or what part numbers they are on these belt engines.



Also managed to finally find that this is the correct oil valve despite fcpeuro and ecstuning saying that it doesn't fit the S6. This page shows that it does, and is located in the valley. Definitely going to take them out after work today and see if maybe the bank 2 one is just dirty or has a broken spring..

https://www.jimellisaudiparts.com/pr...59103175F.html

[S/RConcepts]

Okay so here's some pictures of what the tensioner shoes look like. They're definitely grooved, but I would love some input on what is the normal state of the tensioners when the engine is off/sitting for a couple weeks. The one on the front of the engine has a slack chain and is depressed all the way, while the one on the rear of the engine is still holding the chain tensioned. Does this indicate an issue with one of the tensioners (not sure how they normally behave but I'd assume the tensioned one is the preferred state) or an issue with an oil check valve somewhere in the oil circuit. Or I guess the 3rd option is that it doesn't have tension because I've drained the oil, removed the filter etc...

Hey, good looking S6, I'm liking the progress so far!

To answer this question, the tensioners have one side that is spring loaded and one side that extends when the oil pressure is built up. On the driver's side, the spring loaded side is facing down inside the cylinder head and will keep chain slack on the upward side. On the passenger side, the spring loaded side is facing upwards and keeps chain slack on the downward side. This caught me off guard when I first noticed it as well, as I thought I had a faulty D/S tensioner until I took one of the old ones apart and saw how they work. So in summary, what you're seeing is totally normal and not the cause of an oiling issue.

Hope this helps explain things, and let us know if you have any more questions!

[taddraughn]

Hey, good looking S6, I'm liking the progress so far!

To answer this question, the tensioners have one side that is spring loaded and one side that extends when the oil pressure is built up. On the driver's side, the spring loaded side is facing down inside the cylinder head and will keep chain slack on the upward side. On the passenger side, the spring loaded side is facing upwards and keeps chain slack on the downward side. This caught me off guard when I first noticed it as well, as I thought I had a faulty D/S tensioner until I took one of the old ones apart and saw how they work. So in summary, what you're seeing is totally normal and not the cause of an oiling issue.

Hope this helps explain things, and let us know if you have any more questions!

Thanks for the explanation' That makes sense. I knew they had different part numbers but not having them out of the car yet I was assuming they worked the same directions on each side. I yanked the oil checks out and they both seem to be working so they probably don't need replacing unless it's just a good thing to go ahead and do while I have the valley pan off.

I saw on here somewhere that the tensioners are rebuildable. I'd like to disassemble them and reassemble after ultrasonic cleaning, but is there a guide anywhere on how to do this or is it pretty straightforward? any seals or o-rings that will need replacing inside them?

Really appreciate the help so far!

[S/RConcepts]

Thanks for the explanation' That makes sense. I knew they had different part numbers but not having them out of the car yet I was assuming they worked the same directions on each side. I yanked the oil checks out and they both seem to be working so they probably don't need replacing unless it's just a good thing to go ahead and do while I have the valley pan off.

I saw on here somewhere that the tensioners are rebuildable. I'd like to disassemble them and reassemble after ultrasonic cleaning, but is there a guide anywhere on how to do this or is it pretty straightforward? any seals or o-rings that will need replacing inside them?

Really appreciate the help so far!

I personally wouldn't classify the tensioners as rebuildable, in order to get them apart you have to do what amounts to irrevocable damage to them... they're a bit sensitive after being assembled due to the soft metals, so it's pretty much a one-shot deal. For future reference, IME the tensioners you can get from Ebay work perfectly well and are pretty quality units, mine have thousands of miles on them and zero issue. I realize that this feels like a cheap shortcut, but it honestly isn't... just don't use the valve cover gaskets they sometimes come with, those are not quality pieces lol. The Audi ones are really that much overpriced, which just leads to people overlooking replacing them... until they lunch an engine.

[taddraughn]

I personally wouldn't classify the tensioners as rebuildable, in order to get them apart you have to do what amounts to irrevocable damage to them... they're a bit sensitive after being assembled due to the soft metals, so it's pretty much a one-shot deal. For future reference, IME the tensioners you can get from Ebay work perfectly well and are pretty quality units, mine have thousands of miles on them and zero issue. I realize that this feels like a cheap shortcut, but it honestly isn't... just don't use the valve cover gaskets they sometimes come with, those are not quality pieces lol. The Audi ones are really that much overpriced, which just leads to people overlooking replacing them... until they lunch an engine.

