Looking good MJ

Be so much easier to get the new O2 sensors in with those manifolds out of the car

I love these posts Michaela

There's a level of thought, understanding, creativity and engineering "sympathy" evident that you will never ever find at a dealer and probably not even the very best independent specialist. :mexicanwave:

A slightly frustrating weekend as the timing belt still hadn't turned up so there was a limited amount I could do.

Flipped the engine back over once the sump sealant was dry

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

As usual the temperature sensor was rusted in place, so had to be destroyed to get it out.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Pretty crusty

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Cleaned up ok

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

The coolant pipe o-rings were also pretty crusty

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Replacement link hose and powdercoated coolant pipe

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

No amount of elbow grease would clean up the manifold, and I had nothing else to do so I gave it a lick of matt silver paint

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Sunday morning after the paint has dried. New inlet manifold gaskets on, ready for the manifold

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Manifold refitted

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Crank oil seal - this was dried up and leaking

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

New seal fitted to the bushing

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

and pushed in place with the purpose-made tool. The manual says to push the seal in place and then fit the bushing, but that is extremely difficult to do without folding over the lip of the seal, hence why I fit the bushing to the seal off the engine so I can make sure its all ok, before fitting both bits together.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Old crank pulley bolt at the top, new one at the bottom. It has stretched about 2mm!

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Stuck now with no timing belt or thermostat

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Monday - SAI blanks fitted and new manifold bolts

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

The belt kit finally arrived, drop shipped from Poland because there is almost no stock left in the UK :( No thermostat yet because somehow I forgot to order it :o That'll be here tomorrow though and then the engine will be almost finished, bar the flywheel, belt covers and spark plugs which will all be done on the separating table.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

Mark - this is one of the long nuts which goes through the manifold

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

thanks MJ so that bolt, holds on the manifold?

ref http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1621890451

what am i looking at there? coolant pipe? green cable ties?

Hi MJ, why the secondary air injection delete? Is this a manual conversion?

Yes. there are a dozen ordinary M8 flanged nuts, and then two of these long nuts which go right through holes in to the manifold.

Thermostat bypass pipe with the bank1 knock sensor cable tied to it, per the factory installation, although the factory used black ties. You get green since I ran out of black :D There is a satisfactory serendipity having the cable ties match the knock sensor connector, not that you're likely to ever see them again since they live under the inlet manifold.

Cos its a waste of space and weight and adds lots of pointless plumbing down the back of the engine which just gets in the way. It vexes me greatly and I like to apply the principle of 'reduce and simplify' whenever I can +++

Have you been to Lidl by chance? My dad handed me a pack of green cable ties the other day...wondered where on earth I would use them?

If I had know that when rebuilding my S8 it would have saved a lot of swearing and bleeding knuckles!

I actually use them for labelling waste oil barrels. Green means clean oil suitable for burning. Red means contaminated with water which must be taken for recycling +++

They're also used when I run out of black ones :D

Forgot I had to go to the office in Leeds yesterday (650 mile round-trip!) so I finished off the engine tonight instead.

New thermostat in place

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908

The cover went on without fully removing the belt

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908

Tensioned the belt and finished everything off

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908

Spec here is 5mm +/- 1mm.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908

New fan bearing and tensioner roller also in place

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908

Engine back on the separating table

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908

The starter teeth on the original flex plate were pretty trashed after eating bits of starter motor so I replaced it with a good spare, and thats the major engine work complete. All that's left is to put the spark plugs back in and coil packs on once I've spun it on the starter to get oil pressure, and then the replacement wiring harness and coolant hoses go back on when it's reattached to the gearbox.

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908

Gearbox on the stand for its service. As this is in very good condition and not leaking I'm leaving all the output flanges alone and just doing the filter and ATF which is a job for tomorrow +++

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1622060908