Fluid loss front offside corner

[sarg]

Originally Posted by steamship

http://www.audipages.com/Tech_Articl...reinstall.html

Thanks Sean, both PDFs already printed ready to handover to the mechanic.

Had a quick read through myself, had not realised, for example, that the oil would need to be drained and refilled as part of the process

[sarg]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

If its confirmed to be the oil cooler pipe, I'd take it to the meet and just top up as necessary. It can't fail catastrophically and as Andrew noted, they can run for many years with the pipe cracked with no adverse effect than marking their territory overnight

The only activity that failure would stop me doing is taking it on a track

Noted, I've just not had chance to get it on my ramps and take a look yet

[HPsauce]

I can't recall how long mine was leaking but I just carried a big container of water in the boot and topped up as necessary, at least over the summer.
Before winter I'd add neat coolant concentrate fluid.

I know mine was leaking fairly steadily for the meet in Falmouth (2019) and way before that, with no serious consequences. I was aware of it dribbling and bought a metal pipe many years before that. It finally got fixed last summer (2022).

[sarg]

It just arrived in the post, tiny little thing, for some reason I expected something bigger

[strummagnet]

Originally Posted by sarg

tiny little thing, for some reason I expected something bigger

I get that a lot, learnt to get used to it now.

[sarg]

So the guy who told me he'd do it has let me down, for now at least.

So, I've got the car up on the ramps, will get the undertray off this weekend and have a poke around. if it is the oil cooler pipe, then she gets taxed and we come to the meet in the S8 with a bottle of water in the boot for top ups.

Presumably the leak will worsen a little when the motor is running and it is under pressure?

Then it'll get dealt with after the meet, either by MJ when she takes on work again, or my local specialist when he has recovered from his operation, either way the time pressure is off

[sarg]

I got her up on the ramps on this weekend, undertray off and had a look, seems my leak is coming from the same joint as Sean had with his, the coolant return pipe where the steel pipe joins the rubber pipe returning to the radiator.

I can see the clip is badly corroded bottom side, but cannot see any signs of rot in the pipe, but am halfway to removing the surrounding gubbins to get to it, currently battling a spinning bolt on one of the covers. The leak is very slow, not anywhere near catastrophic as Sean experienced.

I am hoping that a replacement clip of the jubilee kind and reseating the rubber pipe will be all that's required, so fingers crossed.

I have never attempting any work like this since working/learning on my first car, a 1972 Triumph 1500, back in 1986, but hoping with a bit of common sense and support/info from this community that I can tackle it. Whether or not it's done in time for the annual meet will depend on what I find when I can get the bottom half of the airbox out.

Wish me luck!

[sarg]

OK, have managed to remove the gubbins in the way and got to the pipe join, my metal pipe (item 11) definitely has at least one hole in it, right next to the little metal 'pin' on the pipe, so will need replacement.

Going to try to order items 9, 11 and 3 (3 in case it needs replacement, won't know for sure until I get to it, but can't harm to replace, right?) and hope I can get jubilee clips on the pipe at the back

[How do I embed the attachment to this post pls?]

Most importantly right now, question aimed at Sean and/or MJ, how do I get to the join at the back, where pipi #3 is located, do I go in from underneath, or from above, and any tips or niggles to watch for please?

[MikkiJayne]

I'd recommend one of these to get to the spring clip at the back:



https://www.amazon.co.uk/CNWOOAIVE-F.../dp/B08BLCRV65

Tbh I can't comment on what its like to get to in the car because mine is manual with no SAI so plenty of room for access up or down. Sean is probably better placed to advise on that.

[sarg]

Given how much brute force was need to get the pipe #9 off, I'd anticipate somehow needing to get my arm down to pull pipe #3 off the other end