Ahh okay well in that case maybe better to leave them alone and just swap the pads. I don't really have any reason to believe there's anything wrong with them.

Good to know about the ebay tensioners. I'm always a little cautious about using cheap non OEM parts if there is a reasonable OEM option. Obviously the OEM tensioners are not reasonably priced lol. Are the aftermarket valve cover gaskets like Victor Reinz or Elring okay? Or is it worth paying the premium for the audi gaskets?

[S/RConcepts]

Ahh okay well in that case maybe better to leave them alone and just swap the pads. I don't really have any reason to believe there's anything wrong with them.

Good to know about the ebay tensioners. I'm always a little cautious about using cheap non OEM parts if there is a reasonable OEM option. Obviously the OEM tensioners are not reasonably priced lol. Are the aftermarket valve cover gaskets like Victor Reinz or Elring okay? Or is it worth paying the premium for the audi gaskets?

I am totally with you there as far as cheap aftermarket stuff, the tensioners were the glaring exception in that instance, and even then they're still not exactly 'cheap' lol. As far as valve cover gaskets go, I've had good luck with both Victor Reinz and Elring on the V8 engines. For some odd reason, the V6 cars are far more susceptible to valve cover leaks, so OEM Audi is the only magic-bullet solution on those IME. If given the choice, I'd lean more towards the Victor's since they are the OEM for the head gaskets as well and they feel a tiny bit nicer than the Elrings, but both are perfectly OK.

BTW, totally dig the Fulvia! They're quite underappreciated outside the enthusiast circle, but they are no less awesome.

[2.ohhh]

Looking great so far! It's obvious that you are a decent mechanic and have an eye for detail, so this car couldn't have found a better chance at a new life! I'll jump on this thread from the other one to help consolidate on what has already become a better "build" thread at this point.

For the tensioner shoes, stay away from the RKX...I tried those, but was disappointed in the fit. Basically, the shoes have a lip on the bottom that is squared off and holds them tight to the top of the tensioner. Once you take them off, you'll know what I mean. The RKX version was slightly rounded and wouldn't stay snapped on tight. I bought another set off of eBay that I don't see listed now, but I'd go with the Uro ones at this point.

Another cheap "while you're in there" part is the oil cooler pipe or "bufkin" pipe. With this, you do have an OEM replacement option, but it is plastic. There are a bunch of aftermarket aluminum version ones out there, but again, you need to get the right one to fit properly as they are all not made the same. Since you are new to Audi's...the pipe is called the "bufkin" pipe from an Audi enthusiast and engineer, James Bufkin, that decided to home make a batch of these and sell on eBay. His were perfect, but now out of stock and production from him directly. After a couple of tries, I found the best one now comes from Gruvenparts...not the cheapest option, but fit perfectly as it should (the one in the center).





Looking forward to following a great build thread! Based on the few sneak peeks of the Lancia, I'd say that this S6 is in good hands!

Some additional follow up that you may know or not, but many of the Audi bolts are TTY and need to be replaced whenever removed. This will include the 52 cam cap bolts that you'll be taking out to remove the cams to get to the tensioner shoes. These are cheap enough at about $1.10-$1.15 each, but with 52 needed, it all adds up! You won't have this, but on my RS6 rebuild and 6 speed swap that I'm finishing up now, I had to replace the turbo studs and nuts...14 sets needed at $35+ a set.. ouch! OEM option only as most of these bolts will be.

I see a workbench like this in your garage in the near future...

[taddraughn]

I am totally with you there as far as cheap aftermarket stuff, the tensioners were the glaring exception in that instance, and even then they're still not exactly 'cheap' lol. As far as valve cover gaskets go, I've had good luck with both Victor Reinz and Elring on the V8 engines. For some odd reason, the V6 cars are far more susceptible to valve cover leaks, so OEM Audi is the only magic-bullet solution on those IME. If given the choice, I'd lean more towards the Victor's since they are the OEM for the head gaskets as well and they feel a tiny bit nicer than the Elrings, but both are perfectly OK.

BTW, totally dig the Fulvia! They're quite underappreciated outside the enthusiast circle, but they are no less awesome.

Cool; I had the VR gasket in my cart on ECS but I'm still trying to make a list of all the little o rings and gaskets I need to order.

Yeah they're cool little cars! I would be using it as my daily right now if it had AC... It's really hard to tell how tiny they are from pictures/ if you haven't seen one in person. I usually show people this picture of one making a VW bug look big.



