What's in the workshop? Its manual swap time!

[27litres]

I've been waiting for this!

Was expecting the Grey FE to be the prototype though - that will have to be the 'pre-production' model!

What are you doing about the gearbox mounts for the production models? The ones you're using for Bert's look like those "last ones" you got from Audi...


Lastly, when are you coming to Australia with one of those kits in your carry-on?

[MikkiJayne]

I started off prototyping on the Avus FE, but then Bert's gearbox went pop and he didn't want to spend £3K having it rebuilt only to take it out again once I figured out the swap so we agreed to prototype on his instead. Unfortunately it has taken considerably longer than we expected but hopefully it'll be worth the wait.

Bert's is using the genuine gearbox mounts for simplicity, although I did have to modify the left hand one to clear the shifter. They are pretty simple to copy though so I will redesign them using laser-cut flat plate and make an assembly jig for the pieces so they can be tig welded together. Its likely that's going to come out considerably cheaper than the genuine ones in the end anyway, just like all of the other custom parts.

Not sure I'd get away with a propshaft in a ski-bag on a trip to Australia I'm sure we can figure something out if you want a conversion though

[awolfinsheepsclothes]

Hi MJ nice to see you've started shouldn't take you long now! i expect you be 99% finished before the end of the month. keep up the good work
Dave

[MikkiJayne]

Sadly that is unlikely since I've only got tomorrow left on it, then Mike's Murple is in on Monday for a fortnight. I can't believe its Friday already I've only spent maybe 2 days of 5 doing actual conversion stuff. The rest has been engine maintenance or cleaning conversion parts, and obviously wasting a few hours taking the engine out the wrong way!

I finished off the oil cooler lines tonight. This is where they join the original hard lines, now crimped in place.



They curve under the bellhousing in roughly the same way as the original hardlines



Pump output



Return at the back (apologies for the focus ). I need to make another support halfway along this when I build the exhaust support bracket. On the next ones I might actually use the C5 return hardline at this point and join the hose where the pump union is.



I covered the hoses in adhesive-lined heatshrink to hold them in place and to give them some protection. This should hold its shape even when the lines are hot. If not, I'll consider some more support.



New lines top, originals bottom







All I managed after this was to put the other engine mount and starter back on and then fill the gearbox with oil. Lots to do tomorrow to get it rolling again so I can push it out of the way to work on Mike's.

[ainarssems]

Return at the back (apologies for the focus ). I need to make another support halfway along this when I build the exhaust support bracket. On the next ones I might actually use the C5 return hardline at this point and join the hose where the pump union is.

Using C5 pipes is what I was thinking.

Just to think when I was buying new radiator for C5 a year or 2 ago everybody in 2 different shops was telling me there is no radiator with integrated gearbox cooler for manual boxes, just auto. I think cooler is only for cars with 180 HP??, could be wrong. Anyway after having 5 wrong radiators supplied in 2 different shops even supplying reg number and Audi part number ( no gearbox cooler, pipes in wrong locations and wrong diameter pipes) I finally gave up and ordered one from Germany, cheaper (£80) , right stuff and arrived in 3 days

[MikkiJayne]

Yes, from the 180hp 2.5TDI, and also the 2.7TT as well I think. They won't work directly in a D2 V8 since the C5 has them in the radiator on the driver's side and the D2 is on the passenger side, but I can use most of the return hard-line to save having a long run of hose

[MikkiJayne]

The engine and gearbox are ready so on to the internal bits.

Don't need this any more



Space for the new shifter



A6 shift lever on a custom bracket. This bracket is 'knife & forked' from flat plate and angle section. The production run will be CNC'd and folded.



The other half of the shift levers. Autofocus on the Oneplus One sucks btw.



Fitted in the tunnel with the protective boot (this is an adapted A6 boot btw since the D2 one of course is NLA)



Shifter in place



Shift rods from the tunnel



They attach to these



I split the shifter rods using some custom turned adapters so that they can be split at the back of the gearbox from under the car. This means you don't have to pull the centre console out to remove the engine. I'll show how this goes together when the engine & box go back in.

On to the pedals.

Conveniently, whoever designed the firewall on the D2 didn't get the message there wasn't going to be a manual RHD version, so they put a place for the clutch hose to go through the sheet metal This is pretty much a mirror image of where it is on the LHD models.



Hole drilled and a pull-through, er, pulled through



This is where the hose will come through the sound deadening.



and this is where it all went a bit Pete Tong. I bled the clutch master cylinder on the bench before fitting it to the car, and while I was doing so discovered that the seals had failed I think operating it dry while I've been designing the pedal has trashed the internals and so it can't create enough pressure to operate the clutch fork. I can't get a new one until Tuesday.

Bugger

Mike's Murple is in on Monday for an engine-out service so the swap has to go on hold while we do that. Its unlikely I'll get any time to finish it off before Germany now.
So close...