Converting 7a Cam Cover to ABY

[Colesy]

I'm looking to do this and from reading around the mods required are:

1) Addition of breather system pipes.
2) Milling out of coil holes to 28mm?
3) Cutting of knotches?

Opinion seems divided over 3) I've found 3 different solutions:
Andy P's

Hammish's:

Wheeljack's:


These differences might be due to there being two lengths of coils available with the newer coils being slightly longer than the 1.8t coils and therefore not requiring any knotches. But I'm not sure!

Recent threads discussing this:

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62840&highlight=7a+cam+cover

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=683276&postcount=507

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?p=652376#post652376

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59053

So can anyone confirm exactly what needs to be done to get the coils to clamp perfectly onto the plugs with the newer and older coils? Or is there anyone on the forum who can offer the complete service? And what have people used as new breather pipes, without butchering the old cam cover?

[Error404]

You can use a 3B breather pipe, which runs down the side of the cam cover instead of through it

[Colesy]

You can use a 3B breather pipe, which runs down the side of the cam cover instead of through it

Cheers Alex, wanted ad going out shortly. So now it's just the question of how much machining the holes require, which I should be able to get done locally easily enough. The coil harness arrived yesterday btw, looks great.

[Error404]

Speak to AndyP about machining he might be able to help

[UrS4boy]

You can use a 3B breather pipe, which runs down the side of the cam cover instead of through it

Or you can make an external PCV transfer pipe from rigid copper water pipe and paint it up to hide it/match the cam cover, as was done here (my favourite 7A cam cover on AAN example):

[Colesy]

Or you can make an external PCV transfer pipe from rigid copper water pipe and paint it up to hide it/match the cam cover, as was done here (my favourite 7A cam cover on AAN example):

Hadn't noticed that pipe before, something to think about.

I've noticed that there are two pipes off the back of the ABY cam cover one that we've covered, I take it that the other needs adding?

[UrS4boy]

Hadn't noticed that pipe before, something to think about. I've noticed that there are two pipes off the back of the ABY cam cover one that we've covered, I take it that the other needs adding?

The other one (with the pink flow lines in the diagram below) is for venting the oily vapours that build up under the cam cover (which could be released if you took the oil filler cap off with the engine hot and running). Must have been a concession to the TUV/Greenies in order to keep the overall potential engine emissions down:



Larger AAN version of the above, to better show the venting of the cam cover:

[Wheeljack]

I've noticed that there are two pipes off the back of the ABY cam cover one that we've covered, I take it that the other needs adding?

That is true the ABY/AAN has two ports in the back; one is actually a valve cover vent, and the other is connected to an internal pipe that exits front left. Even if you add the pipe externally, you will likely want to add the breather (and some type of baffle) to have the full function of the ABY/AAN valve cover.

And as for the mods, which you've shown above.
1-Looks like the mod for the taller coils with the rubber boots removed. I don't like removing the rubber as it allows water/dust ingress and less friction to hold them in place.
2-Hamish had to do it that way with the older, shorter coils to clear the connector body.
3-I've done these mods to use the later/taller FSI coils while keeping the entire rubber boot in tact for optimal sealing and retention. There is not a lot of material left to do this, but it can be done. The slots engage the OEM alignment features on the coil packs.

[LHD_Kid]

3-I've done these mods to use the later/taller FSI coils while keeping the entire rubber boot in tact for optimal sealing and retention. There is not a lot of material left to do this, but it can be done. The slots engage the OEM alignment features on the coil packs.

I really like this idea - any chance you can let us know the diameter of the hole you needed, along with the depth you bored to? (overall depth from top of upstand to bottom of hole)

Thanks

Chris

[driftin jo]

I really like this idea - any chance you can let us know the diameter of the hole you needed, along with the depth you bored to? (overall depth from top of upstand to bottom of hole)

Thanks

Chris

From my measurements it needs to be 30mm dia by 20mm deep and the slots
for the tangs need to be flush with the recess ~6.5 .
this is for the TFSI coils I have, part no. 07K 905 715F

others coils my vary so I can't comment on those, I presume all the longer ones
are dimensionally the same but as I say I cannot confirm that.

I have added some pics so you can compare your coils to mine to see if they are the same dimensionally .

[Wheeljack]

I really like this idea - any chance you can let us know the diameter of the hole you needed, along with the depth you bored to? (overall depth from top of upstand to bottom of hole)

Thanks

Chris

I made a small step as I didn't like how snug the bore was at 1.220" on the upper part of the coil pack rubber. So I enlarged it to 1.250" up there, for a better fit. You could probably do something like 1.250" full depth, but I didn't want to get any closer to breaking through, so I left the lower part of the bore at 1.220". I've done quite a few like this that all work quite well.





Also, I've found that I had to zero the machine at each bore individually as the bore-to-bore spacing on the casting doesn't seem consistent enough up there to provide equal wall thickness when finished. It is especially noticeable when the wall thicknesses get small, as they are nominally only .040", or 1mm, in this configuration.

[quattro84]

Quality info Wheeljack!

[robo]

Cheers Alex, wanted ad going out shortly. So now it's just the question of how much machining the holes require, which I should be able to get done locally easily enough. The coil harness arrived yesterday btw, looks great.

Hi Colesy,
I have one of these to do please let us know how you got on.
or maybe I could drop my cover with you and we could get two done.
Any forum members willing to do this for Us?
cheers
Rob

[LHD_Kid]

Big thanks to Driftin jo and Wheeljack for some excellent information...

I would also be interested in sending mine off somewhere for a "group buy" on machining !

Thanks guys !

[Colesy]

Cheers for the replies guys, just the info needed.

I'll look into getting the machining done locally and post back here as to how I get on.