[s-cars] ...and how was your day, dear? (Danger on the slippery slope)

[Marc Swanson]

> Today, on the way to work, my wife had a previously rebuilt tooth fall
> apart.  A large chunk broke off.  She worked all day in agony, then went to
> the dentist for a few hours of drilling and assorted other pleasures.  She
> arrived home at 9:30 slurring her words (Novocain, she swears) and proceeded
> to spend an hour and half in the kitchen making some sort of salad for a
> work picnic tomorrow.  Pretty crappy.....but I think my day can top hers.

I dunno, I think I'd take car trouble over that!


> 
> After a particularly hellish day at work, I rushed home to finish some
> preparation for the S tuning this weekend.  (Since Mihnea's visit has
> greased the slippery slope I have been trying to complete mods that were
> previously planned for next year).

It is amazing how much garage tuning has been going on in preparation
for this weekend.  As you mentioned before, The $lippery $lope is in
full effect thanks to hurricane Mihnea ;)

I just fired up the S6 last night for the first time since the EM
install (wohoo!).

I need to get some driving time in on the car to sort out the bugs.. I'm
sure there will be issues..

> Step one was the Stromung.  I have a lift and I've installed the Stromung
> before, so it should be a piece of cake.  Buuuut, something was kinda funky
> with the downpipe, like maybe it had a bit too much of a bend to it.

I've seen a few interesting issues here.. on my avant as you know.. I
somehow managed to bend the stock downpipe (probably in the process of
lowering the car with the pipe hanging loose or something).  In any
event, with a spare pipe in place the pipes still didn't line up very
well which tells me that the rest of the exhaust system might be a bit
tweeked some how.

>  I
> ended up with the cat pressed right up against the bottom of the trans.
> WTF?  I managed to reposition it and use the front mount to force it down a
> bit, but I think that the downpipe will require some adjustment with a 2x4.
> Nice.  Also, the tips are off center in the little indent in the bottom of
> the bumper.  It's on now, but I'm not really thrilled.  The first one fit
> perfectly.

I got my downpipe bolted up too despite the alignment issues.  This is a
stock piece and not the stromung monster you hooked up so I can imagine
the issues.

Did I mention how much it sucks trying to install one of these things
without a lift?  My poor craftsman jack was maxed out and I could just
barely get the pipe out after much acrobatics.

> I took a test run on the highway.  I came ripping up the ramp, shifted into
> third, stomped on the gas, and POP!  Great. Get off highway, pull over,
> unplug MAF, limp home, remove belly pan (again), and reattach boost hose to
> bottom of intercooler.  Repeat process.  <sigh>

Interesting, I didn't know you could limp the car with the MAF
unplugged.  Good to know... I have a feeling I may need to use that bit
of information tonight..


> 
> Tomorrow I will limp the car back down to my shop and pick up the wagon for
> my commute.  Tomorrow evening I'll try again.  Maybe I'll even take a crack
> at re-aligning the Stromung.
> 
> Hope everyone had a better day than me.

I'll be doing better when I trace the cooling leak.  On the positive
side I don't think it is the exhaust stud since it is coming from the
wrong side of the motor.  Fingers crossed that it is just the thermostat
housing since I had to pull it to flush the block.

-- 
-Marc Swanson-
95.5 //S6 Avant (mit T04E+RS2EM)
87 4ktq
88 90q
www.mswanson.com/audi