Here's a pic of mine outside my parents house back in MS. Surprisingly I don't have that many pictures of it on my phone recently. Only thousands of pictures from when I was restoring it lol.

Looking great so far! It's obvious that you are a decent mechanic and have an eye for detail, so this car couldn't have found a better chance at a new life! I'll jump on this thread from the other one to help consolidate on what has already become a better "build" thread at this point.

For the tensioner shoes, stay away from the RKX...I tried those, but was disappointed in the fit. Basically, the shoes have a lip on the bottom that is squared off and holds them tight to the top of the tensioner. Once you take them off, you'll know what I mean. The RKX version was slightly rounded and wouldn't stay snapped on tight. I bought another set off of eBay that I don't see listed now, but I'd go with the Uro ones at this point.

Another cheap "while you're in there" part is the oil cooler pipe or "bufkin" pipe. With this, you do have an OEM replacement option, but it is plastic. There are a bunch of aftermarket aluminum version ones out there, but again, you need to get the right one to fit properly as they are all not made the same. Since you are new to Audi's...the pipe is called the "bufkin" pipe from an Audi enthusiast and engineer, James Bufkin, that decided to home make a batch of these and sell on eBay. His were perfect, but now out of stock and production from him directly. After a couple of tries, I found the best one now comes from Gruvenparts...not the cheapest option, but fit perfectly as it should (the one in the center).

Looking forward to following a great build thread! Based on the few sneak peeks of the Lancia, I'd say that this S6 is in good hands!

Some additional follow up that you may know or not, but many of the Audi bolts are TTY and need to be replaced whenever removed. This will include the 52 cam cap bolts that you'll be taking out to remove the cams to get to the tensioner shoes. These are cheap enough at about $1.10-$1.15 each, but with 52 needed, it all adds up! You won't have this, but on my RS6 rebuild and 6 speed swap that I'm finishing up now, I had to replace the turbo studs and nuts...14 sets needed at $35+ a set.. ouch! OEM option only as most of these bolts will be.

I see a workbench like this in your garage in the near future...

Thanks for the recommendations. Part of the paperwork that Nathan gave me mentions the bufkin pipe so I think it's already installed, but doesn't hurt to check. Glad you mentioned the story behind it... Saw a bunch of posts about a "bufkin" pipe like that was a common term and it had me just a little confused haha.

10-4 on the bolts. I knew flywheel bolts were TTY but didn't know the cam cap bolts were. I'll go ahead and get a set on order when I order all the parts for my engine.

[taddraughn]

Little more progress to report/ that I thought might interest some people here.

After splitting the intake manifold into its two halves, I noticed that it's actually 5 different housing castings. Audi calls them "bonded" in the SSP, but what they really mean is its held together with a metric ton of silicone sealant. A lot of this sealant is no longer sticking to the magnesium after almost 20 years, so I decided to split the castings apart to better clean everything and reseal everything. Even with a lot of the silicone softened over time, it wasn't easy at all to get these apart. I used my harbor freight breaker bar by inserting the soft handle side into the "tunnels" of the castings so as not to pry on any thin sections and slowly worked my way around prying a little more each time. Took maybe 5-10 trips around prying at it to get it all to let go but eventually they came apart.





Should be MUCH easier to clean now. I might even let someone vapor blast the pieces that don't have the shafts/flaps on them since I'll be able to adequately clean the glass off now that they're apart.

In other news, I broke my brand new fan clutch tool. Guess I'll have to go get some argon for my welder so I can zap it back together. Really not sure what to do about the fan clutch nut except keep soaking it in wd40 and hope it eventually lets go.

[JMURiz]

Yes Bufkin pipe was done, using the gruvenparts piece...that was a big bill to swallow for a tiny part!
I had the oil cooler changed too while in there.

[taddraughn]

Yes Bufkin pipe was done, using the gruvenparts piece...that was a big bill to swallow for a tiny part!
I had the oil cooler changed too while in there.

Thanks for confirming!

[SUBAMMAS]

Yes Bufkin pipe was done, using the gruvenparts piece...that was a big bill to swallow for a tiny part!
I had the oil cooler changed too while in there.

$45.00?!?!?!

Are they out of their f@#in' minds?!? I should start making these things. I do much more complex parts all day long for about 1/3 of that cost (yes, I have my own multi-axis turning center).

(Nice car, Tad!)

[taddraughn]

$45.00?!?!?!

Are they out of their f@#in' minds?!? I should start making these things. I do much more complex parts all day long for about 1/3 of that cost (yes, I have my own multi-axis turning center).

(Nice car, Tad!)

