Chris' 200 20v Avant - RENNWGN - Blowed Up

[loxxrider]

Yeah, I really like the marine ones. They always seem higher quality. I understand why they suggest not to use solder (easy to fatigue Crack) but I still prefer a soldered joint to a Butt connector any day. It's just so much cleaner when there are 30 or so wires involved and the connection is more reliable too given proper stress relief. If the solder joints are made far from the hinge, it wouldn't be a problem.

On the window motors, I've never had a motor fail, only regulators. I have a spare motor or two anyway. I did find an oem one with motor for $99 on eBay after the fact... Darn. Oh well! Can't have too many spare regs lol

[themagellan]

Marine is the way to go i've learned too. Don't have enough words to say how happy I am with all those P/N listed, this car is going to be a pristine example very soon. Glad you've been enjoying it!

[loxxrider]

One thing I forgot to mention last time was that GTJeff was right. My sunroof motor came right back to life when I put the little bar back into position. It was definitely there for a reason though because the sunroof motor stopped working about 1/3 of the way through the travel of the sunroof. I was able to crank the roof manually and it opened and closed very smoothly. The motor seems to work great and then just stops at the same places every time. It also does it while using the tilt option. I will have to take a closer look at this when I get a chance. For now, I'm just happy to have learned that the sunroof operates smoothly and the motor seems to be strong and functional in general.

That day I also found some weird markings inside the hatch area. I'm guessing this is from some kind of rust repair attempt or something? I think more will be revealed when I take the tail lights off.



I also want to take care of this spot before winter starts here.



Amazingly, I was able to get almost an entire week off of work without taking any vacation off, and I used most of that time to go to Florida! Here's a picture for proof of being down there. The little boat is our little 15' whaler which I have taken under my wing mechanically (from my Dad) and ever since it has been running flawlessly. We took it for a roughly 40 mile trip one day while I was there and it served admirably



When I got back from Florida, I still had some time on my hands. Luckily I had purchased everything I needed to fill a solid half-day's time with productivity!

Prefab box from AVPriority.com. This thing is SWEET. It is made for my subwoofer exactly and takes the subwoofer's volume into account as well as the bracing inside.







This is one seriously badass 8" subwoofer...





and the amp and current box location. This amp is 600 w-rms (not peak) and comes in such a small package. Amps have sure come a long way in the past decade or so. At 3 ohms, it will supply between 400 and 500 w-rms which is really ideal for this subwoofer. Yes, this 8" sub can handle that much power. Take a look at the size of it's magnet! The power wiring and RCAs are also top quality stuff as well from Stinger.



It sounds great, and has more than enough power for what I wanted, and that's when it is hardly being pushed at all. It sounds even better now that I've applied some time alignment to it, and it is crossed over at about 85 Hz with a 24 dB/octave low pass filter. That makes it blend fairly well with my 5 1/4 midranges. This system really doesn't lack from anything at this point. I'm not sure if the 6.5" door speakers would be worth adding now. I'm very happy with my choice. The only thing I would do is add some equalization to the bottom (sub bass area) because being 8", it is not exactly flat in that area. An MS8 DSP will take care of that in the future for sure.

Also, I have to say this is the nicest installation I've done in terms of wiring quality and cleanliness. No corners were cut at all. I wanted to put the sub in that particular location to maximize cargo space and also try to keep it stealthy. It isn't really as stealthy as I'd hoped, but it will blend in more once all my usual rig gear is in there with it and the seats are folded down, etc. All of the wires were left to much longer lengths and coiled up (except the ground wire) in order to be able to easily move the subwoofer to a different location if desired in the future.

[loxxrider]

I almost forgot to mention the most important recent development. My blower motor has completely quit. It was making some funny noises and is now fully seized.

So... While I'm in there... I will need what? A blower motor 431959101C, heater core 443819030, and seal 431819225? Or is there a different seal I need? Maybe 431819211A? I'm not sure. Anything else to get for the job?

[PRY4SNO]

Nice sub... properly powered 8w7s pound hard and deep, but sound super tight.

When I get to the audio/interior phase of my build we're going to have to talk haha.

[loxxrider]

Thanks! That's exactly why I got it. It blends in very well with the small stock speaker sizes as a result. I'd love to hear about your plans for audio/interior!

[loxxrider]

Order placed for the "ultimate timing belt job" and blower motor job parts. Ouch!

I will make a finalized parts list and post it when both jobs are done.

[loxxrider]

Last night I decided to take some time to look into my washer fluid reservoir leak. It's a little funny because the PO told me there was probably a leak there, but that the shop he was using at the time kept saying it was coming from the secondary radiator. The PO is not the super handy type, but he convinced me that it was the source of the leak. That seemed to match up well with the fact that the washer fluid reservoir has been empty since I bought it.

