Any tips on replacing the serp belt on a S8 V10?, do you have to pull the front off the car?
The s8 front end is a little different than the S6 and smaller platforms. While you dont need to pull off the entire front end you would need to pull off the front clip to put the front end into service position. If you help has come off I would just put the front end into service. If you want to do maintenance then I would suggest getting the front end off the car completely and doing a carbon clean new tensioner and front end units. you can even eek out a little performance by putting in the JHM intake spacers and the LW crank pulley
Thank for the info.
The car has already had a carbon clean but it does have an oil leak which after searching I think is most likely the oil filter housing O ring, so have to pull the IM. From searching the right ups on here pulling the front looks like it make that easier.
One question, can you pull the front and suspend the ACcondenser?, or do you have to evac the system and remove it?, same goes for the radiator
Sorry, meant to say I have just picked the car up, hence the basic questions
well if your looking for good information on your car you are in the right place. There are a lot of technical guys and Audi techs on here that can all speak from first hand experience.
A good thread to read
http://audirevolution.net/forum/index.php?topic=3950.0
Lots of S8 content in there and it goes for pages and pages.
As for the front end. you can pull the front clip and core support with out needing to pull the AC the condencer swings out of the way. You shouldnt have much of an issue
no need for service position. Did my serpt belt in sept. Loosen the tensioner from underneath. Feed the serp belt from the top.
Use a long thin tool liek a slim jim or serp tensioner arm to help guide it over the crank pulley. Work from under to tighten the adjuster.
Took approx 1 hour to do it. Patience and work slowly. Would take me 30 mins to do now.
took mine off and it does need replacing, so does the idler roller.
Surprised that it is a manual adjustment, any tips on the re-tensioning?
Most of them do. Thats why I always recommend putting the car into service or just pulling the front end you really are able to get a better idea on the conidtion of the components.
I was too a little suprised at it still being an manual tensioner considering the RS4 and S5 have auto tensioners
When I tighten the manual tensioner down. I keep putting tension on the adjustment until the longest gap of belt only has 1/2 inch of play at the most. You dont want the belt much tighter then that as they tend to kick off in colder weather if you have a motor rpm jump or stop condition.
Thank you for the tip