Engine out thread

A6 All/ S6 All
#1

I finally got the engine out and here are some of the early results:

  • carbon deposits (of course)
  • oil leak at the oil pan sealing flange (base of oil filter), pooling into the V
  • front engine seal may be leaking, or it could just be oil flowing from above
  • base of oil separator is leaking
  • worn accessory belt & roller, but the tensioner seems to be fine
  • valve covers also show some signs of leakage

We still have to check the chain tensioners and the pre-cats for possible clogging. After that, it’s a full carbon clean, R&R oil separator, coolant pipe & seals for the 2 cyl blocks, accessory belt & roller, front crank seal, oil pan sealing flange, valve cover gaskets, valve seals and spark plug tube seals. We’ll also put in JHM intake spacers and replace the water pump/thermostat & engine temp sensor because it’s easy to do now.

Here are some pics

http://i.imgur.com/Qi1pJG0.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Wot8CEd.jpg

leak at the oil pan sealing flange where the oil filter connects to the block. also mentioned in http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=3703.msg107323#msg107323

http://i.imgur.com/ZqPKvyl.jpg

you can see the oil on the right side of the V, then flowing down the front, past the coolant pump.

http://i.imgur.com/4ya5hEH.jpg

not sure if the front crank seal is also leaking, but will replace

http://i.imgur.com/2ljf4bD.jpg

the bottom of the oil separator also showing signs of leakage

will follow-up with more later.

#2

Is this still the current best practice for carbon cleaning? (see http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=236.msg67216#msg67216)

  • Easy off oven cleaner
  • soak for an hour
  • hit with bunched zip ties
  • wipe clean
  • carb cleaner
  • soak 3-4 hours
  • scrape any last bits with a shaped wooden popsicle stick

Repeat for the other set of valves.

"It worked really well. I sprayed it on and let it sit for about 2-3 hours and it basically liquidated the carbon. After paper toweling it out, there wasn’t much left.

There were some carbon bits left on the edges of the valves which I got to with the bunched zip ties. Then soaked for another hour in carb cleaner and soaked it up.

The carbon bits are gone but it has a slight brown/yellow tint still. I guess that will have to do. Going to do the other three valves tomorrow."

#3

BTW, this is a continuation of this thread, but I don’t know how to edit a post. http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=3652.0

#4

not sure on teh zip ties. Audi was doing that for a while.

I’d be keen to use media blast on a V10. Anything else could take 12 hrs of excruciating labour.

Some people use gasoline to soak. Makes sense.

#5

Media blasting with walnut shells works great. Still have to go back and scrap the caked on stuff to loosen it up in between blasting with walnut shells if you want a totally clean port/valves. I have been doing a few cleanings with walnut shells as of late on a B7 A4 2.0T, RS4s, and a V8 S5. You can do it with a cheap ($20-$40) blast cabinet style media blaster but the shells will go everywhere!

An example of my work on a RS4.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/pre%20carbon%20clean%20cylinder%205_zpsrac3jzdt.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll37/Jimmybones777/Post%20carbon%20clean%20cylinder%204_zpsukx3hbjs.jpg

#6

What type of blaster do you use for this? May be doing mine come spring, and would definitely do it with something like this available that cheap. Just blast and vacuum everything up?

#7

People use walnut shell for blasting.

I think the oven cleaner with some wire brushes works the best.

OP can you get some more pictures of the oil in the V and where exactly its running out. I think this is a big issue on these cars and I think it can help others getting a up close perspective

#8

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ONp6gQXpyKU

Up here it’s $30 a bag for 50 pounds. Lots of places to get the equipment, you’ll need a decent size air compressor though.

If I was anywhere near bones, I would just get him to do it.

#9

Sure, I’ll take more photos next time I’m in the garage. But the oil pools in the V and seems to flow forward along the base of the driver-side cylinder head (the right side of the V)

http://i.imgur.com/nHNOPi8.jpg

You can see the connection to the oil filter in the top-left of this photo, oil comes out the bottom right along the base of the cylinder head

http://i.imgur.com/oc58YU9.jpg

and you can see signs of oil all over the coolant pump, below. What a mess.

#10

That is a big big mess. This happens to all these cars it looks like

#11

I don’t know if I can get my hands on a blaster, so it may be oven cleaner for me. But can you use oven cleaner for the intake manifold as well?

