[V8] Oil leaks and audiv8.com

[Paul Jager]

Some guys over there really know V8's - take this post for example. The 
valve seals are pretty easy to test for. Start the engine cold, run for only 
5 minutes, shutdown. The restart 24 hours later - holy smoke show.  Getting 
the motor up to operating temp the oil will take the correct path out of the 
heads.  Took me a while to confirm my oil leaks were the heads, there is a 
pipe very close to the end of the head. Using 5W20 oil helps with that leak 
because oil pressure is reduced.

That's why I call it the Exxon Valdez - let 'em burn!

" the ABH engines are a bit infamous for burning oil - sometimes more than a 
gallon per 1000 miles. Keep an eye on the consumption - if it's below two 
liter a 1000 miles, it makes sense to overhaul the heads. If it takes 
significantly more, save the money, let it burn. Something more serious and 
in most cases irreversable causes the oil burning.

The ABH are as well famous for blowing the head gasket on the back end of 
the left head and the front end of the right end. Take a look on the 
alternator, it is probably already oily. In both cases changing the head 
gasket is the only way to go.

If you plan to replace the vavle seals, it is highly recommended to clean 
and refit the valves as well, 'cause in most cases oil carbon has already 
settled on them, wearing your new seals out in no time. A look inside one of 
the cylinders (probably the one with the most oil carbon on the spark plug) 
with an endoscope could give you a hint about the need of a vavle refit. 
Maybe taking away the heads becomes a requirement anyways.

In your case I would visit your local Audi dealer and gently ask for the 
tools required for pressing downholder of the valve springs - they may have 
the timing belt tools as well for a box of beers

Maybe I meet the trouble halfway, but experiences told me that oil leaks and 
consumption on the ABH are often a never-ending or at least enerving story. 
As you seldomly stress the engines in the UK due to strong speed limits, 
chances are good that you don't have that much troubles as we have 'em on 
some engines over here. But still you should be careful to not spend money 
for nothing."