Finally Doing Timing with 164k on the Clock!

[badger.]

The time has come, I'm finally am doing the timing on my car, a 2005 S4 TIP. Taking the opportunity to do:

1) Intermediate JHM Timing Kit
2) Motor Mounts
3) Trans Cooler Kit (JHM)
4) Piggie Pipes
5) Oil Check Valves

This is being done in my 14x20' garage, no air compressor or air tools. My timeline is 9 days, starting last Saturday and I hope to be back driving it to work Monday. It's been quite the adventure so far. Knock on wood, everything to this point has gone fairly smoothly. Broke the rear coolant hose pulling the motor, and my DP flex joints are pretty trashed, but everything else seems OK so far!

Getting Ready:


Front End Off:


Pulling it Out:


Engine Out! Had to build some stands:


Tried to mimic the Audi specialty engine table:


Downpipes with flex joints in rough shape:



Electrical Harness Off. That's gonna be fun to get back on...


Trans Off:


Rebuilt the engine & trans supports in prep for motor teardown:


Ready to take Timing covers off:


Bank 2 and Bank 1 top end:



Crankshaft lock pin Installed - hopefully this is all the way in! I put some paint on the tip, it doesn't seem to bottom out in the hole in the motor but it definitely centered:



Covers off!


Justification and gratification for doing it all! Two cracks on the guide!




More to come later, this is as far as I am right now. Some interesting notes:

1) One bolt on the Bank 1 valve cover, top back corner, sheared in half. Might have to drill it out (if I can), or just put on extra RTV, not sure yet haha.

2) Bank 1 was a fraction of a mm off from being able to slide in the camshaft locking bar easily. Bank 2 went in fine. Had to manipulate the camshafts at the hex bolt with a wrench on Bank 1 just a smidge to get the bar to slide in.

3) Finally found a local shop weld in new flex joints and relocate my rear sensor bungs. So hopefully the piggies will still come to fruition.

This has been interesting. I just hope it goes back in as easily as it all comes out and I can get all the electrical and whatnot routed correctly again. I took lots of pics but it is a serious rats nest when it is all on there!!

[Mr. Corey]

Nice work!!! How many hours did it take you to pull the engine out and remove the trans...?

[Slow4]

Awesome !!!!!

Bravo-kudos to you Sir on the excellent woodwork and taking on this task.

[ladiesgod]

I envy you guys with a garage and space to DIY. Good ish!

[blocke]

You sir, are my hero. Excellent job thus far.
You might take the opportunity to drain the TQ and flush/fill the trans fluid while it's all apart.

[SlickFix]

Subscribed! Excellent work, badger. How difficult was it to separate the transmission from the engine? I don't think there are any DIY's for a tip transmission, so what did you use as a guide?

Did you buy all the special tools needed for the timing? If so, I will gladly rent or purchase them from you when you're done.

[Skizero]

Sub'd! Great work!

[SprintBlueWorld]

Good luck going forward!

[rixonichard]

Will be in your shoes some day. Love the homemade motor stand. What was the motivation to do the service now? Did your startup rattle all of a sudden get much worse? Had you already done the check valves? If not are you going to do them now?

[TarlCabot]

looking good, great job

[BCsniper]

Great Job Man! And While that stand looks sketchy I bet it's nice to have everything up higher to work on.



I'm still in the middle of working on my car as well. Mine's going pretty slow since I've been spending more time in bed with the GF watching tv/movies instead of late nights in the garage like I had thought initially.







No broken guides here. Everything on mine looked in great shape. Cam Adj. Sprockets even looked nearly new:

[FormulaElement]

Subscribed! Excellent work, badger. How difficult was it to separate the transmission from the engine? I don't think there are any DIY's for a tip transmission, so what did you use as a guide?

Did you buy all the special tools needed for the timing? If so, I will gladly rent or purchase them from you when you're done.

It's really easy, just unbolt the transmission and pull. The Bentley manual says to unbolt the torque converter as well but I don't think it's necessary. I unbolted it from the drive plate and the torque converter fell on the floor when I pulled them apart...

Getting them back together correctly is a whole other story though...

Tarl has tools to rent for a really reasonable price. I just sent them back to him.

OP - my bank 1 was off a litte bit as well. I just attributed it to the electrical adjusters being different heights. I didn't measure this though.

