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Soot Monster


Nick Jones

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@Nick Jones @Hamish thanks for the suggestions gents as you say Nick a goodly distance from Dorking, and I agree Hampshire a good independent is worth their weight.

yes it is the 40v but short block version. all the independents around me were either equal in price or greater than my local Audi shop.

with the lump out it is only sensible to replace the whole of the timing chain set up including the variable timing head mechanisms which suffer from critical wear.

These parts NLA but there is an outfit in the states that do an improved piece....at about $1000 a pair plus shipping and the extras to get it in here. Other plastic bits/tensioners are available from Europe about the same in euros plus the extras. 

So only area to lower the cost is labour still going to be 20-25 hours all in without too many surprises. 

Not sure it’s really worth it even though it a great drive when working well. SM used it to rearrange the entrance gate post a few years ago car stood up pretty well considering, gate post now propped up!

would rather spend the funds on getting my triumph based special/kit back and running if I’m honest.

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  • 1 month later...

So I've been poking around at the back end to this somewhat weary old beast.  I haven't taken any pictures, but they would have been fairly ugly. Between the galvanised steel used and the sealing/undersealing / wax injection, the basic structures are intact, but crusty.  Fair to say that the underseal is just about goosed and corrosion has got a hold in places.  Mostly really inaccessible places.  Therefore I have pressure washed it, knocked the worst of the loose stuff off and scraped off the flaking underseal.  Then treated the rusty bits with hydrate 80, zinc primed before re-sealing exposed seams, squirting a bit of paint at it and then hitting it with the Dinitrol.  Most of the Dinitrol did go on the car.... though as mentioned elsewhere the slightly rusty looking primate applying it did also get a bit of a coating.....  Disposable overalls strongly recommended!  The car looks a lot better though and hopefully the self-recycling process has been slowed a little.

Now I'm going to slap it back together.  The A8 has an MoT due this week.  I'm hoping not to NEED the A6 as a result, but I'd like to have it covered.  I do still have a few cosmetics to deal with and then there's the question of the turbo..... It has epic radial play (not great) though only modest end float (better).  I did buy a rebuild kit (it was cheapish) but would have preferred a CHRA to take out the "Red-Monkey-that-has-never-messed-with-a-turbo" factor.  Couldn't find one for a K14......

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On 7/19/2021 at 11:04 PM, Nick Jones said:

I did buy a rebuild kit (it was cheapish) but would have preferred a CHRA to take out the "Red-Monkey-that-has-never-messed-with-a-turbo" factor.  Couldn't find one for a K14......

Cleanliness, be gentle and cleanliness.

Ohh, did I mention cleanliness??

Okay, I'm used to overhauling much larger turbos (though we prefer not too, and were possible we always use a reconned cartridge) but the principles are the same. Given you are a pump specialist I'm pretty certain you can manage a turbo :laugh:

Essentially, if when rebuilding anything doesn't move absolutely smooth, go back and work out why.

And be thankful that it isn't an ABB unit, I did once watch one of those decide to escape it's casing. I was rather thankful I had a full generator between it and me........

Phil

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  • 1 month later...

So I have, so far chickened out of tackling the turbo. Just pumped up the tyres, switched the insurance and taxed it. So far it’s taken me to work and hauled a load of stuff down to Newton Abbott. Is it pleased to be back on the road? Not noticeably….. the clutch was acting up initially, only just clearing at the bottom of travel, I think due to a sticky master cylinder, though that seems to have resolved. Then, today, appalling screeching noises from the front of the engine has me pulling the aux belt off to see what was dying. Nothing as far as I could tell, though I did have the tensioner apart for some lube. That made no difference, so more in hope than expectation I squirted the belt with WD40 and got an immediate cure…. Pity I didn’t try that first!

Need to address the injection pump basic timing as it’s unkeen to start from cold.  Also need to change the thermostat as it’s “done” yet another. Vitesse has had the same ‘stat in for 30 years, this wants one every 2….

