Audi I5, V6 And V8 - Torque Converter Support Bush Removal From Crank (Auto).

[Nollywood]

Hey guys,

Just thought I'd do a mini write-up on this.

As many are aware, unlike 1,8T longitudonal engines where the crank is different between manual and auto, with I5, V6 and V8 models, manual and auto share the same crank. The only difference being auto models have a steel bush pressed into the rear of the crank, to support the torque converter. In I5 models, with the exception of the 7A engine, the pilot bearing that supports the nose of the transmission input shaft is pressed into the hollow recess in the rear of the crank. With 7A, all V6 and V8 models, the pilot bearing sits in the flywheel.

Regardless, a manual transmission will not bolt up to an engine from an auto, if the TQ support bush is left in place. It will interfere with the flywheel, as well as the nose of the trans input shaft. So it needs to be removed. Unfortunately, it's an interference fit, so extremely tight. I have not removed this bush from a V6, but have certainly removed quite a few from I5 and V8 models. These steel bushes won't come out easily with a pair of vise grips.

Some have attacked the bush with a chisel and hammer, and eventually got the bush out. This tends to make quite a mess of the crank; it's worth noting severe shock can cause crank bearing failure, maybe not immediately, but possibly later down the line. Another issue which could arise (possibly) is imbalance issues, especially if the chisel takes chunks out of the crank, which will require finishing.

Some have mentioned applying heat to the bush, but in my opinion, that's a no-no. At best, the transferred heat will ruin the rear main oil seal, worse case scenario, distortion could occur, either in the crank rear face, the rear oil seal housing, or both. Either way, not good!

I remove them with just one method - good old hydraulic action. I'm going to list the procedure, the tools required, with photographs. The model in the following photographic sequence is a '98 AHC 4,2 V8 32V, (S8) though the procedure is the same for I5, V6 or V8. I removed the TQ support bush today, and it took me 6 minutes.

[Nollywood]

Tools required are:

01) A sledge hammer.
02) A suitable steel drift.
03) A pot of grease or Petroleum Jelly.

The principle is simple - hydraulic action. In laymans terms, the recess is packed with thick grease, though I used Vaseline (Petroleum Jelly). A steel drift which is just short of being an interference fit in the recess is then driven into the grease-packed recess with a sledge hammer. Naturally, the grease will resist the drift going into the recess, and actually acts as a shock absorber against the hammer blows, so the crank is not "shocked".

The grease then needs to be displaced by the drift, and the only way it can do so is to force the steel bush out. You may need to pull the drift out and re-pack the recess a couple of times, as some may escape. If your drift is too small, it'll take longer to do the job. The closer to interference fit it is in the bush recess, the more effective the hydraulic action is.

[dr_always]

You're making this hard on yourself. All you need to do is take $50 with you up to your local auto parts store and rent two tools. 1) Slide hammer 2)Pilot bearing (yes bearing) puller. Assemble the two tools, insert pilot bearing puller into the pilot bushing on your auto crank and give the slide hammer a few thrusts. Take your rented tools back and get your $50 back. This method will take you all of 5mins to complete and save you the mess and the energy of the other methods.

I really, really wish someone would have been this straightforward with me when I was on this step. Walky helped by suggesting a slide hammer but I just went ahead and laid it all out for you from start to finish.

Also, you wouldn't believe the effort I put into your 'blatantly simple and effortless' hydraulic method only to get nowhere. Perhaps I was doing it incorrectly but either way, renting the proper tools is always the healthiest way to complete a job.

[Nollywood]

Tools for the job - as a drift, I used an Allen-headed bolt, with a 3/8 square drive as an extention, and I substituted grease with clean Vaseline. Then a sledge hammer of suitable weight.





Removing the bush:

Packing the TQ steel bush with Vaseline / grease:





The blows start:





After the third blow, the bush was being displaced by hydraulic action (Vaseline):





Voila!



It came out cleanly. The bush was good enough to be re-used, and the crank had no marks. It could well have been a manual, there was no sign a TQ bush ever sat in the crank recess:













So, you can buy a V6 or V8 engine to install in your manual car, or convert from auto to manual without any issues. Often a replacement engine from an auto is a better buy, as they're less likely to have been driven hard, they're not easy to redline, unless it's held in the lower gears manually.

Good luck!

[Nollywood]

You're making this hard on yourself. All you need to do is take $50 with you up to your local auto parts store and rent two tools. 1) Slide hammer 2)Pilot bearing (yes bearing) puller. Assemble the two tools, insert pilot bearing puller into the pilot bushing on your auto crank and give the slide hammer a few thrusts. Take your rented tools back and get your $50 back. This method will take you all of 5mins to complete and save you the mess and the energy of the other methods.

I really, really wish someone would have been this straightforward with me when I was on this step. Walky helped by suggesting a slide hammer but I just went ahead and laid it all out for you from start to finish.

Also, you wouldn't believe the effort I put into your 'blatantly simple and effortless' hydraulic method only to get nowhere. Perhaps I was doing it incorrectly but either way, renting the proper tools is always the healthiest way to complete a job.

I don't understand how my method makes things hard for me. It took me 6 minutes, from start to finish. Oh well. My apologies if this was no use to you, or if my suggestion caused you excessive downtime, and difficulty.

As for the healthiest way to complete a procedure, the "proper" tools will still be useless in the hands of one not versed in their use. Hydraulic action has been used for centuries, long before the first automobile was even a concept, so it must work.

Hope your V6 install went smoothly, all the best.