Sidricks Audi Coupe S2 3B

[sidrick]

Cottis, around 125km I think, but I'd need to check old MOTs to confirm since I replaced the clocks. Box is industrial but good. I've gear oil to do a change and I think it will be spot on.

Andy, I think that's what I'm going to do. I'm not overly keen on the one piece braided line that some seem to run.

[Jack4688]

To celebrate its 23rd birthday...

I was just thinking about how my car will have had it's 21st birthday recently

[sidrick]

I was just thinking about how my car will have had it's 21st birthday recently

Crazy when you think how hard a life some of these cars have had yet they've outlasted some much newer motors which have rusted away by now

Should find out within the next fortnight whether I'll be emigrating to the US this year. Massive decision on the cards. Mothball for 2 years until it can be imported at a reasonable price, then battle with a 25 year old S2 on another continent, or sell up soon

An obvious head vs heart scenario.

[Jack4688]

Wow quite a change The most important factor in your decision is whether or not you'll be driving the S2 or not, I certainly couldn't go 2 years without one now

[sidrick]

Wow quite a change The most important factor in your decision is whether or not you'll be driving the S2 or not, I certainly couldn't go 2 years without one now

Importing one to the US just before it's 25 seems financially impossible so I wouldn't have much choice. I think if I do move and the car has sat with minimal use for 2 years, and I've obviously not driven it, then my enthusiasm to pay to import it then pay to get it up to standard would be minimal. I see the work I'm doing now as making it more sellable if I do decide to part with it. A year ago it would have had to be broken, no doubt.

Anyway!

Decent haul today! In no particular order:

2.5t alu/steel jack. Still weighs a tonne
2ltr ATE Super Blue Racing DOT 4 brake fluid. Should make it easy for a dafty like me to see when all the old stuff is flushed.
Pad dampening plates
Bloody big brake discs
Awesome socks
Audi nuts and bolts (strut>hub nuts/bolts/washers, rear caliper bracket>hub bolts, G13, front strut nuts, spring plate washers)

[gripper]

Love the socks man

[rynaqui]

Those socks are awesome

[Christophski]

Dude that jack... I mean sox! Donatello!

[sidrick]

Grim:


Wasn't actually too bad with the help of Plus Gas






Lets see what we can make of this!






I fitted that to the car before turning round and seeing the bump stop and dust cover on the ground :\



Should get the fronts in next week.

[Jack4688]

The one captioned 'grim' looks very similar to all four corners of my Avant

[sidrick]

Thought I'd look at the fronts today. Quite confident that everything is as it left the factory on this car, which gives you an idea of what condition things are in and how any years of ***** stands in the way of me removing parts.

I've read all the guides and although I'm sure there are many ways to skin this cat, I couldn't see any way around removing as much as I did in the end.

Arsed:


Things coming off okay actually. I had concerns about the 10mm bolts that hold on the brake hose, pipe and ABS sensor since one of the rears detatched itself just by looking at it yesterday.


To the top, remove the cap and loosen the strut top bolt:


Genuine Audi front shocks I got as a bargain on eBay, Lemforder top mount and ARB link. Then on to my least favourite job.... spring compressors.


So.... Strut to bearing carrier bolts removed, ARB link, strut top nut, 2 10mm bolts on the brake pipe bracket to strut, tie rod end nut and the caliper loosened and knocked an inch off the carrier in order to remove the bottom bolt. Simples
All other fittings clarted in Plus Gas ahead of replacement wishbones, tie rods and 996 brake conversion RIP splash shield 1991-2014. It'd be ditched for the conversion anyway.


The special tool failed me with the fronts, a mix of it slipping out, rounding the hex cap and just not being able to get enough torque on it with a 2ft breaker bar. Wasn't sure what was going to break first if I kept at it, but it would probably have ended up with me injured or dead. Got inventive and despite feeling like I was trying to reverse the turn of the earth, this worked without too much drama:


No pics of assembly, it is the reverse of removal but with less blood and swearing. Thought I had new bump stops and dust covers but didn't.... so the old ones are on. They'll do for now, but does anyone know where I can get the little white discs that come with Koni shocks (maybe others) that go over the cap that holds the shock in place to stop crap going into the top seal of the shock? Does that make sense?

So, it's starting to look like a car from a distance. I'd imagine it will settle a little then should look quite nice with the 17" Avus (still on its winter 16" wheels). Replacement wishbones and bushes (genuine Audi, none of this solid nonsense) and the 996 conversion within the next moth, then MOT time.

[andy10v]

Some good progress. I sympathise with you on the rust.

What centre caps do you have on your 16s?

[sidrick]

Some good progress. I sympathise with you on the rust.

What centre caps do you have on your 16s?

Ach, I'd rather work on a 20 year old Audi than a 10 year old Ford. I haven't managed to round a bolt yet

The centre caps came off the 17" Avus I run in summer.

[sidrick]

Big week for the rusty hunk of junk. De-cats and exhaust welding last Tuesday, then Avon ZV5 rubber on the summer 17" wheels before some wishbone loving from me at the weekend and finally 4-wheel alignment booked in for Tuesday coming.



Started off o/s/r and immediately hit a problem. The new wishbone bush was not pressed in as far as it needs to be and thus the arm wouldn't fit. Dropping it with a friend tomorrow to see what he can do with a press as there's nothing me and a my vice were doing, haha. Swapped the ball joints over with the n/s/r arm and fitted it:


On went the 17" wheels which have a lower (or higher, I never remember) offset so required some longer bolts to give them sufficient bite:


On to the front and the forged arms. My understanding is that the bolts for the ball joints are never changed, but mine had a reasonable amount of corrosion so I wasn't too happy just to leave it considering this car isn't a show pony and will be driven. I got the last 2 bolts that Audi had (now NLA) and then pressed some bolts out of rear ball joint plates which are still available from Febi. Here's the better of the two wishbones:




You can see the slight difference between the 2 Febi bolts and the OE one, but they're all the same tensile strength:


And the rear plate they are taken from:










n/s/f had a pressed wishbone rather than the forged arm it should have had:


Prior to stripping the n/s/r. Decent lows, refitting the rear bench and a spare should even it up nicely:

[Error404]

mmmm, shiney new bits
It will be quite a transformation after all new bushes. Are you going for a stiffer rear ARB?