Bolt mystery
 

Hello, I hope you are all keeping well during this crazy time.
I have been away for a while, life got in the way, but I'm still driving the old D2.

I was doing an oil change today, and discovered this large bolt on my undertray. A bit worrying!

The main work I had done recently, and by recently I mean around 5 months ago, was a steering rack change after the old one leaked out all the steering fluid.

I managed to get under the car, but as far as I can see the steering rack bolts look different to this one.

I did notice that one location on the gearbox seems to be missing a bolt. I checked inside and there is definitely thread on the engine block side of this hole.

Could I be missing a gearbox-to-engine bolt?
Oh I forgot to say, its a manual gearbox, so the bolt pattern is probably different to the auto box.
The parts diagram does seem to show a bolt in this location, but its a different type of bolt than the one I found.
The photo is from the left side of the gearbox looking forward.

Would someone changing a steering rack need to remove the gearbox?

Thanks for your help.

MJ should know. She has a photographic memory for bolts - believe me, Ive tested her on odd bolts found when sweeping out her workshop!:ROFL:

Is that M10 or M12? How long?

You definitely don't need to remove the gearbox to change the rack, and especially not on a manual. The bolt which goes in that location on a manual has a flat non-tooled head (hard to describe, and I'm failing) and has a nut on the engine end. Its not the one in the picture.

There are two places with bolts of that format btw, but which it is depends on the diameter :)

Oh no; what a cliff-hanger!

Tune in tomorrow for the next exciting episode! ;)

I usually work on the principle that if I find a bolt and then I find a hole........

It all falls over though when you find more of one than the other. 😉

:ROFL:

Hi Jim, glad to provide some light relief

Hi Mikki, thanks I was relying on your knowledge! +++

Its a 12mm bolt (M12) 75mm long without the head.
86.5mm with the head. I hope its not from anything critical.
Perhaps they replaced it and left the old one on the tray by accident.

So I am definitely missing a gearbox bolt in that location?
Is it safe to drive around like this with a bolt missing?

Definitely bellhousing then, one of three in locations 4, 6 & 7 in your original diagram. That implies the gearbox has been off at some point, possibly for a clutch? Maybe the bolt wasn't tightened fully and managed to escape. Its surprising it went forwards actually. I would have thought it would have fallen out the back.

I wouldn't worry about the missing one tbh. Not all implementations of the 01E gearbox have a bolt there anyway, plus the special S8 version is NLA anyway. Its possible to fabricobble one if it bothers you, but I'd just ignore it :)

The other implementation of a bolt of that design is an M10. Many internet points to anyone who knows where it is ;)

Mikki you are a star! Thanks for your help.
Ouch! that's not good, so I am missing a bolt from somewhere on top of the bellhousing, and another one down at the bottom.
Looks like these numpties removed the gearbox to install the new rack.

Is it ok to put the M12 bolt back in myself, or do all the gearbox bolts need to be tightened tightened together in a sequence?

I'll probably replace the bottom one too, I don't like missing bolts :)

Thats very bizarre if they did. Access to the rack bolts from underneath is a piece of cake on the lhd manual, and is a 3 hour job including biscuit breaks. I dread to think what they would have done faced with a rhd auto where you can't even see the rack from underneath!

I think I have the funky lower bolt for a manual. I'll try and find it later and get a pic so you can copy it, otherwise it'll be a scribble from memory! There's nothing on Google Images or Audi Tradition.

There isn't a sequence so just stick the loose bolt back in and tighten to two white knuckes ;)