Giving the S2 some love

[Tractor Dave]

Nice result. We can do the Porsche upgrade next year

[Ian Simmonds]

Well, bit the bullet and jacked it up both sides onto axle stands this morning. This helped get at the near side carrier bolts by turning the steering. Fortunately that carrier came off without issue but was still not moving as freely as it should.

So took some time with Dave’s carriers which are working freely.





All back together and working as it should…





This was the offending blighter. One sheared carrier calliper bolt. The pesky blighter.



It was causing uneven disc wear



and even slight brake rub when turning left.

Probably the slowest Disc and Pad change in living history of the automobile, but it was nice to fettle everything with no time pressure.

All symptoms gone, and back to ‘good’ now.:

[Ian Simmonds]

Weellll, I’m getting through a couple of weeks off work. Knowing the S2 and knowing life in general these days I decided to tackle the S2 discs and pads and general clean up early. So, Tuesday I stripped down the drivers side and generally scrubbed, deep cleaned/refreshed everything. The reason I’d decided to do brakes wasn’t because they were necessarily worn out, but the fact that the driver side was getting some unpleasant ridges in the disc. Something wasn’t right.



Up went the S2. (Who else hates jacking up cars? I’ve got two 2-ton and one 3-ton jack and four beefy axle stands and it still feels so perilous just to get it high enough to fit an axle stand under at minimum setting).

Anyway, released the drivers side calliper, both pistons and seals are fine, after good bathe in brake clean and general scrub up…. All good.

Then I found the problem…

The carrier had one very happy piston and one seized. Removed the carrier after a liberal dose of brute force and tried freeing up the frozen offending item.

Predictably, it sheared after 20-minutes of abuse. The rubber seal had long since failed and the whole assembly looked like something from the engineroom of the Titanc - today.

The problem now was moving the car about, so I’ve had to reassemble everything as if finished even though I know the carrier is ‘fubarred’.

This is the front drivers brakes back in place with the knackered carrier just so I can move it about the property.



As luck would have it, I was due to see Dave (as in Tractor Dave) today for a parts swap as he was in my neck of the woods. Bless him, he had a couple of spare carriers as well, so I collected them today.

So, after a rather therapeutic three hour return trip with the S3 through Sussex and Surrey A and B roads I had a pair of functional carriers.

Once home these were wire brushed, degreased and rust treated ready for some high temperature paint, new seals, lub and fettling.

Pictured post rust treatment.


They’re going to be lovely.

Tomorrow and possibly Saturday, weather permitting they’ll be painted and (hopefully) I’ll strip down and methodically clean everything on the passenger and then the knackered driver side front brakes.

It’s nice to have the time and timely support from Dave to ‘potter’ through the job rather than the usual ‘must be working by tomorrow’…

At least if I strip another carrier bolt I’ve got a spare now.

[NickzD]

Hi John,
I ordered a Ridex one from Autodoc. It was £48 delivered.

After fitting the pump, the household didn’t appear to be doing anything, so I made the executive decision to keep tinkering.

I fixed the hydraulic fluid auto check sensor which was misbehaving, then tightened up a couple of bits in the PCV system I’d been sloppy with. Then, with still no signs of life, I broke out the dual action polisher.





Several hours later it turns out I’m in the dog house for spending all day at it…

What can I say?

Nice ride, man! Well done

[anthonys2]

Always been a fan your Avant absolutely gorgeous

[Fat Audi 80]

Hi John,
I ordered a Ridex one from Autodoc. It was £48 delivered.

After fitting the pump, the household didn’t appear to be doing anything, so I made the executive decision to keep tinkering.

I fixed the hydraulic fluid auto check sensor which was misbehaving, then tightened up a couple of bits in the PCV system I’d been sloppy with. Then, with still no signs of life, I broke out the dual action polisher.





Several hours later it turns out I’m in the dog house for spending all day at it…

What can I say?

Yeah, but it is looking lovely!

[John.]

Several hours later it turns out I’m in the dog house for spending all day at it…

What can I say?

Why worry, sounds like you had a great say to yourself !?

[Ian Simmonds]

Heard of folks using a Mercedes part, some using washing machine compatible Bosch ones too............which type did you get?

Hi John,
I ordered a Ridex one from Autodoc. It was £48 delivered.

After fitting the pump, the household didn’t appear to be doing anything, so I made the executive decision to keep tinkering.

I fixed the hydraulic fluid auto check sensor which was misbehaving, then tightened up a couple of bits in the PCV system I’d been sloppy with. Then, with still no signs of life, I broke out the dual action polisher.





Several hours later it turns out I’m in the dog house for spending all day at it…

What can I say?

[John.]

Ordered a new one …

Heard of folks using a Mercedes part, some using washing machine compatible Bosch ones too............which type did you get?

[Ian Simmonds]

Originally posted by psiconauta911 View Post
It is indeed a "a lovely old bird"! Congrats!

It seems to be a little low on coolant?



Hmmm, you’re right. Thank you. It had a new radiator bottom hose back in February, but it’s only been the last week or so it has done any kind of distance enough to put it through full heat cycles. I’ll check it for any tell-tale marks and top it up.

After topping up it dropped again, so, some hunting later, I found the after run electric water pump was weeping. Ordered a new one …



Which arrived yesterday, fitted it this morning.

The old one came out like this….



Complete with one of the pipes bevelled end broken off! (Top in photo).
That was a disaster waiting to happen.


So, once again, thank you.

[Ian Simmonds]

It is indeed a "a lovely old bird"! Congrats!

It seems to be a little low on coolant?

Hmmm, you’re right. Thank you. It had a new radiator bottom hose back in February, but it’s only been the last week or so it has done any kind of distance enough to put it through full heat cycles. I’ll check it for any tell-tale marks and top it up.

[psiconauta911]

It is indeed a "a lovely old bird"! Congrats!

It seems to be a little low on coolant?

[Ian Simmonds]

Well, my ‘thing’ arrived from Autodoc, Germany.



It’s described on the invoice as a boost pressure control valve 034 129 101A VAG But I didn’t think it had much to do with boost? Anyway, replaced the old one in the Crankcase Ventilation System and all seems well.

it is not mint but it’s a lovely old bird.

[John.]

It’s really weird John,

Who knows !!??......anyway it looks good.

[Ian Simmonds]

Very nice too.

It’s really weird John, they even seem to have better shut lines than the clear lenses. Theoretically they should be like for like replacement as both Audi parts but the OE orange ones just align better.