Ticked over 335k yesterday on the way back from Devon.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Passed another MoT today with only minor advisories. Just over 1000 miles since the last test, all but 3 of those in the last month.

Seems the workshop staff had a sweep on whether it would pass the smoke test and how many goes it would take. Nobody won as it went through first run with a 0.9. That shocked them :smile:

Do need to find some 6mm copper/kunifer  tube though as they’ve been advising the fuel return line is rusty for a while now, and it certainly is….. 6mm not so easy to find though.

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That's an excellent result Nick.

For something like a return pipe i would think that 6mm central heating pipe would be fine. Basically the same stuff, bit thicker wall but should do the job.

Herself's Fiesta also got it's MOT today no problem other than a front sidelight bulb. 

It was brought to my attention last thing last night (!) I had a look and while Ford provide a nice big hole in the bottom of the fitting to access the bulb they also stick a couple of hoses immediately under the cover for the hole.

So after 10 minutes messing around in the dark trying to get said cover off I gave up and she got Mr MOT man to change it.

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28 minutes ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

6mm central heating pipe

And there was me thinking that microbore was always 8mm….. Tricky bit seems to be buying less than 10m (I need 2m tops) without paying the same as you would for 10mm anyway.

Oddly enough I had a similar mission on the managerial TT last night following a panic’d text about a threatening symbol on the dash (and a long beep) that seemed to be about brakes. It was actually the bulb-checker reporting a failed brake light.

The rear clusters are accessed via mouse doors in the boot trim panels, but once in there I couldn’t see any way of releasing the bulb holder.  Turns out that the designers felt that this would be far too easy (and perhaps reduce dealer revenue), so you actually have to undo two plastic wing nuts and persuade and extremely reluctant pop fitting to un-pop (the design aim is clearly that you snap it off, so having to buy a new cluster - happily it failed in this case). This then allows you to remove the entire cluster from outside, also having to unclip a multi plug to release the wiring. Now you can see the two deeply recessed philips screws holding the bulb holder to the cluster…..

Ok, so once you’ve learned the technique it probably wouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. However, on the A6, also accessed through doors in the boot trim, there are simple single 1/4 turn latches holding the bulb holders to the clusters, meaning you can change any or all of the bulbs in about 45 seconds without any tools and without disturbing any plugs or seals….. which is as it should be IMO 

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3 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

Ok, so once you’ve learned the technique it probably wouldn’t take more than 5 minutes. However, on the A6, also accessed through doors in the boot trim, there are simple single 1/4 turn latches holding the bulb holders to the clusters, meaning you can change any or all of the bulbs in about 45 seconds without any tools and without disturbing any plugs or seals….. which is as it should be IMO 

Yeah, a lot of this feels like the justification a Pringles (the reconstituted potato snack) exec gave when challenged that the packaging on his product was by virtue of it's assembly theoretically 'recyclable' but practically impossible that it theire priority was delivering the best product to the customer. With the underlying message being that they viewed their salty overly processed product further up the list of priorities than the planet. Hey Ho!

8 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

And there was me thinking that microbore was always 8mm….. Tricky bit seems to be buying less than 10m (I need 2m tops) without paying the same as you would for 10mm anyway.

I may have some left over from a heating job for exactly this purpose. Will have a look if that helps.

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1 minute ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

may have some left over from a heating job for exactly this purpose. Will have a look if that helps

Thank you for your kind offer. I may yet be back to you, but you’ve triggered a thought for a probable local source which I’ll check on first.

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1 hour ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

Yeah, a lot of this feels like the justification a Pringles (the reconstituted potato snack) exec gave when challenged that the packaging on his product was by virtue of it's assembly theoretically 'recyclable' but practically impossible that it theire priority was delivering the best product to the customer. With the underlying message being that they viewed their salty overly processed product further up the list of priorities than the planet. Hey Ho!

