The Project Pad

Yeah, probably just not torqued enough to hold without locktite.

I'm going to look into the main seal thing tonight, hang tight.

Yes, so it appears there is still an oem one available from the 1.8t. It has a much improved seal. I don't expect that to leak. If it does, chances are it's installer error. Part number 028103171B

Also, for what it's worth I think elring is German made and pretty decent quality. I've used them for plenty of parts when oem isn't available. I believe they are an oem supplier in fact.

Many thanks, Chris! I'll swing by the dealer and pony-up if they have one in stock. Otherwise, I'll have to decide what to do, as I really would like to start reassembly this weekend.

Nah, don't get it from the dealer. Go on ecs tuning. Com and search for the part number. Should be $88 with free shipping. I just spoke with hank and he confirmed the use of it again and said they won't leak as long as you get the OEM one. The new seal design is much better with the integrated "o" ring instead of the paper gasket on the old ones.

Ah, just realized you have a time crunch. In that case, probably best to pony up or just leave it alone if it's not leaking.

Haha, Chris, you're faster to respond to my thread than I am! Your input is greatly appreciated!

My time restriction is kind of self-imposed, really. As much as every fiber of me wants to drive her again, you're right. The dealer didn't have it, and I'd rather do this right the first time, so I'll just wait for a shipment from ECS.

In the meantime, I can make stuff pretty! And get all this blasted salt off the car.

You see, down here in the South, the mere mention of winter weather sends locals into a frenzy! Schools are closed, grocery stores raided, and the cars on the road are replaced with an equivalent mass of salt. Only we don't actually have the luxury of snow to cover it up.

Haha, it probably pales in comparison to northern cars, but it's painful to see stuff actively rust.



Yay pressure washing!



Oh! And this is happening to the S4 this week! It'll be the last update before this thread goes back to just 200 stuff.

Dang Kevin you really ripped that trans out quick! Good work to you and the helpers. I HAD my RMS replaced as a precaution by a reputable mechanic because I was afraid of the clutch job lol. It leaks slightly now ; ( I don't recall if it elring or not but it is the new design! I wish I'd left it be. Good hustle so far!

Lol your AC belt is inside-out?

Which one was it? The 1.8t one or new one for AAN?

Corrosion sucks, thats why you should let everything keep leaking

I bought the new design with the flange included from ecstuning and it was a part # search I believe. Part# 068103171F according to my order history. I am considering simply venting my oil cap and disconnecting it from my catch can since u have no check valve in there to prevent the crank pressure from going into the VC. It seems directly related to the VC pressurizing. Idk sometimes it's fine completely!

It shouldn't leak, valve cover pressure or not.

That is a different part. Not sure the exact difference though. Installation of these can be done wrongly and can lead to an immediate leak. It has to be installed dry and let sit for a minimum of 4 hours to ensure proper sealing around the crankshaft.

Well ill just settle for the free (-ish) oil undercoating then On the 5000 my pentosin rez is even getting in on that action. Always marks its territory

It's just the way of these cars! I dunno if there's ever been a time where I've leaked nothing. Got all but brake fluid going right now!

Parts on the way with 2-day shipping!

A/C compressor belt looks turned around?
Grab the old HP2's off your dads S4 and use those suckers on your 200!

I don't remember if you have a ufo 200 though?

Haha, the autoparts store didn't have the normal belt in stock, so I got a fancy-schmancy "low-noise" one, which has the ribbing on the outside of the v. It actually woks quite well!

pilihp2 wrote:Grab the old HP2's off your dads S4 and use those suckers on your 200!

Yes! That's the plan! I bought some UFO uprights to swap in after I get bigger wheels to clear. I'm a little concerned, cause I bought them sight-unseen and they're kind of really rusty. Maybe I'm just spoiled by my southern car; I dunno. I'll definitely try electrolysis and powder-coating them before I run them.

My 635csi strut housings were pretty rusted. I ended up cutting it out and shortening the housings for shorter struts, but the same could be done without shortening the housing if you needed to. Post a pic or two when they're cleaned up?

Aktapod wrote:Haha, the autoparts store didn't have the normal belt in stock, so I got a fancy-schmancy "low-noise" one, which has the ribbing on the outside of the v. It actually woks quite well!

pilihp2 wrote:Grab the old HP2's off your dads S4 and use those suckers on your 200!

Yes! That's the plan! I bought some UFO uprights to swap in after I get bigger wheels to clear. I'm a little concerned, cause I bought them sight-unseen and they're kind of really rusty. Maybe I'm just spoiled by my southern car; I dunno. I'll definitely try electrolysis and powder-coating them before I run them.

'

It's just oxidized Iron - remove it! Welcome to our hell!

In for updates too.