So I attempted to fill the reservoir with fresh water last night and while it did hold it, I could hear dripping coming from somewhere. I suspected the seal where the pump enters the reservoir since the washer fluid line was replaced recently, but I couldn't see an obvious leak there. Then I decided it would be interesting to try to pressure test the reservoir. I blew air into the reservoir using my mouth, expecting some type of pressure increase, but it was totally free flowing. That was definitely a problem, so I decided it was time for the reservoir to come out.

Upon removal of the first few fasteners, I found the major source of the inability of the reservoir to hold pressure.



Yep... that'll do it!

But I suspected there was another problem, so I dug deeper. Once the reservoir was fully removed, I knew I had found the real problem.

Hello there shadetree mechanic/ hack fix!



Upon removal of the "gum" I found the reason for it's existence.



That crack goes right through the tank and hole for the sensor.

The sensor was also covered in the goopy stuff



At least they tried to sand it for better adhesion?



So in went an order for:

Washer fluid tank - 447955453T
Pump seal - 443955465
expanding nut - 893955247 - holds the top part of the tank to the fender

I would have totally bought a new level sensor because mine doesn't seem to move smoothly (it's very notchy... kind of "on/off" and doesn't seem like the fluid level would affect it at all, but the part is NLA :( Luckily at least the seal on mine seems nice and pliable still, so it shouldn't leak.

I considered buying a new washer fluid pump, but it seems to work and I think it may have been replaced relatively recently anyhow. If it does crap out, the part is readily available, cheap, not hard to replace, and not necessary for me to get to and from work (although it is a nice convenience).

I also got a chance to look at that frayed wire in the engine bay which I mentioned earlier since the air box was out. It was just the insulation which was frayed. The wire inside (with it's own insulation) is just fine. I did find some weird wiring in that area though which I will have to explore soon.

That reminds me... this car came with a strange, unlabeled switch near the diff lock switch. I never knew what it was, but when I was installing the subwoofer earlier this month, I found a blade fuse under the rear bench seat which was labeled "Schroth Harness" and it was connected to that switch! Interesting... I'm not really sure why you'd need a switch for a harness I'm also very curious what it was used for!

[loxxrider]

Looks like the switch must have been used with a harness like this:

https://www.schrothracing.com/tuning/autocontrol/autocontrol-II

Kinda cool I guess? Maybe the car was autocrossed at one point. Very interesting given it's pristine condition! Someone definitely loved driving it, but also loved maintaining it. There's no doubt about that.

[ChrisAudi80]

Dude, you are really going deep into this car. Its starting to look like a full on restoration.

[loxxrider]

Ha, yeah! Call it a rolling restoration I guess? Like I stated at the beginning of this thread, the idea is to make it as robust as possible. Having broken things doesn't go along with that theme very well!

Might as well fix everything while I can It's the most important tool for my job aside from my brain, so it's worth keeping nice

[loxxrider]

I got some time off for the weekend and managed to address a few issues.

I received my new custom windshield shade from CoverCraft.com. They always make nice stuff. My only complaint is that I wish it got a little closer to the A-pillars. It's going to really help keep the interior cool and reduce UV exposure while the car sits at the rig (all the time). I am hoping to have the windows tinted too when I get the chance.



I also got my OE window regulators in the mail. I tore the passenger rear door apart to find that the problem was actually the motor! I know someone asked why I didn't get the reg and motor together. It definitely would have been a good idea in this case, but I just so happened to have a spare motor on hand! The old reg was probably on it's last legs anyway, so I just put a new one in. I think I'm going to buy two of each window reg whenever I find a good deal. These things are ridiculous lol. Oh, and everything went pretty smoothly on the install until I lost that damned bitch clip. I hate that thing!



I received the parts to replace my washer fluid reservoir as well. It seemed to have some shelf wear... but it's better than what I had for sure! That installation went well too and there is no leak now, but when I went to test out the spray, it sprayed for about one second and then quit (even though the pump was running). I am not sure why this is. Maybe the hose after the pump just got blown off from the new found pressure!



Taking parts inventory for the timing belt job. Almost all the nuts and bolts are here!



Here is the new heater core, blower motor, and related seals.



No detail is too small!



(yes, that is a new carbon timing belt cover for use with an aftermarket cam gear)



Even the primary and secondary rads are getting new mounts



Then I noticed that water wasn't beading too nicely on the paint after some rain, so I gave it a nice paste wax treatment! That should help keep it a bit cleaner on dirt roads and keep some of the contaminants in the air at the rig from damaging the paint. Oh, and I also installed a new passenger side euro headlight reflector because the one which was on there before managed to disappear at some point on the last trip back from the rig! Good thing I had already removed the surround trim before that (it was falling off too).

Notice that all four windows are down too... I didn't think it was even possible on an out-of-warranty Audi!



Looking good in front of the Gregg homestead

[themagellan]

It's magnificent!

[ringbearer]

You are pampering it!

We need some doughnut vids!

[loxxrider]

Haha I think it's pretty magnificent and majestic too.

Maybe I will he able to snag a few donuts during the winter Until it gets an EFR, I don't think it'll be doing any in the dry!