 

Not impossible at all!  I admit to being unhealthily keen on Sour Cream & Onion Pringles (the other 'flavours' - Yuck!)    A sharp knife to cut off the metal end  leaves so little cardboard in that it can go in the metal recycling.     Then pick at the end of the coil of aluminised lining, pull it off the cardboard with a circular motion and push the loosened end into the tube with a wooden spoon, until you can reach from the other end and pull it right out, like skinning an eel in reverse.    The lining joins the metal end in the metals bin, the cardboard tube in the paper, the plastic cap in the plastic, voila! 

 I'm not sure about the sealing lid you take off to get at them, but I'm more interested in the moreish salt'n'cholesterol bombs  underneath at that stage.

John

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35 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

Packaging, mixed materials and recycling needs its own thread, probably best in the ranting area….

Yes.

John is a recycling hero. But his approach while technically just about feasible is in practice far to labour intensive to make any meaningful impact.

I do agree with him on the flavours though even if I generally avoid eating them now unless someone has already bought them. :thumbsup:

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  • 1 month later...

So Sooty is back in service and has even survived a 12 Car rally.  It got moderately dirty......

IMG_6716s.jpg

There is an issue though.  It will not warm up properly.  It has form for this, the basic problem being that it's very efficient and doesn't put very much heat into the water jacket.  This means that if the thermostat isn't at the top of its game, it runs at 60 to 70ºC instead of 90ºC, or even less on a cold day, except if you cane without mercy, when it may make it up to temperature, then promptly cool down again when you back off.  It also means that if you don't fit the correct, stupidly expensive Wahler thermostat, which has a rubber seal for tight shut-off - it won't work properly.  Guess how I know that....

It had a new thermostat not long before it's rest, but was showing signs of trouble even then.  The rest didn't heal it.  So I bit the bullet and bought another.  Fitting them is fairly easy fortunately (unlike certain other fleet members), but it made absolutely no difference.  Something else then..... but what....?

One possibility (bit of a long shot IMO but we'll see) is that the mechanical fan is working too well.  It is true that the viscous coupling is not working as it should and is stuck in hot mode rather than free wheeling (more of less).  I'll just whip it off and see what happens then.....  Except....access is a female dog (and she ain't no lady)

IMG_6719s.jpg

It lives (lived) about a foot down in that letterbox slot and unscrews with a single 32mm nut - provided you have a the correct pin wrench to hold the pulley still.  I didn't, so had to make one, which is awkward when you can't see what you have to make it fit!

Having developed a tool and a technique and managed to crack it off, I then made the unwelcome discovery that the guy who fitted it (when he dd the timing belt) was afraid it might undo itself and slathered it in loctite, so it fought me to the last half thread - which is really irritating when you only have room to move the spanner one flat at a time before withdrawing, turning over refitting and repeating...... :mad: Took me 45 solid minutes.... after which I discovered that it might off, but it wasn't coming out until a removed the slam panel....... :wallbash:

Anyhoo.... it's out.  I wonder if it'll make a blind bit of difference..... anyone want to venture an opinion? 

IMG_6722s.jpg

It'll be quieter for sure..... Don't reckon it actually needs the fan in normal UK use... maybe if dragging a fat caravan up an Alp on a hot day.... and anyway there is a backup electric one.

In case anyone is wondering, it's not the original.  That became worryingly wobbly after a mere 270K and was replaced by this piece of Topran junk.....

 

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If as you say the engine has a predisposition to not generated a lot of heat then removal of fan can only help. Maybe with the fan in hot/permanently engaged it was forcing enough cold air through the engine bay and over the block that in current air temperatures the block could not get enough heat into the water to open the thermostat. 

Could partially block air flow like you use to see the old black cabs do in winter.......not saying a lump of cardboard but something:blush:.

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Yep, I would say removing the sticking viscous fan will allow the engine to warm up. Is it just engine temp reading low or not much heat from the heater? Had problems with My dads old renault laguna, never ran particularly warm, and always Luke warm heater blower. Found a bleed screw on a hose that entered the heater matrix. Bled it, just a trickle,  not thinking it would make any difference but since then nice and toastie, engine temp still sits below normal.

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