Mage! It's good to see you stop by here again! Here's a little preview of what I have to work with:



Okay, wow, it's been a while. Finishing up this semester has been brutally time-consuming, but with finals over, I can finally pick up a wrench again! It's been over three weeks since I've been able to do anything but school! *deep breath*

I replaced most everything you fine folks here at the TPP recommended, including:

- Shifter bushing
- Pilot bearing (kind of a PITA)
- Throwout bearing
- Rear main seal

The RMS was pretty cool to install. Just seamlessly slip it off the plastic disk it comes with onto the crank, till the plastic drops away. I'm a little worried about the sealing of the rear main seal, despite using a genuine VW/Audi one. I installed it dry, as instructed, but there's a small perceptible line along the bottom where the felt doesn't seem to mate with the crank perfectly. That's not representative of the whole sealing surface, though, so maybe I'm just paranoid. *fingers crossed*



I managed to trick some friends (thanks guys!) into helping me get the transmission back into the car. It was actually much easier than removing it, now that we knew to watch out for the Procon-ten cables. I bolted the bell-housing to the engine and decided now would be a good time to ensure everything was working before everything else was reassembled.

I disabled the fuel pump and ignition, pulled the spark plugs, and hopped into the car to turn the engine over a few seconds to build oil pressure and get the system oiled before actually starting it. I threw the transmission into neutral, and habitually pressed in the clutch when - POP! Crapcrapcrapcrap that didn't sound good. I looked under the car and there's a growing pool of brake fluid, originating from the clutch slave cylinder that I'd yet to reinstall.

I naïvely thought I could rectify the situation by pulling the clutch pedal back up, but that only increased the flow of brake fluid. It wasn't until I pulled the boot on the slave that I realized I'd popped out its piston. Oops.

I've got a new one on the way with the fastest shipping option available, but man, it's gonna be cutting it pretty close with the trip to Carlisle. I got a little setback by that, but hopefully we'll have a first-start tomorrow!

Lol, smooth move there with the slave cylinder.

Which RMS did you get? Apikol told me that when they installed the 1.8t one, there was a little bit of a light "groove" in the crank. However, the new 1.8t RMS sat at a different axial location than the original one did, so it isn't really interfacing with where the groove used to be. They cleaned the groove up anyway.

What shifter bushing did you do? The one at the end of the selector shaft on the trans side that I was talking about? Apikol said mine was trashed and it's a good thing it was replaced (at my suggestion). How did yours look?

When I did the RMS on my 7a as a proactive measure a few years back, I used a dab of RTV. No leaks after some 10s of thousands of kms... of hard abuse.

Bummer about the slave, but... live and learn.

loxxrider wrote:Lol, smooth move there with the slave cylinder.

Haha thanks, I try.

Yes! That's the bushing! Honestly, the old one didn't look all that terrible installed, but as soon as I pulled it out, it crumbled into a thousand pieces. Retrospectively, I'd have replaced the one on the stabilizer bar or whatever, too, cause mine had a fair amount of play. I *think* it can be done in the car though. Next up is the tightening up the interior side, with the end goal being to minimize the slop felt by the driver.

As for the RMS, some RTV is a brilliant idea I wish I'd considered! Oh well; hindsight 20/20. I just hope that, if it does leak, that it's minor enough I can enjoy the car a little before tackling it again. Oh and make a 1000-mile trip in a week.

SHE RUNNNNNNSSSSSSS!!!!!

Aktapod wrote:SHE RUNNNNNNSSSSSSS!!!!!

Woohoo!

It's probably clear to those that went that I, in fact, will not be making Carlisle this year.

After several months of downtime, it all came down to the last few days before the trip. When I last updated, the car was running, but I'd accidentally ruined my slave cylinder by pressing the clutch in with it uninstalled. The stamp date revealed it was still from the factory, so I'd say it was about due anyways!

I got my new one five days before departure: Go time! However, the new Sachs slave came with some kind of aluminum extension that wasn't present on my old one.

"No problem!" I thought, "I'll just slip a 17mm socket over that and I'll - oh. Yeah, that just stripped." I'll admit, this is the first time I've ever stripped something unscrewing it.

While I dejectedly awaited yet another one, I discovered that there's a different part number for the slave without the aluminum thingy, and that, above all else, DO NOT REMOVE IT if you get one with the fitting, because you will strip the threads. (source).

The new-new slave came two days before I was to set sail. Unfortunately, a slew of fitment and bleeding issues prevented the 200 from getting back on the road until the Saturday during Carlisle. On the bright side, it did give me the opportunity to ease into driving the car and making sure all systems were functional. Which they were! Mostly. (Also, huge thanks to Chris for holding my hand through the bleeding process!)

With the car running at least okay, I flirted with the B5 again to swap out the notorious heater core. Lots of work, but, if I'm honest, I quite enjoyed it. Nothing was seized or dirty, everything was 8 or 10mm, and my workspace was carpeted; what's not to love??



And that's about as much B5 as I can take before hopping back to the 200. I finally got around to changing a few factory items that were waaayyyy overdue:
- Knock sensors (literally fell to pieces to the touch)
- O2 sensor
- Engine speed and reference sensors
- Very collapsed breather hose
- 1.9 bar wastegate spring





And now she runs great again! No more random limp modes, lots more mid-range torque, and the spark plugs no longer seem to indicate a lean condition. As it stands now, I'm taking a little "break" from the car, which really just means no projects that'll keep the car off the road.

I do have a lot of little things I'm working on simultaneously, though, one of which is the rear UrS seats! It is a bit more involved than I originally anticipated, but it's certainly doable. I'm taking lots of pics and detailed measurements, so I'll follow up with a full write-up when I'm done. The test fit looks promising, though!

Doesn't really seem like there is anything left to do for those rear seats! Just sit in them and go Looks sweet!