[urq] Leaky Proportioning Valve

[Renneisen, Eric 475]

Brandon wrote:
> sorry no help on your question but I see the '85 gone from your sig -
any news there?

Good eye!  I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that.  The short
answer is that a friend of mine has taken possession of it, though its
future is still uncertain.  For those with nothing better to do, here's
the long version:

The '85 had been sitting outside at a body shop in Atlanta for over two
years while the insurance negotiations dragged on.  Now that that is all
resolved, I have to decide it's fate.  I really want to see it back on
the road, and it's still got a clean title.  A friend of mine in Atlanta
had an available carport, and he's got an interest in repairing it for
himself.

A couple of weekends ago, we went to the shop to see if we could get it
rolling.  We were hopeful but not optimistic.  We took along a spare
axle to fix the inner CV, IF we could get it started.  The battery was
dead, so we tried jumping it with his S4.  It turned over slowly and the
fuel pump was making snapping noises.  The voltmeter showed over 12 with
the ignition on, but dropped to absolute zero during cranking so I
suspected the battery was toast.  A fresh one from the local parts place
went in and she fired up relatively easily!

Time to get dirty.  The front left halfshaft was clearly disconnected
from the diff flange.  The metal ring on the inner boot was deformed and
there was a distinct impression of a CV ball that had nearly been blown
through the metal!  I pulled the joint off (in pieces) only to discover
that the 4KQ front inner CV we brought wouldn't work (too small).  ETKA
shows the 4KQ uses the same joint, but only on the rear.  The drive back
to get the proper joint was an hour each way, and we didn't have the
time.  Undeterred, I bolted the now gutted CV housing and boot back up,
allowing the boot to keep the shaft relatively centered.  I fired the
car up, locked the center diff and happily drove the car to its new home
as RWD.  I should've stuffed a rag in between the shaft and the CV
housing, because at 70 mph the shaft bounced around a bit.  I'm sure the
splines are ruined, but no big deal.

Not wanting to push my luck, I took it easy on the drive.  It was RWD,
had a mini-spare on the back, and each wheel was missing one lug (shop
must've needed some for a VW wheel).  Oh yeah, the alignment is way off
since I had to replace the A-arm after the accident.  Still, it ran well
and was eager to give boost (I didn't test it over 5psi, tho).

It'll be a slow resurrection, but I'm looking forward to the result.  I
really fell in love with the Graphite (even in poor condition) along
with the white Ronals.  We're considering a 20V conversion since the
body repairs will be much easier with the engine out anyway.  Anyone
have a line on an urq with good front fenders, bumper, spoiler, and/or a
single 8" Ronal?

Eric Renneisen
'93 S4  <-- Mistakenly listed as '94 last night
'90 CQ 20V
'86 urq
'85 urq  <-- OK, I still hold the title, for now
Chattanooga, TN


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