[V8] Was Dizzy Seals, Now Radiator

Thu Nov 8 18:20:45 PST 2007

The allen head bolt, yes, is from that stupid little bracket behind the 
tensioner shock.  It broke off using 4" of 1/4"-drive leverage.  I was 
amazed as I had put very little torque on the thing.  I guess it 
cross-threaded or something.  Had to drill/tap/helicoil the damn thing.  
The other bolt is from the tensioner shock.

Yes, you are correct.  The washer goes behind the allen head bolt for 
the bracket.  The allen head broke and I had to use a hex-head bolt and 
used another washer because this one, I guess, had fallen down and was 
found after assembly.  If I feel like it, I'll reinsert it into the 
engine tomorrow.  Thanks, that makes me feel better.

Do I need a radiator?  I won't know until tomorrow.  There was some 
green sludge on the temp sensor, so I'm going to run some caustic stuff 
through the radiator (any home-made solutions that work??) but I never 
had trouble cooling, I guess.  Car ran warmer than I like, but it ran 
within spec (never made it past 105).  If the JB fixes the leak, I'll 
change it some other year.  If the JB doesn't fix it, I'll be looking 
for a rad sometime in the next few months (Dec or Jan).  Honestly, I 
think a simple dab of RTV would have solved my trouble and if the JB 
looks iffy, I'll take it off and just goop it.  The crack was so fine 
and hairline and the fact that it didn't leak for 5 months doesn't make 
me worry too much.

Praying that his 720 rotation does not affect shock length,
~Scott S.

Ron Wainwright wrote:

>Well we all live & learn...but one can only give there
>BTDT on something. It's just that I have found that
>the aftermarket rads for the V8's are CRAP! But I
>suppose there are all way's two BTDT's on something. &
>mine which is quiet extensive has showed me that
>crappy parts are crappy parts..wheather they be OE or
>whatever.
>
> But you talking about the washer in the pic? If so
>looks like it's the washer for the tensioner. A
>bracket attaches to one of the lower empty holes at
>the water pump that an Allen head bolt bolt's too. The
>bracket is just to set the belt tension. You would
>tension the belt tensioner & stick a small 3mm allen
>wrench in there to keep the adjustment while you
>tighten the allen bolt.
> & those other pieces look like the friction pad bolt.
> But can't really tell.
> But thats my BTDT ;-)
>
> But you need a rad...or the one you have is good???
>
> Ron
>
>--- Scott Simmons <indischrot at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>I guess I should get this out of the way:
>>
>>    You were right, Ron.
>>
>>Hey now, I have the ability to admit my wrongs and
>>compliment those who 
>>are right.  It hurts my ego, but it's always the
>>right thing to do. ;)
>>
>>The radiators are scrap.  Or maybe just the one I
>>got.  The molding 
>>differences on the end caps were acceptable: the
>>drain cock is now just 
>>a normal wingnut style, the mounting studs on the
>>backside (where the 
>>two nuts hold it against the radiator support) were
>>threaded holes 
>>instead of studs, the holes for the transmission
>>lines were not flanged 
>>exactly the same as OE,---- but all of this would
>>have been acceptable.  
>>There were two killers:
>>1) the fins crumpled under the lightest touch.  Just
>>smooshed themselves 
>>down.  I can't even bend the OE rad fins.
>>2) the frame flexed way too much.  I could probably
>>break the damn thing 
>>with my bare hands.
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a143/indischrot/audi/rad1.jpg
>  
>
>>I started to cut away the notch on top for the hood
>>latch, but didn't 
>>bother.  I wasn't going to put this POS in.  So if
>>anyone wants it, $50 
>>incl shipping else I'm going to sell it to a
>>radiator shop in town for 
>>scrap metal.  Lesson learned, I guess.
>>
>>While I was in there, I attended to the real reason
>>of the job: 
>>retensioning my t-belt.  It was a little loose. 
>>When I did the t-belt 
>>job, the old radiator would leak water from the
>>trans line area after 
>>reinstallation.  That stopped after about a week or
>>so, so I stopped 
>>caring.  But I knew that I needed to recheck t-belt
>>tension... which 
>>meant pulling radiator... which would probably leak
>>like a sieve if I 
>>put it back in. 
>>
>>Turns out the plastic near the mounting bolt for the
>>lower trans line 
>>has started to split/pull away in a layer.  It was
>>such a simple problem 
>>that I just smeared some JB Waterweld on there.  If
>>it didn't leak 
>>without the JB, it shouldn't leak with it.  If it
>>does, ah well, water's 
>>cheap.
>>
>>
>>    
>>
>http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a143/indischrot/audi/project.jpg
>  
>
>>Worst part of the entire job?  Fighting that mother
>>f*#ing clutch-fan 
>>shroud.  That thing would not stay in one place.  It
>>always fell down 
>>ontop of what I was doing and always managed to get
>>itself wedged.  I 
>>didn't take off radiator support, so I couldn't
>>completely remove the 
>>right t-belt cover.  So when I had that thing out of
>>the way to get to 
>>the eccentric pulley, the shroud would be wedged
>>somewhere looking like 
>>it was about to break or some crap like that.  Oh it
>>drove me nuts.
>>
>>And don't forget, the right tool for the job makes
>>it 1000000x easier.  
>>Having a 90º pair of snap ring pliers to fit into
>>the eccentric pulley 
>>to tension was far easier than the first half hour
>>with the 45º needle 
>>nose pliers that would keep falling out.  Tensioner
>>that was originally 
>>at 6 o'clock (judged by the center between the two
>>adjustment holes) is 
>>now properly tensioned at 11 o'clock.
>>
>>I don't know why, but for the first three tension
>>adjustments, I'd 
>>measure 136mm on the shock.  Lock down the pulley. 
>>Rotate engine 720º 
>>and find the tensioner shock at 145 or 155mm.  That
>>was frustrating.  I 
>>finally got a consistent reading but will check it
>>one more time 
>>tomorrow before installing radiator.
>>
>>I did have to "break" the air snorkels that fit in
>>front of the radiator 
>>and condenser to get the radiator out.  They're held
>>in place by plastic 
>>snaps.  I'll figure out a way to reattach them. 
>>There was no way the 
>>radiator was coming out without removing them.
>>
>>No other "gotcha"s.  I have one left over piece from
>>the previous t-belt 
>>job (March) but I couldn't figure out where it goes.
>> It's a space/shim 
>>to fit around a M8 bolt.  15mm wide with a 7-8mm
>>hole (M6 bolt??) and 
>>it's about 4-5mm thick.  Looks like a silver donut,
>>with sharp edges.  
>>Where the heck did this go?
>>Here's a picture of it, don't mind the bolts:  
>>
>>    
>>
>http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a143/indischrot/audi/bolts.jpg
>  
>
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>>    
>>
>
>
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