[V8] 1st major work on #3 (long)

[S_Matus]

It has been a long time coming for me to put some quality repair tim into my 91 V8 5-speed.  I have had this car for about 2.5 years now, it was originally owned by Dino the Air Force Pilot.  I think he is still in Italy.

I have been collecting the necessary components to get the suspension lowered with a set of H&Rs and install the Koni's I got from the GB.  It was a fairly straight forward install of the struts, but I was also replacing the lower control arms. Brake hoses were cracked and easily replaced.

After bolting up the strut towers to the frame, I had a bitch of a time with the Anti-sway bar.  This is the first time I had a bar out on the ground.  I bolted up one end, no problem, but the other end would not go throught the hole in the control arm.  I tried and tried to move the arm up-down it was a real game for an hour.  I eventually used a woodworking bar clamp to compress the anti-sway bar enough to get it into the control arm and bolt it up. THEN you bolt it to the subframe, Duh! Lessons learned.  Caution - Check your Anti-sway bar ends and replace if suspect.  This is the only component keeping you wheels parallel.

I decided since the car was up in the air to change the oils in the front differential, trans and the rear end.  I struggled removing the left CVJ boot sheild from the trans.  The bolts stripped out the 6mm hex I was using.  Then I tried to hammer in a T45 Torx into it, that stripped out too.  Out comes the Sawzall.  I cut a screwdriver slit into the two bolts that i was swearing at.  Using an impact socket on a long extension I got them out w/o more issue.

Moving on to the oil drain.  Gunther must have been a body builder when he put the fill and drain plugs in the front differential and the transmission. I had a 3 foot breakerbar to get those plugs loose.  Tightening spec is only 18 Ft lbs Gunther!  I have to buy a replacement plug for my troubles.

Has anyone experinced this?  Oh and I had to drop the exhaust to get a straight path for the trans drain plug.  German engineering at its finest!  Not! As long as I had the exhaust down I greased the center U-Joint in the driveshaft.

Questions - 
1. Are the front Differential and the transmission oil passages connected? IWhat is the capacity of each and oil grade?  I got about 2+ quarts from the diff and only about 1/2 quart from the trans
2. Can the front or rear CVJ on the driveshaft be purchased separately? 
3. how often does the center driveshaft carrier barring need replacing?
4. Why are there two drain plugs on the rear diff?
5. Any suggestions for getting a proper Alignment?

Thanks for any input.  I'll be finishing up the job this week.

Scott.
91 V8 5-speed
90 v8Q
02 allroad
RS6
A8 look-a-like - VW Phaeton


 
---------------------------------
TV dinner still cooling?
Check out "Tonight's Picks" on Yahoo! TV.