Audi A4 rebuild thread

[B5NUT]

The manifold on the car was in good condition but needed a little clean up. I was going to get it ceramic coated but the cost was around £200 and was told the coating is easily chipped and I felt it was just not worth the expense. So for under £50 I had the manifold shot blasted and then I painted it with Eastwood high temperature paint which got good reviews.
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I wanted to cure the paint as best as I could as I was going to be a good few weeks before the car was started so I got the blowtorches out for around 20 minutes
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Next up was to add the rest of the heat shield for the engine bay. Have to say the parts on this car are getting more difficult to find, sure there is Audi tradition but that is limited in what they have left

This shield was absolutely rotten and fell apart when removed from the car, tradition had none but I managed to find the last one in the country at a VW dealer is Scotland.
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Also some parts that Audi are supplying these days don't fit first time! This shield for example is a revised part from the original and is now listed with the A4 B6 version, however the top bolt holes on the B6 are M6 where the B5 A4 are M8, so had to be drilled out. It's not a big problem but I was finding issues like that more and more on revised parts.
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Other than the transmission tunnel shield this was the only other heat shield I was able to clean-up and reuse.
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Next up was starting to put the engine pipe workback on. One of the biggest problems I was having here was perished rubber hoses. Some had been almost cut through from rubbing over the years.
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So with new pipe work and gaskets the inlet manifold, and alternator were refitted, the manifold was shot blasted and I purchased a new alternator I wanted the original 70A version but could I hell as like find one so ended up with a 90A version.
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While I was waiting on a new viscus fan, and power steering pump. I started working on the slam panel. The original was was in good condition but had plenty of rust on the rivet nuts, and on a couple nuts the screw thread was snapped off and left in the nut. Only way to remove the old nuts is to drill the top of the head off.
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So I ordered replacement rivet nuts which are designed to be used on plastic.
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These were just going to rust again so I gave them a coating of epoxy
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This was the rivet tool I used, unfortunately none of the rivets that come with the tool were useful on plastic, as when the rivet is pressed in it starts to snap the plastic.
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New nuts pressed in
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New radiator also purchased, the old was was OK, but the alloy fins around the bottom were starting to corrode.
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[B5NUT]

While I had parts on order for the engine, like new injectors, seals, hoses etc. I started cleaning up the boot. Over the years it seen a bit of damage and there was a small amount of rust on the spare wheel well and a lot of scratches on the back.
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I was thinking about leaving the boot area, but what was the point of doing all the work I've already done and then leave the boot in the state it's in.


So the wheel well had it's rust removed and the hole boot area was rubbed down and masked up ready for paint. I hate masking up cars.
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First two coats sprayed epoxy which was a "bright red" and not that far from laser red which is the car's OEM colour.
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Boot was then sprayed in two coats base coat then two coats of 2K clear
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Once the paint was dry new cavity wax was applied in the inner wheel arch area, the old stuff had gone very hard and cracked up.
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Also if you what to dry cavity wax you need air movement, so stick a fan in the area (if possible) and it gets the stuff to dry in hours.
If you don't it will still look like this even after 24 hours.
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Side panels cleaned up and repainted fuel tank cover fitted.
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Next up was to replace the plastic boot trim, the old one was well passed it..
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So another new trim was purchased from Audi tradition
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Final to do on the boot was the hinge. The struts were leaking and it was all covered in dirt & excess grease.
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Also the strut mounting points were starting to rust so they were stripped back and painted, and new struts fitted.

Boot complete.
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[Jaswan]

Mate if you are strapped for things to to then I can absolutely have my coupe dropped off at yours.... Should keep you busy for at least a month!!



Jase

[B5NUT]

Wish I could, I just don't have any more room for projects

[B5NUT]

Few further minor jobs done on the car fitted an new bonnet release cable, the old one looked OK but was concerned about it snapping and having to damage the car to open the bonnet.

Also fitted the front engine support and lower timing belt cover.
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A new pas pump, viscous fan, tensioner and crank pully fitted along with new belts.
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Airbox fitted along with the painted manifold
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Next was to fix a harness issue looks like it was damaged at some point not sure how
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Cut the harness at the damaged point and crimped on new pins and refitted the original plug, there was ample length on the cable so not worried about losing 10mm.
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Found the plastic inserts that go into the bumper carriers were cracked, and they are no longer available so found a used pair on ebay
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Gave them a coat of epoxy along with a few other parts.
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Fan fitted along with the slam panel. No A/C on this A4 so just a single fan setup
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Radiator and PAS cooler fitted, had to source a new cooler as the metal clips on the factory cooler had rotted away and the new revision were plastic
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New air guides fitted along with new Hella headlights, got them 10 years ago and just been sat in a box.
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Next to fix was the horns, they were well past their best.
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Audi tradition wanted over £250 for the two horns, so I got a set from a FL A4, but they had to be modified so they would fit correctly, the plastic case had to be prised off the main body and rotated so they were facing the correct direction, it was worth the time and hassle as I got the FL horns for £25.
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With the rad fitted the rest of the coolant system hoses were fitted along with a new coolant reservoir also filled the engine with oil at this point. Still could not start the car at this point as I was missing the bracket that holds the throttle cable to the throttle body and the entire exhaust system is still missing.
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[Rubberdubber]

Great work, this is looking more and more like a new car, can't beat a man who knows what he is doing