Lol yeah it is expensive for a little tube with some o rings. If you had a dual turret CNC lathe you could probably crank out HUNDREDS of these little guys in a day.

[SUBAMMAS]

Lol yeah it is expensive for a little tube with some o rings. If you had a dual turret CNC lathe you could probably crank out HUNDREDS of these little guys in a day.

Two-sided Single turret with Y-axis and milling spindle, main and sub spindles for front/backside machining. That pipe looks like about a 2-3 minute process, tops.

[C5S6]

I've superstitiously kept my bufikin pipe in the glovebox for the past 13 years. That has been working well for me.

[JMURiz]

Mine was in my parts box until I needed it

[RexNICO]

Might be a captain obvious comment, but the clutch fan is reverse threaded.

[taddraughn]

Might be a captain obvious comment, but the clutch fan is reverse threaded.

Yeah thanks for mentioning, but I did know it was LHT it was just rusted on there super hard. Ended up just removing the casting and rigging up this to get it apart.



Had to drill and TIG both pins on to make the tool strong enough to get the clutch fan off. "quality german tool" my ass.

Thanks to a local forum member (not sure of his username here) I borrowed some tools and locked the crank, pulled the pulley off, and got the cam sprockets off. So should be ready to pull the tensioners tomorrow and throw the new shoes on them after cleaning them up as best I can.



Also looks like a new front main is needed...

[dan normile]

Glad to help Austin. I don't post here much. Keep up the good work.
Dan

[taddraughn]

Some more good progress over the long weekend and some unfortunate discoveries as well...

Started out by pulling bank two cams and tensioner. Took the tensioner apart to the extent possible and cleaned everything by hand. Really the solenoid needs a new o ring, but not sure if anyone knows the correct size?



and after a refresh with some new shoes..



New shoes from ebay fit great after a quick sous vide at 50C in my ultrasonic cleaner. Just dropped them in a plastic bag and submerged them for a while and it did seem to get them to bend a little more easily. Definitely they were a tight fit, but that is probably preferable to a loose fit.

Out of curiosity I decided to take out the rear arch liners and lo and behold...



Of course there would only be rust in the one place I hadn't yet looked.. Drivers side is worse than passenger side, but both need some attention. A few areas a very close to what I would probably cut out and weld in new metal, but I'm thinking I can get away with wire wheeling, encapsulating, and painting. Probably going to also take the opportunity to fluidfilm the cavities I have access to via the body plugs.

After seeing the rust I decided to do something a little more fun than tear down rusty suspension. Thanks to a timely arrival of a package from Canada, Pedals, Bezel, boot, and shifter (only need the shift box but w/e)



Got the pedals mechanically attached without the slave or any wiring.. Wondering if there's a DIY here somewhere that goes over the wiring in detail? I have the pigtails but not sure exactly what needs doing.



With the fun out of the way, I attacked the rusty heap of steel that is the rear suspension on this car.



mmmmm yummy (dont worry i have a good used set to replace both rear uppers). And yes, I am wearing my wifes white croc sandals and she's mad I got them dirty.

Had one hell of a time with the bolt on the rear link. Bolt was crusted in there beyond any hope of recovery. The death wheel wouldn't quite fit in there so the 3M finger sander made an appearance to just grind through the middle of the bushing and bolt to free the left half, then ground the head off the other side to free the main part. Hope the passenger side doesn't give me this much trouble...





And with that, the driver side rear suspension is completely disassembled and the arch is ready for some rust remediation. I'll probably tackle the other side sometime this week after work as well as go ahead and disassemble the cams and tensioner from bank 1 of the engine. Will then hit a bit of a wall on the engine as I wait for a gigantic pile of parts to come in the mail towards the end of this month. Still tons to take care of while I wait on parts though.

Despite the disappointment of having to battle the tin worm, I'm really enjoying just marching onward on this project.

[C5S6]

I was able to swap the MT brake / clutch / master / switches all onto my S6 pedal assy. in the car. I also managed to snake the clutch hard line from under the car into position without moving the brake master/booster. I'm not suggesting that "this is the way to do it", but more like "it can be done".
I went at the whole swap with the least disassembly strategy though...did my swap without pulling the motor on a 4' scissor lift.

My simplified wiring diagram. You can browse through the Allroad-6mt-swap to get details and pictures of this same info.

