Anybody know what this is?!

[Conquistador]

Removed the 'V8 3.7' cover from my engine to give it a good clean and this caught my eye...






I thought it was the horn at first! But upon closer inspection it is attached to a rather brittle looking plastic arm which has snapped...




It looks like an expanding rubber bag so I gently pulled the arm away from it and it inflated..

[HPsauce]

Manifold flap actuator.
They are famous for that break but mainly on the 4.2 360HP D2 S8 which has two; there are more robust (metal) replacements available - at a price!

It WILL slow you down...................

Not sure but something like this: http://www.gruvenparts.com/audi-vw-4...-linkage-arms/

[Reffro]

Bellows and linkage for your variable length inlet manifold.

Sorry to say but if the linkage has gone, its likely that the manifold flaps are seized too.

[David's8]

Its the variable manifold actuator - or at least it is on a D2 4.2 which has two of them as it has a 2-stage manifold. Broken arms are a common problem and there is loads about it on the D2 thread so I presume the D3 suffers the same.

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by Reffro

Sorry to say but if the linkage has gone, its likely that the manifold flaps are seized too.

Easily tested by moving the arm by hand.

[HPsauce]

Just looking at the pictures again I'm confused.
Those broken ends don't seem to meet and are at the wrong angles.
Yet there's a component to the right (as you look at it) that looks familiar and is just like the actuator arm on my manifold flaps.

Is it, when not broken, some sort of Z-link where a single vacuum actuator pulls on one link to move one flap then there's a link from that back across (to under the actuator) to the arm for the second flap?

On the D2 S8 the flaps both have their own actuator, maybe on the D3 3.7 they work together?

Either way, look for more broken bits....

Round here, that looks like the arm that moves a manifold flap, note the chunky return spring:

[Architex_mA8tey]

There are 2 links on the 3.7 and other A8's and they are longer than the pair on the S8's they break because they are designed to if the manifold flaps are seized or sticking. If you swap them for some of the metal ones I have seen then be careful as you could end up with more damage to the manifold flaps if they decided to seize up again. Mine stuck on and were discovered when Reffro and myself were checking our respective cars at AITP a couple of years ago. In the end I had James (Mkoneman) fix them by cleaning the pivots using the remedy recommended on Audipages HERE

What you WILL notice when this is done is a difference in either bottom,end or top end responsiveness as the flaps will be stuck either open or closed and that will affect one end of the performance range or the other.

[mannyo]

Originally Posted by Reffro

Bellows and linkage for your variable length inlet manifold.

Sorry to say but if the linkage has gone, its likely that the manifold flaps are seized too.

Yep, both mine are broken because the flaps are seized solid, car feels no slowe than my old D2 which had working flaps.

[HPsauce]

Originally Posted by HPsauce

Just looking at the pictures again I'm confused.

No longer.
Looking yet again I can see the second vacuum bellows down and to the right.

[M-A8]

Cheers Ollie for adding another job to already packed ''To Do before Annual Meet''
Both broken.

Spoke to my Audi guys, a repair kit, upgraded one inc. some other bits not just the links, £211 from Audi,

I looked at the ones from the link earlier and they look way much better value and quality, 125 dollars inc shipping thats £75 !!!!!!
I wonder if they would arrive by next Friday??
No info about delivery times on their website