radiator removal query - gearbox fluid hoses ?
 

Hi all,
I have read with interest many of the troubles and triumphs you all have endured to keep your beasts alive, now I could do with a bit of guidance - I hope I havent missed anything obvious in the forums...
I have a 2000 4.2 a8 which is starting to show its age a bit, although it does have almost 250k miles behind it !
Anyway, first on the list is the radiator - knackered and been botched with radweld or similar....
Bumper etc off and condenser seperated, I have got to the stage where only two hoses remain attached to rad from engine - on the right side at rear of rad as you look at it from the front - I don't have a Bentley, but I reckon they may well be from the gearbox....I have taken off the bolts attaching the hoses to radiator body but cannot see how to remove them without brute force - the replacement rad doesn't give much clue either......
the hoses are on the opposite side from main water pipes..metal pipes connecting to flexible hose beyond rad...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, if I can get the rad removed and replaced then it will be water pump etc next...hopefully it will actually make it to the 250k mark soon !

thanks,
Pete

I can't advise on the hoses, but the water pump is pretty inaccessible and typically replaced as a precaution along with the cam belt and a selection of other stuff (tensioners, thermostat, other belts), "while we're in there". ;)

I would look at the Tech Dump under "D2 - Common Faults - Tech Dump" which contains the Service Manuals for all engine types and on P151 of the Manual for 5 valve engine there is a step by step for radiator removal. +++

thanks for that - just what was needed...
as an addition to what was suggested, found another useful bit of info on p66 of the service manual for the gearbox on same tech dump, gives an exploded view of the atf lines - looks like they just prise out but have an o ring in there....

Changed radiator on A6 last year and A8 I think is pretty much the same. Pipes just pull out of radiator. Lost just a little bit of oil. I lifted the ends of oil lines up as soon as pulled them out to prevent leak so only lost whatever was in the radiator. Then when refitting put in bottom line, filled radiator with with oil using big syringe through the top opening and forced about 100ml towards gearbox in the top line, then fitted top line to radiator.

The biggest issue was to get the right radiator. First went to local Eurocarparts, after giving all the details they insisted there was no radiator with integrated gearbox cooler for manual gearbox cars, after lot of looking around they found the 'right' one for about £90 some unknown make name. Took it home, put in the car turned out top coolant pipe connector was 0.5mm smaller diameter so it was leaking there as it is push fit plastic hose end with o-ring in there. Took it back, the only other one they could offer was Hella made for £300 special order not returnable. So I took my money back and went to local Car Parts Direct. They said they had one on the shelf, I opened box while in the shop to check - pipe connectors were both on one side, I needed them to be on opposite corners. They said they could get correct one next day. So come back next day open the box in the shop, coolant hoses on the right corners but no integrated gearbox cooler. Come again next day check the contents again- coolant hoses in the right places, integrated gearbox cooler so far so good . Take out caliper to measure pipe connectors- it's 0.5mm smaller diameter again like the one Eurocarparts supplied so no sale. All of these they offered were £70-100 range. I give up, 4 days time wasted so go on e-bay.de find the one with the pictures and technical drawings with all correct measurements. £80 and 3 days later DHL turns up with right radiator that finally fits. I don't remember the make but I checked it at the time and they supply many of OEM radiators for manufacturers as well.

Cheers bud - nice advice re oil
I sourced a rad off our friends here for the time being, will look for something bit more permanent if I go for water pump and belt fix...
rad replaced now and almost all back together - just got to re attach headlights n bumper so chuffed with that - no real problems after sussing those hoses out...