Pin 39 is at the ECU - there should be a pin in the connector for you to attach a wire to
Relay 53 under the dash
F125 connector for the auto trans under the car

[taddraughn]

I was able to swap the MT brake / clutch / master / switches all onto my S6 pedal assy. in the car. I also managed to snake the clutch hard line from under the car into position without moving the brake master/booster. I'm not suggesting that "this is the way to do it", but more like "it can be done".
I went at the whole swap with the least disassembly strategy though...did my swap without pulling the motor on a 4' scissor lift.

My simplified wiring diagram. You can browse through the Allroad-6mt-swap to get details and pictures of this same info.

Pin 39 is at the ECU - there should be a pin in the connector for you to attach a wire to
Relay 53 under the dash
F125 connector for the auto trans under the car

Thanks! that's very helpful!

Is "FR clutch sw" and "RR clutch sw" in the above picture just referring to the large white sensor as the rear switch and the smaller sensor at full clutch pedal as the front switch?

[2.ohhh]

The one to pin 39 on your ECU is for the larger switch that is used when you slightly engage the clutch to kill the cruise control...this also is a vacuum interrupt switch that tells the engine not to hold rev's between shifts too.

The relay 53 starter interlock is the little switch that tells the ECU that the clutch is fully engaged prior to cranking the car. You can also jumper bypass this at the relay if you prefer to be able to reach in and just start the car without pushing the clutch, but only advisable for a "one driver" car as it can take off in gear if engaged when cranking.

[taddraughn]

The one to pin 39 on your ECU is for the larger switch that is used when you slightly engage the clutch to kill the cruise control...this also is a vacuum interrupt switch that tells the engine not to hold rev's between shifts too.

The relay 53 starter interlock is the little switch that tells the ECU that the clutch is fully engaged prior to cranking the car. You can also jumper bypass this at the relay if you prefer to be able to reach in and just start the car without pushing the clutch, but only advisable for a "one driver" car as it can take off in gear if engaged when cranking.

Makes sense. I wrote it backwards in my reply to C5S6 but obviously you want the cruise to disengage when you first touch the pedal not at full clutch lol.

I do like to be able to crank the car in neutral so I may wire it to a switch like I did in my old wrx. That way I can turn it back to normal operation for when others drive the car.

[C5S6]

Sounds like you've got it!

[taddraughn]

Spend about 30 minutes before dinner today tearing down the passenger side of the suspension in the rear, but snapped one of the strut bolts off at the head.




Gonna give drilling and an extractor a shot, but otherwise will just cut the nut off and TIG a new one on. Actually might just tig 4 new nuts on since they're a little rusty.. to be determined.

Same issue with the rear link on the passenger side. Going to go grab some high quality blades for my body saw that can handle the hardened steel bolt to make my life easier. Grinding away with the finger sander again is not the most appealing thing to me.

[taddraughn]

I have just been informed that the lower oil pans on these engines are no longer available... mine is completely rusted out and there's no way I can re-use it. Anyone got a lead on a good used one? Only one on ebay is a shitty repaired one in Hungary. 077103602A

Edit: found some on car-part.com so hopefully one of these pans out...

[JMURiz]

Let me know if you don't find one. I can check with my local shop, they might have some 4.2 parts cars or some hanging around.

I'm totally bummed they never told me about the rear control arms or rusty oil pan. They had that car more than enough times in their shop to tell me about those issues

I'm wondering if it got rusty from not having the underbody cover when I bought the car. Once I noticed it I bought one...but the damage must have already started taking hold.

[taddraughn]

Let me know if you don't find one. I can check with my local shop, they might have some 4.2 parts cars or some hanging around.

I'm totally bummed they never told me about the rear control arms or rusty oil pan. They had that car more than enough times in their shop to tell me about those issues

I'm wondering if it got rusty from not having the underbody cover when I bought the car. Once I noticed it I bought one...but the damage must have already started taking hold.

Yeah I feel like they probably should have mentioned the oil pan and rear upper controls to you while work on the car, but I guess it depends on the tech/shop whether or not they would feel the need to bring it up. Not sure if they would have removed the wheel liners in the back to see that rust or not.

Really the front of the car has very little rust anywhere (other than the oil pan). It's just the rear of the car that has gotten a bit crusty over time. I really am amazed at how difficult it is to source parts for this thing.. Like things as simple as suspension bushings are seemingly pretty difficult to find.

But yeah if you don't mind could you check with the local shop on the oil pan? I found one on ebay to order that's new and they claim they have it in stock... but we will see.

[taddraughn]

After a couple hours scouring the internet trying to find all the bushings I need I just gave up and ordered a full set for the rear from Strongflex out of Poland. Hopefully the poly bushings wont be too harsh, but it really seemed like my only option, as certain bushings just seem unavailable from the normal sources.