[SlickFix]

Mine's going pretty slow since I've been spending more time in bed with the GF watching tv/movies instead of late nights in the garage like I had thought initially.

Rule #22!

No broken guides here. Everything on mine looked in great shape. Cam Adj. Sprockets even looked nearly new:

So according to my calculations, you are the first person to ever do this job and not find a cracked or broken chain guide. Did you have bad rattle?

[badger.]

You sir, are my hero. Excellent job thus far.
You might take the opportunity to drain the TQ and flush/fill the trans fluid while it's all apart.

I did a trans filter change and refill just last year so I am hoping to get by with just a top up after this job.

Will be in your shoes some day. Love the homemade motor stand. What was the motivation to do the service now? Did your startup rattle all of a sudden get much worse? Had you already done the check valves? If not are you going to do them now?

Motivation was mainly 164,00 miles and increased rattle frequency starting last fall. Also finally saved some money for it, and was sick of wondering and stressing about if/when it was all gonna go. I have not done check valves, plan to do them now though.

Subscribed! Excellent work, badger. How difficult was it to separate the transmission from the engine? I don't think there are any DIY's for a tip transmission, so what did you use as a guide?

Did you buy all the special tools needed for the timing? If so, I will gladly rent or purchase them from you when you're done.

I rented them from JHM. I used the bentley, I will try to write up in more detail later exactly what I did. It wasn't too bad really.

It's really easy, just unbolt the transmission and pull. The Bentley manual says to unbolt the torque converter as well but I don't think it's necessary. I unbolted it from the drive plate and the torque converter fell on the floor when I pulled them apart...

Getting them back together correctly is a whole other story though...

Tarl has tools to rent for a really reasonable price. I just sent them back to him.

OP - my bank 1 was off a litte bit as well. I just attributed it to the electrical adjusters being different heights. I didn't measure this though.

I followed bentley too and unbolted the TC , and it nearly fell to the floor when we pulled the trans off too. Thankfully it didn't.



I'll post some pics later of the mechanical adjusters. Mine looked VERY good IMO. Very slight wallowing of the hole but nothing severe. The new spring spacers that came with the JHM ones were too big.

[2004B6S4]

nice, thanks for the pics. I may be diy'ing the job soon as well. gotta get my a/c done and maybe the timing before the summer heat sets in. the nice spring weather is going away way too soon and it's already starting to get kinda warm here, it's been in the 90s for the past week. I gotta hurry and get my car ready so it can get me through the summer when the real heat comes! I'll be interested in hearing updates on how everything goes

[BCsniper]

So according to my calculations, you are the first person to ever do this job and not find a cracked or broken chain guide. Did you have bad rattle?

My car has ~185k miles but got a new motor at 97k.

When I first got it around 115k it had no rattle. Now I have I'd say a pretty standard rattle on cold-starts. This is not my first B6 S4 so I wasn't real paranoid about it like most. Lately I've been getting a lot more rattles on warm starts as well.

I highly doubt I'm the first not to find a broken guide. Also I'd bet my lower guide was the updated B7 version that has just a tad bit more reinforcement. I assume this since my car got a newer motor a few years back....plus the alternator is a hitachi which used B7 years.

[ieatfishburitos]

thanks for posting, will be following..

[jrbryson89]

My new hero lol... im dreading the day i have to do this process

[gcoy]

Great Job!! Wow this brings back memories. I like the stand(s) you built.
I did the ghetto 2x4 method. lol

[IMG][/IMG]

[badger.]

Ok, I need help Stat.

How do I get the freaking rear main seal on??? Measuring the stiff part of the new seal against the diameter of the crank end there is no way it will go on. Already snapped one trying to tap it around.

HELP!

[BCsniper]

I just did mine about an hour ago. I put it in the freezer for awhile then tap tap tapped it in place


Now getting that front main seal off/on is seeming to be a bitch

[badger.]

Yeah I figured it out, had to get that spacer that I didn't know was a spacer off.

Unfortunately after I had all covers and trans back on I found a small green gasket that appears to go behind that larger center lower tensioner. I am assuming the new one didn't come installed and I never really looked at the back side.

So today was pretty much a waste of time. Get to take everything off again tomorrow. F***.

