Re: More Incredibly Stupid?

[Alex Kowalski <akowalsk@shrike.depaul.edu>]

Royal,Paul wrote:
> 
> Ok, Mr. Duane and others...assuming you're able to get the plugs out of
> the engine on a 90Q20v, what's the best way to remove any dirt from
> around the area where the plugs go in.  When I changed plugs on my old 5K
> I would go to my local gas station first and take their air hose to the
> area to make sure I wouldn't drop any unnecessary grit into the cylinders
> as I was working....same with the Fiats I had in high school almost 20
> years ago (gulp).  I suspect that I'm SOL on this one.

<<<<Adult Audi content follows!>>>>

It's a pain when you're replacing the plugs and supposedly doing something good for the engine 
that you wind up sweeping debris into the cylinders.  I've had the same problem.  Aside from 
removing the engine and turning it upside-down (very time-consuming), here are three tentative 
solutions:

Take a powerful vacuum cleaner and fashion yourself an appropriately sized nozzle out of 
cardboard, an old beer can, etc., and suck as much of the dry, granular stuff away as 
possible; then soak a lint-free rag in brake cleaner and lightly daub away the rest.  Or, find a 
metric-threaded rod and screw it into the cylinder head.  Then scrub away the stuff.  

Or, simply spindle a piece of lint-free cotton so that it fits into the plug hole and do the 
same.  I have never tried using feminine hygiene products for this purpose, it might work, but 
could evoke strange associations, what with five tampons sticking out of the plug holes on your 
engine.  Other than that, you might have an assistant with really big lungs blow into the 
crankcase through the oil drain while you swab the area :-).  

Alex Kowalski
'84 4KQ

(my girlfriend is going to be a sex therapist -- I asked her for input on this reply -- her 
insight into automotive repair is unique, to say the least.  She refuses to be an Audi 
Widow...how lucky can you get?)