Re: V8 engine in type 44

[OorQue@aol.com]

> ... word on the street is that the 4.2 block is the same automatic or
>  manual, and that both are compatible with the old Q tranny's bellhousing.  
A
>  quick check of TFA could confirm this, but I'm having to live without for a
>  bit thanks to some software corruption on my home system ... apparently
>  thanks to somebody's website.  You don't have to think about V8s either, I
>  understand that the 30v V6 is compatible as well.  

Ben Howell said he saw the tranny from an A8 sitting on a bench at work (he 
works in the parts dept. of Prestige Audi) and said he thought the bolt 
pattern looked nearly the same as the Type 016 tranny.  He then decided to 
measure it -- I don't know how he did this -- and confirmed that it was 
indeed the same as the Type 016.  Obviously, if the A8 tranny has the same 
bolt pattern as the Type 016 tranny, then it stands to reason that a Type 016 
can be bolted up to the A8 block.  However, this doesn't mean there aren't 
other differences between the two that will have to be addressed (input shaft 
length, pilot bearing size, etc.) nor does this confirm the Type 016 will 
bolt up to ABH-code 4.2L engine that was installed in the later V8 sedans.  
What IS known for sure is that Audi used two completely different blocks for 
the 3.6L PT-code engine -- one for those with 5-speeds and another for those 
with automatics -- and the Type 016 will only bolt up to the former and not 
the latter.  Although 5-speed versions of the 3.6L V8 engine are readily 
available elsewhere in the world, they're fairly rare in the U.S. and I've 
been told that only something like 76 of these cars were imported back in 
1991, the one and only year they were available here.  No wonder people are 
willing to travel all over the U.S. to buy one!
  
>  Perhaps the best way to be sure that you have what you need is to look for 
a
>  whole car that has the donor powerplant.  That way you'lll be sure to have
>  the bits from the wiring harness that you need to splice the two together.
>  Ben Howell/Jeff Goggin have gotten pretty far along on getting a 3.6l PT
>  engine into an ur-q ... a type 44 should not be more difficult than that 
...

By comparison, the Ur-Q's engine compartment is quite a bit smaller but even 
so, this won't be a bolt-in installation as the 200's motor mounts are 
located in the wrong places and will have to be moved.  The V8's nose panel 
is different as well, to accomodate the radiator in front of the engine, and 
this will likely have to be changed out as well. If you want a swap that 
looks like it was done at the Audi factory, then you'll either need to buy a 
complete donor vehicle or spend a LOT of money at the dealer's parts counter 
since V8-only parts tend to be quite expensive.
  
>  Be sure to do your homework though before putting too much money into the 
project!

I agree as the cost of V8 parts could make a mistake very costly.

JG