#12

Yes you can use it over the entire job. Oven cleaner comes out in a foam so it’s easier to distribute. Just make sure when your done you use a de natured alcohol to rinse off any possible film. Also look for a nice wire brush to get into those tough spots. If you get good coverage with the oven cleaner you really won’t have much work on your hands

#13

I’ll upload some pics as well. I had the same oil leak from the base of the oil filter housing


http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/murphenur/temporary_zpsxmq27c1u.jpg


http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/murphenur/temporary_zps6jklmdf6.jpg

There are two drains located at the front of the block. You can see the oil sitting in some channels… If you’re unsure if that is were the leak is coming from jack the rear of the car up and you’ll have the oil come out. The drains are located right below the deck… It can appear that its coming from the oil pressure sensor or crank seal.

#14

Carbon Cleaning Progress Report

  • I’m using the oven cleaner method to attack the caked on carbon - and there is a lot of it as visible from the photos from earlier post
  • (For newbies) Only clean the intake ports where the intake valves are completely closed. This is implied in the other forums, but not obvious… In this case, I sprayed 5 ports and stuffed rags into the remaining. you can rotate the crankshaft (or roll the car) when you are done to move on other ports.
  • I’m using a German-brand oven cleaner (I hope it’s the right kind) see: http://www.brauns-heitmann.de/fileadmin/media/download/pdf/Produkt_PDF_GB/haushaltsprodukte/HEITMANN_Backofen_und_Grillreiniger_GB.pdf. The FAQ on the oven cleaner says don’t use on aluminum - I don’t have to worry about that, right?

http://i.imgur.com/QyIRufJ.jpg

Spray on the oven cleaner

http://i.imgur.com/9qoc4cH.jpg

After an hour, the foam has subsided and the carbon was like a thick tar. I went at it with a nylon pry-bar to get the big chunks out. But there was still a lot left - it is certainly not a wipe-on/off affair. Then I shoved a handful of twist ties directly into a drill, tightened the chuck, and went at it. Followed by more scraping. It was really hard to get the carbon trapped behind the valve stems. This was after the first round.

http://i.imgur.com/JCvEMhV.jpg

Another spray of foam, more scrubbing… This is the cleanest I got so far, and it’s nothing compared to the walnut blasting pics from the earlier post. I’d like to use a metal pick, but I’m worried about damaging the valves. Even so, it’s 100X better than before and I’m tempted to just call it done.

BTW, I also took out the intake manifold for cleaning and found a LOT of oil in it when I turned it upside down

http://i.imgur.com/M6CMGK1.jpg

This can’t be normal, can it? My mechanic says its caused by the faulty oil separator - which we are going to replace. Thoughts?

I’ll go at it again tomorrow and try to finish the remaining cylinders. But I’ve spent 2 full afternoons on it so far and I’ve got 7 mostly clean and 3 to go.

#15

WHOA! Ya the oil in the manifold doesn’t seem right to me… it makes sense that it would be from a bad oil seperator. It would also explain the serious carbon buildup.

Great writeup by the way!

#16

Great job documenting this. The carbon oven foam needs to sit for a while and one of the best ways to help is to spray the foam in and use the zip ties in the foam but be careful as to not splash

On the intake. Is the oil I see next to the intake is that oil that leaked out after you removed it. If so thats way too much oil and a big concern.

#17

Yes, and Yes. My mechanic said the intake vacuum was sucking in the oil from a bad oil separator. I’m hoping a new oil separator will fix the problem, but if you guys have any other ideas, I’m all ears.

I did notice that twice while driving up a mountain over bumpy cobble stone roads I’d get a low oil warning light for no apparent reason. Now I’m thinking maybe it’s because all that oil was sucked into the IM…

#18

Here is the culprit - a torn membrane in the oil separator. Mechanic said he had hear a faint vacuum leak before. Idle vacuum was probably sacking in oil from the sump.

http://imgur.com/23O28pe.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/IovezdQh.jpg

Intakes valves are now carbon cleaned (but not spotless like some other photos I’ve seen), JHM spacers installed, and IM back on.

http://i.imgur.com/ZPIi3Gzh.jpg

Also got the new belt and idle pulley installed

#19

WOW good find on the oil seperator. Can you load that directly to the site. Something like that can be very helpful. I wonder how many others might have had that same issue. That might be something lingering issue with several V10s. I know that that same issue happens to the 2.0t guys.

The intake spacers look good. Looks like it is comming along well

#20

Q: what’s the word on the oil separator coolant bypass kit with the intake spacers - would you use it for a NY style winter? Or does that qualify as extreme cold?