I found the source of the washer problem today. The shop which installed the new jets and ran new hose used some crappie universal hose which doesn't seal very well. It blew off at one junction and then after I fixed that it started leaking in other places becuase the hose isn't a good fit for the barb fittings at the washer nozzles. I used some small diameter furl hose to mend it for now. I just can't believe a supposedly reputable shop would do some shoddy work like this. No, it wasn't Apikol. Those guys do quality work unlike this.

I have also found a few rust spots around the windows, where there are chips in the paint, and by the rear hatch keyhole, and I am going to get some touch up paint to fix them all, hopefully before winter kicks in.

Oh and I also changed the oil (at 229,219 miles, 5k since the last one) with Rotella T6 5w40. The oil drain plug must have had at least 70 ft*lbs on it because I had to use my foot to break it off and I thought I was going to shear the drain plug off while doing it. Another supposedly reputable shop did that one. Nice job guys.

[pilihp2]

yeah. I need an Avant.

[loxxrider]

yeah. I need an Avant.

I honestly think sometimes that I should have done the revver build with this car! But that engine will only be good for about 30k miles before it needs a top end rebuild, so that's not so good lol. This car is seriously genius though! It'd be perfect with a more dialed in suspension and 100-200 more hp The new speakers have really made it into a great vehicle to travel in. It just needs a 6th gear to really be complete.

[mushasho]

They must of used a air gun for the oil changes...

[loxxrider]

I agree, they probably did. How stupid!

I just checked my order for all of the parts I ordered recently and found that the blower motor price has increased by $50! Good thing I ordered when I did!

Also, I noticed that they (ECS Tuning) took pictures of all of the parts I ordered which they didn't already have pictures for. You're welcome

[Aktapod]

Your parts are famous now!

[2.5TYPE44]

Car is coming along nice. Makes me want to get an Avant. I have got to get one of the covers. I didn't know someone offered them to fit aftermarket cam gears.

[loxxrider]

Yep! They are available through EFI Express. I'm sure you can probably buy directly from the manufacturer too, but it's good to support Marc!

[k2exoman]

Nice work Chris! I need to order up all of the timing belt stuff again... while I don't have the mileage to justify it, it's been 5 years and is good insurance. Also, the carbon cover and stainless hardware is a great touch.

What're all of the parts included in your 'ultimate timing belt kit?'

[PRY4SNO]

I'm putting together a parts list for an ultimate timing belt job. Let's see what you guys think.

- New cam sprocket (OEM 034109111 @ $64.58)
- New cam sprocket bolt (OEM N90256202 @ 1.05)
- Cam and crank seals (same part numbers OEM 026103085D 2@ $13.07 ea.)
-Timing belt (conti - 054109119A @ $12.14 or OEM 054109119G @ $80.85) I've had a cheap belt shred after not much use... not sure if it was just too tight or a cheap belt...
- Water pump (so many options... Graf 034121004A @ $54.31, OEM 034121004X @ $124.53, or OEM 035121004AX @ $77.65 - the teeth on the 035 one look way off, just like they do on the crank pulley with 035 P/N) I tend to go for genuine parts, but which part number?? Does the X indicate a revision to the part or what? I guess I'll get that one since its the only OEM one.
- Water pump seal (o-ring) - (OEM 035121043 2@ $5.52 - 2 because one might rip while adjusting tension)
- 2 gallons G13 coolant (will that mix with G12 if that is what's already in there? It has blue coolant in it). (G013A8J1G - 2 @ $23.78 ea.)
- All 3 v-belts in ECS v-belt kit by Continental (20V5CABKT @ $ 20.52)
- Thermostat (OEM - 069121113 @ $54.36)
- Thermostat O-ring (OEM - N90136802 @ $3.88)
- Crankshaft screw (stretch bolt) - (Cant find OEM... Febi is the brand I found - N0101432 @ $2.75) **edit** searched the PN online and found the part in Audi Tradition catalog. I'd rather have OEM. What say you?
- New crank damper... maybe... (OEM - 034105251G @ $311.623)
- Crank cog... not sure what to do here. I will definitely put a new one on, but the question is whether to put a hardened one or OEM, and which one in each version? For OEM I found (034105263A @ $81.48 and 035105263C @ $74.29. Looking at pictures of the 035 one, the teeth look way wrong!). Then there is that supertorque one or whatever. Not sure if that requires a different belt than what I have spec'd or what. I would definitely get a hardened crank cog, but weren't people getting them misaligned or something?
- Cam timing chain (OEM 077109120 @ $120.52)
- Valve cover gasket (Victor Reinz 034198025F @ $19.22)

That should cover it I think... can anyone else think of any other "while-I'm(they're)-in-theres?"

[k2exoman]

Sorry I missed the list, thank you for quoting it. Looks solid to me.

Not sure I'd add anything else, maybe some of the lower coolant hoses depending on their condition...?

Or the alternator tensioner gear bolt (the one that is always stripped out)...