Continuing South African Woes

[Mike Arman <armanmik@n-jcenter.com>]

>Hi!
>
>Got a sh*tty 1990 200t. The gearbox is running oil all over the place,
>less now which means it's running out of the stuff. I was thinking of
>putting in a more reliable unit. I currently have the 3-speed
>automatic tranny. It has been showing signs of harder shifting over
>the past 2 months or so. My backyard parts supplier wants to give me
>a box (5-speed, MR?) but tells me he will have to drill into it to make
>a spot for some speed sensor. Undoubtably, I don't want to have to do
>anything like that at all.
>

Gerard, I have been following your continuing woeful saga for some time,
and every time I read a new chapter, I feel more sorry for you - I remember
being in the same situation many years ago - no money, busted exotic car
that no one knows anything about, greedy and ignorant suppliers seeking
their next victim . . . ouch!

Probably the least expensive way to do this is replace the tranny with one
of the same type that works. Even if you have to import one, it might pay.
Evidently, no one there is willing to fix yours for reasonable money, and
there's a shortage of spares in parts yards as well.



>I know some folks here have also considered moving on from the slushbox
>to the stick shifter, but I haven't been keeping up. To this end I would
>like to know a few things:
>

This is a BIG! job, and requires essentially a donor car with everything in
it. If you try to piece this together at a salvage yard, every time you go
back for whatever you forgot this time, they'll hammer you again.

You'll need (list may not be complete): Transmission (2 WD, not Quattro),
clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, slave cylinder, hose, master cylinder,
clutch pedal and fitment hardware including under-dash brackets and
over-center spring, half shafts (auto and std trans are different), speedo
drive (cable or wiring, depends on year), possibly an ECU, and lots of
other tiny bits & pieces.

Lots of labor here, too. Even though you could do this from under the car,
it would probably be easier in the long run to pull the engine so you have
some room to work. This type of conversion always takes longer and costs
more than your worst estimates.

My opinion (for what it may or may not be worth) is to fix the slushbox or
replace it with another that works, even if you have to import one.



>	a. for a guy who is near stone broke and who is battling
>	   constantly to fix the faults on his turbo car and who is
>	   worried about having the gearbox die on him in the near
>	   future, would it be cost effective to do this operation in
>	   order to achieve a more reliable machine?
>
>	b. my slushbox seemed to be overfull which may have caused
>	   damage. Just how much damage can a overfill condition do
>	   to the auto tranny?

This will damage it.

>
I think step one would be to find an automatic transmission specialist who
isn't afraid of Audi, and get the tranny fluid changed, the filter changed,
the pan gasket changed, and the various adjustments adjusted. After the
existing tranny has been properly diagnosed (and not by an Audi dealer
whose idea of diagnosis is "Replace it!"), then you'll have a better idea
of how to proceed.

Best of Luck,

Mike Arman