Aluthman's Intro and Build thread

Yep, I’m gonna be drinking PBR when I weld up the manifold that no one else seems to want to make. Full-Race offers a T4 twin scroll for the B6 1.8T but not the 2.0 in the B7. :frowning:

LOL!!

Have you though about buying the 1.8 manifold, cutting off the head flange and welding on the 2.0T flange? We can get you that flange…

Also assuming the ports are the same length apart

I had considered doing exactly that, but no one could verify the port spacing. Full Race had no idea and they said they had no plans to make a B7 2.0 version. I think I even posted on AZ asking for info, but no one responded. You could always measure the exhaust gasket for each for me if that’s something you guys stock… I have a spare 2.0T sitting in my basement right now, so I just need the 1.8T measurements.

I will check in the parts department if we have them!

nope=[

https://jhmotorsports.com/shop/catalog/gasket-cylinder-head-to-exhaust-manifold-victor-reinz-for-b5-b6-a4-18t-p-2598.html

We sell them for dirt cheap though, so if you order it we can ship it to you within a day or so!

At this point, I’m too invested in making my own manifold anyway. It would blow monkey nuts if I cut apart a $1400 manifold and it still wouldn’t work. I’ve got most of what I need to start the fab process on an FSI twin scroll manifold, I just need the turbo in hand to get the placement right.

Yeah good point. Plus you will have the satisfaction of a self built mani.

Rebuilt the K0R today in the hopes that it was the cause of my oil issue. It didn’t show any significant signs of needing work though. I initially bought the wrong rebuild kit, so the car sat in the garage for 4 days waiting on the correct one to show up.

This is where I started after the correct rebuild kit came in the mail.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpskt4x76iq.jpg

Undo nut (reverse threaded) and pry off compressor wheel with screwdrivers.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsts29ce5k.jpg

This little guy will push out with your thumb.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zps9b5lkoli.jpg


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsv01dviso.jpg

Pulled the guts out.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpseuqxycv9.jpg

Pry off this little ring. I used my snap ring pliers and a small screwdriver. Then I spent some time cleaning gunk off the shaft and wheel, being careful to avoid scratching the bearing surface.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpssl5h5fpz.jpg

Put new guts back in.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zps1m44d6jz.jpg

Put shaft and turbine wheel back in and remount compressor wheel and backing plate. I dripped some oil down into the bearing to help things slide in. This may require a few taps of a dead blow hammer to seat the new c-clip you put on the shaft. Reattach the CHRA to the exhaust housing. I had to use a wire wheel on my drill to clean the housing enough to get them to slide together easily.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsuasvifg5.jpg

Reattach compressor housing.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsvu82ipyw.jpg

Still need to put it back on the car and try it out. Hopefully by tomorrow night it will be running again. I didn’t bother balancing it, I just marked the orientation of the parts and put them back together as close to that as I could. I’ll probably send it off to get balanced when I upgrade turbos so I can sell it.

While I had it off, I decided to un-RAI my downpipe. It has pissed me off from the first day it was on the car.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zps6solx6b6.jpg

Here it is all tacked up. I’ll weld it tomorrow.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zps02tpzkjk.jpg

Looks good!

Got everything welded up. I may look into adding a mount for the factory brace. I haven’t decided yet.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsaryumqzb.jpg


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsfh5pl6yw.jpg

Added the O2 bung and exhaust venturi for my PCV setup.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsz6b9kip4.jpg

Ready to go in the car.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsm2lyz012.jpg

Final fitment.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsmwkzqrnr.jpg


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsofnzabnn.jpg

Sick! You should go single exhaust all the way back ;D

One of these days, I’ll replace the rest of the exhaust with something bigger. Most likely, I’ll go from 3" to split 2.5". I would go with a bigger downpipe, but I don’t know how much bigger I could fit. Maybe if I got some 4" oval tubing…

Do single 4" then split to dual 3".

After fighting with an oil consumption problem for the last 6 months or so, I finally came to the conclusion that my valve seals must be bad. I figured this out by process of elimination mostly. I replaced everything external to the engine that could cause oil consumption, and then did compression and leakdown tests to check the piston rings. I got 165-170psi in all cylinders and about 3-3.5% leakdown across the board. That eliminated the rings as a problem (thank god). So valve seals it is.

I finally started the teardown tonight after stockpiling all the parts I needed/wanted. I’m replacing the coolant flange, thermostat, water pump and timing belt/tensioners/rollers while I have everything apart. I’ve only got about 53k-54k miles on the current belt, but I don’t want to have to tear my car apart again in a year (I drive a lot).

Let’s get to work! (this part is kinda boring, so we’ll fast forward a little)

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zps9mgjsaao.jpg

Fast forward a bit more to after intake manifold removal:

Cyl #1

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpslt8vofix.jpg

Cyl #2

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpscgqg8ypj.jpg

Cyl #3

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpslpqb3a3a.jpg

Cyl #4

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsgxtifyrr.jpg

As you can see, Cyl #1 & #4 are actually pretty damn clean for it having been 43k miles since the last carbon clean. I guess all that meth I’m spraying does help after all. Cyl #3 & #4 however, look like ass. There is significant buildup on the valves and they are quite wet with oil, as were the flaps in the head and the nozzle of the injectors. I think it’s safe to say that the seals are shot on #3+#4 intake valves. There may be issues with the exhaust valves also, but it’s nice to finally see evidence of something wrong that I can fix. I’ll keep this thread updated with progress and it will shift to a more DIY style once I start to disassemble the head/valvetrain to replace the seals.

Got a little further tonight and found a couple surprises. I’m feeling pretty lucky that I caught it when I did. The water pump seems to have been leaking for some time now, and my timing belt was waaay loose.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpsuypg6hko.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mojhzDRTf48

You can see that the tensioner isn’t tightened to where it should be. I think it was on it’s way out and I just happened to catch it in time. I’m going to go buy a lottery ticket.

Yeah good thing you caught that one early!

Wow the past few updates have been big steps forward. It looks like you have a small list of things that were all starting to go wrong. Good thing you decided to take off the heads. You would have not found that if you just let it go. Sooner or later you would have to have taken off the heads. Better to take them off to replace some seals then to have to take them off to replace some bent valves

Yes, especially since I have approximately the cost of a nice used stock engine in the valvetrain alone.

More parts removed, more surprises. Got the head off finally.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zps64mh1nwt.jpg


http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zps56cf0afu.jpg

But then removed the timing chain cover and saw something odd with the tensioner.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a129/2fast4sanity/image_zpswjjpkowh.jpg

It is completely compressed. I’m no doctor, but I think there is supposed to be some room to push the tensioner in. Is it possible that this is just because of the cam position? Or do I indeed have a problem? I’m going to replace the chain and tensioner unless this is somehow normal, even though they are only about 43k miles old.