Auto Engine Flywheel

[Artiemas]

Hi, so recently I had to purchase a new engine for my Audi A4 B5 V6. It was a 5 speed engine originally. I kept the transmission in the car and intended to keep it 5 spd. So, after searching for a bit, I found a decent deal for the same engine (AHA code) but it was out of an automatic, so it had a different flywheel. No big deal, I thought. My local mechanic and the junkyard people said it would fit, provided it was the same engine code and what-not. Wrong. At least I think so. I take off the Automatic Flywheel to put on the old manual one that was recently resurfaced, and it doesn't fit. The crank on the automatic seems to be 1/8000th bigger (sticking out) I believe, than the one on my old manual engine. So my question is, is there any way at all to reconcile this issue without getting returning the one I recently purchased?

[Seerlah]

Not sure about the 2.8, but 1.8t people simply grind down the crank when they go from an auto to manual swap.

[dr_always]

I'd love to know what you paid for your B5 V6 as I'm about to buy one within the next few days. Feel free to PM me if you're not comfortable posting.

[Artiemas]

Okay, so after a little more investigating, it looks as if it's just a plate pressed into the original hole that would allow the manual flywheel to sit on/in. It is, because you can see this because there's a space between the actual plate, and this weird pressed into plate that goes into it. Question is, to get it out.

I paid $1500 for the V6 (the car) with 117k. The lady thought it was a broken waterpump, so I said this is a sweet deal, I'm getting it. Turns out the timing belt was broken and a valve went right through the top of the piston it seems. Huge metal chunks in my oil pan. So I looked and found the engine I'm currently talking about with 105k for 800 bucks, and a 100 core. They said they'll take my trashed engine, so I'll get 100 back. It was funny looking into my boroscope and seeing just a destroyed exhaust valve in cylinder 1.

And my B5 has gray leather (ew) l and the 6 disc in the back. Power seats, sunroof, windows, etc. So with all this work I'm putting into it, I'll still be ahead of the game on the value of the car, even with the odds and ends I've bought plus the engine.

[demonmk2]

Not sure about the 2.8, but 1.8t people simply grind down the crank when they go from an auto to manual swap.

or you could use a v6 pilot bearing

[Artiemas]

Manual


Automatic

Looks like a pressed in bushing sort of thing.

[M-Hood]

or you could use a v6 pilot bearing

Well he is just talking about what needs to be done to allow the flywheel to sit flush on the 1.8t automatic crank flange. The 2 cranks just have a different shaped center section of the flange.

[Nollywood]

All I5, V6 and V8 Audi motors share the same crank between manual and auto. The bush pressed into the auto crank to support the torque converter is a tight fit. I remove them by hydraulic action.

Pack the recess with grease, then get a dowel which is just the right size for the bore, and with a club hammer, drive it continously into the recess. The grease will gradually force the bush out of the crank. You'll need to re-pack the recess with grease a few times, as some will escape. I've just removed the bush from my S8 engine, it's the method I've always employed back from my days with I5 motors, and it's never failed to work.

[defrag010]

Man, Artiemas.. I recently did the exact same thing as you are doing right now and I thought the same thing as you did at first: "I'll be ahead of the game once I fix this". If only I would have known.....

I found my 98 avant with 125k for $1k with the exact same problem as yours (timing belt explosion) and it had nice paint and the interior was nice and the carfax looked great so I thought I'd just slap a new engine in and be way ahead of the game. Noooope!! I found a new AHA with 78k miles for like 700-something shipped with a 30 day warranty, but it hadn't been maintained and ALL of the seals were leaking.. front main, rear main, cam seals valve covers, etc, the timing belt was original and had cracks in it, and the water pump was real hard to turn. Replaced all of the seals, new water pump and complete timing belt kit (with timing belt tool), new vacuum lines, spark plugs, belts, hoses, etc and now I'm a grand and a half into just the engine. Start tearing the old engine out and find shot motor mounts, a cracked exhaust manifold, all kinds of stuff that needs replacing. More money later and I get the engine running.... bad radiator, bad clutch fan, leaky coolant reservoir.. and the transmission turned out to be bad! Found a used one with 73k miles for 500 shipped, but found bad tranny mounts and corroded fluid lines so there goes more money. At this point I'm up to about $3500 total investment and I start driving the car. Front suspension is SHOT, tires are bad, axles are noisy, brakes look like they have never been changed ever. Fixed all of that and keep driving... notice a BAD oil leak that appears to be coming from the lower pan gasket. Change the gasket and it still leaks bad... turns out it's the UPPER pan gasket that is leaking. Now I have to drop the subframe and fix it. On top of that I still have a bad ABS module, bad vacuum lock pump, hacked stereo wiring, missing all kinds of misc. little brackets, and it still needs a new front bumper. So far I'm over $5000 total invested into this car and I STILL have all kinds of little shit to fix on it. It truly pisses me off every time I drive it but I'm in it way too deep to just sell at this point. It's pissing me off just typing all of this out!! I REALLY hope for your sake that your car doesn't turn into a bottomless money pit like mine did! I STRONGLY advise people against buying a broken/basket case b5 unless it was either owned by an audi enthusiast or it's low mileage with incredible maintenance records.

[dr_always]

I'm sooooo glad that my car came with detailed maintenance records after reading that post. I can't believe you put that much into the car, I would've stopped around the 2k mark (if even) to find one in better shape. Did you buy the car sight unseen?