[ShelbyM3]

After a couple hours scouring the internet trying to find all the bushings I need I just gave up and ordered a full set for the rear from Strongflex out of Poland. Hopefully the poly bushings wont be too harsh, but it really seemed like my only option, as certain bushings just seem unavailable from the normal sources.

Welcome to the land of C5 Audis. I’ve had 4-5 things in the last year become no longer available for my Allroad.
I reached out to Strongflex last year for subframe bushings. They have almost every other bushing for our cars.
Great progress. Looking forward to watching your build.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[taddraughn]

Welcome to the land of C5 Audis. I’ve had 4-5 things in the last year become no longer available for my Allroad.
I reached out to Strongflex last year for subframe bushings. They have almost every other bushing for our cars.
Great progress. Looking forward to watching your build.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

Just seems weird to me that so much is unavailable for a car that's not that old at this point. Especially bushings that are going to be common wear items for cars this old.. I think sourcing NOS lancia parts may have been easier than this lol.

Oh well.. I'm sure I'll find everything I need eventually whether it's new/used/ or I have to get creative to make something work.

[Jawsman2]

Look through my build thread and you can see what wiring help I received regarding the clutch pedal assembly.

[taddraughn]

Look through my build thread and you can see what wiring help I received regarding the clutch pedal assembly.

Thanks I'll have a look

[taddraughn]

The ebay seller has shipped out an oil pan to me... Time will tell if it's the correct one or not

I decided to go ahead and start tearing down all the drivetrain/suspension parts that I have off the car to get them cleaned up while I wait on parts to arrive for the Engine. I ordered a valley pan gasket from Latvia because it was half the cost of the ones available here in the US and didn't realize it might take till the end of Oct. to get here... Probably should have just paid the extra money to get it faster. Everything on this car related to driveshafts/CVs etc. has put up a fight and the driveshaft CVs are no exception. Gear puller and air hammer didn't budge them, so I had to get a little creative with my HF press on my lunch break.







Took a fair amount of pressure to get them moving initially but after that they slid off with minimal pressure on the bottle jack. Does anyone know if driveshafts need to be re-balanced after swapping CVs or will it be good?

[2.ohhh]

You should be good on balance with just a CV change...it's mainly when you split the shafts to replace the center carrier bearing (which is a huge chore in itself since the u-joints are staked and not really designed to come apart)...you going to run just the spacer bushing for the driveshaft I assume? If not, you'll need the 6 speed driveshaft which is about 6 inches longer. Should be ok with even the S6 v8, but on my RS6, no dice with a goal of 600+ torque on an aluminum spacer...

And...your craftiness shows with your tool usage...I'm sure that you went through similar fun on the Lancia!

[taddraughn]

You should be good on balance with just a CV change...it's mainly when you split the shafts to replace the center carrier bearing (which is a huge chore in itself since the u-joints are staked and not really designed to come apart)...you going to run just the spacer bushing for the driveshaft I assume? If not, you'll need the 6 speed driveshaft which is about 6 inches longer. Should be ok with even the S6 v8, but on my RS6, no dice with a goal of 600+ torque on an aluminum spacer...

And...your craftiness shows with your tool usage...I'm sure that you went through similar fun on the Lancia!

Gotcha. I was hoping that would be the case since the joints should be made to pretty tight tolerances and also symmetric. Yeah I'm just replacing the CVs and boots, giving it a lick of paint, and throwing a little window weld on the aging center bushing, and letting it ride. If the center bushing gives me trouble down the road I'll just replace it with a JXB one so I don't have to pull it apart. I think the spacer will be enough for my mostly stock engine hahah.

Actually the Lancia was for the most part super easy to come apart. 6 bolts and you can just raise the unibody off the front subframe after only pulling the radiator and disconnecting a few things like steering and shift linkage. Only thing that really gave me much trouble was the ball joints in the A arms that had been there for over 50 years. Soaked them in ATF and acetone mix for a week and still had to hit them with an actual sledgehammer to get them out. Flew across the shop at mach 3 when they finally let go lmao. Other than that and making like 7 different special nut tools (lancia loved those things) it was really a joy to work on and just a really well engineered car overall. My 55 page build thread is over on lancisti, but an acct is needed to view the thread for some reason since forum migration. It got so long I had to make a table of contents for the thread lmao. If you're interested the link is below.

https://lancisti.net/wbb/index.php?t...read/&pageNo=1