[2004B6S4]

sorry but LOL. I really am sorry to hear that man that sucks big time, but I still couldn't help but laugh. and here I was all pissed that I have to put my car back into service position again after getting it halfway re-assembled

[badger.]

Yeah not much else to do but swear then laugh it off.

I think I can get to it without messing with the two cam bank timing so that would save a lot of time.

Here we go!

[gcoy]

Oh,, That sucks big time!!
I seriously remember almost doing the Exact same thing. For some reason I did a triple check before putting the rear covers back on and I found that same green gasket. I though, now wear the hell does this go?
This is such a meticulous job.

[SlickFix]

Yeah not much else to do but swear then laugh it off.

You can perhaps take some solace in the fact that every mistake you make is going to prevent many others from doing the same. I can tell you that near the top of my reminder list is going to be "don't forget that effing green gasket before putting the covers on!"

[badger.]

You can perhaps take some solace in the fact that every mistake you make is going to prevent many others from doing the same. I can tell you that near the top of my reminder list is going to be "don't forget that effing green gasket before putting the covers on!"

Yes, effing green gasket indeed!! Took about 4 hours this morning to get everything back to where I was last night at 11. Taking a breather now.


New question - between 8-12 seconds watch the top left tensioner/adjuster. I am hoping this is normal? (please say yes). Video starring my dad and his mad engine-turning skills.

[TarlCabot]

you have no built up oil pressure to hold those out... mine did the same thing
another note... make sure your turning the engine the correct direction and not backwards, idk if it would actually hurt anything but never hurts to be safe

[Jake@JHM]

you have no built up oil pressure to hold those out... mine did the same thing
another note... make sure your turning the engine the correct direction and not backwards, idk if it would actually hurt anything but never hurts to be safe

Yup. Need that oil pressure up in therrr.

[badger.]

you have no built up oil pressure to hold those out... mine did the same thing
another note... make sure your turning the engine the correct direction and not backwards, idk if it would actually hurt anything but never hurts to be safe

Ok, that's what I was thinking, doesn't hurt to double check! Thanks

[demonmk2]

I did one of these a month ago..other than being expensive its not really that bad of a job.

[2004B6S4]

lol I like the title of your video, I always thought these timing chain systems look like the inside of a watch

[Slow4]

sooooo according to your B6 S4 Rolex, it's beer o'clock?

[Foot]

Did you remember to put the o-ring on the back of the little tensioner? you have to transfer it from the old one, because it's not in the JHM kit. At least it wasn't in mine. Hope you don't have to take it apart again.



Also here's a pic of where the green o-ring in the JHM kit goes:


And here's a tip for getting your transmission back on: Use old trans bolts as guide pins. It make it much easier:

[Foot]

I used some cheap Harbor Freight trim removal wedges to keep my tensioners wedged while rotating engine:

[mkorsu]

Subscribed!!!! Great work!!!

[Kambesama]

Does your alternator get stuck on the frame while removing the motor? I had to remove the thing before removing the motor and im thinking ill have to put it back in after i reinstall also. Problem is those pesky bolts on the back of it.

[badger.]

Did you remember to put the o-ring on the back of the little tensioner? you have to transfer it from the old one, because it's not in the JHM kit. At least it wasn't in mine. Hope you don't have to take it apart again.

I did not transfer this other circular o-ring. Nothing has mentioned it! This is the first I've heard. What are the consequences? I am ready to put the engine back in tomorrow morning and really not going to pull it all apart again.

[badger.]

The old one is very flat, I am having a hard time thinking it is doing much to begin with. Why isn't this in the JHM kit? How old was your kit... maybe they include it now? The frustrating part is I don't even really need to change that, I just change it because it its in the kit. Same with that lower center tensioner. These extra parts are causing more trouble than they ever were to begin with.

Either way we are going to find out how it runs without it.

[Aundrealti]

The old one is very flat, I am having a hard time thinking it is doing much to begin with. Why isn't this in the JHM kit? How old was your kit... maybe they include it now? The frustrating part is I don't even really need to change that, I just change it because it its in the kit. Same with that lower center tensioner. These extra parts are causing more trouble than they ever were to begin with.

Either way we are going to find out how it runs without it.

lol.. I know the feeling of having being close to done and don't want to go back