What can be replaced/upgraded on 2.7 heads without removing them?

[V1nny]

I have stage 3 allroad with about 150K on it. Valve cover gaskets never replaced before and they started to seep oil.
I wonder what can be replaced or upgraded while replacing gaskets. I love this car and want to keep it forever, but budget is somewhat limited.
Valve steam seals?
2.8 camshafts?
timing chains and tensioners?

what else?

[milanocito]

i'm interesting too..... to know

[4rings2turbos]

That's it. Avoid the valve seals if you can, way too much of a pain to do it just for fun. 2.8 intake cams aren't worth the trouble on K03s and can even effect the powerband negatively from a daily driver standpoint. The exhaust cams are the same between both. Check the tensioner pads but unless you have gunky pickup screens the tensioners shouldn't go bad. New chains can be a good idea since they do stretch over the miles taking you ever-so-slightly out of time between cams.

SAI blockoff are easier to do with the valve covers off.

[V1nny]

Anyone knows a good source for 2.8 intake camshaft for less than what ECS is asking for them:
https://www.ecstuning.com/ES283438/?...FQEoHwodtfAP6g
Also wonder if at 150K I should replace the exhaust side camshaft?
How about cam followers, like
http://www.ngpracing.com/newstore/ca...v-v6-2.7t.html

do I need them for both intake and exhaust sides?

[4rings2turbos]

What power levels are you at now? Planning for stage III? Ever have your valve covers off before?

I've been under a half dozen or so valve covers on 2.7T/2.8L up to 165k and I've never seen appreciable cam follower wear. That's certainly not a preventative maintenance type thing. More like it falls in the category of 'not broken, don't fix'. Unless you're going stage III, in that case might as well spend the money to build some 2.8L heads for more flow.

[V1nny]

What power levels are you at now? Planning for stage III? Ever have your valve covers off before?

I've been under a half dozen or so valve covers on 2.7T/2.8L up to 165k and I've never seen appreciable cam follower wear. That's certainly not a preventative maintenance type thing. More like it falls in the category of 'not broken, don't fix'. Unless you're going stage III, in that case might as well spend the money to build some 2.8L heads for more flow.

I am stage 3 since 120K, so about 30K miles on stage3. Recently engine started to take some oil (compression is good on all cylinders) in addition to sipping on cover gaskets. Never opened them before. Also occasional misfires (literally every component related to ignition already replaced with brand new, I mean every little/big thing is brand new, like coils, plugs, n75, fpr, injectors, and many more), thinking maybe timing chain started to stretch. I would never think of putting 2.8 camshaft in anything less than stage 3, as everyone agrees there is no point, only loosing low end torque.

Just ordered couple of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271864461229 ?

[4rings2turbos]

Gotchya. Things are making sense now. Chain stretch, cam lobe wear and follower wear could possibly add up to some missing, not saying that's it though. When you open it up put it in TDC and throw the crank pin in if you have one. If the chains have stretched (guaranteed after 150k) then the notch on the intake cam will be rotated beyond the cam cap arrow. I put new chains in one of my allroads and the intake notches lined up 100% dead on with new chains.

Nice price for those cams.

[V1nny]

Gotchya. Things are making sense now. Chain stretch, cam lobe wear and follower wear could possibly add up to some missing, not saying that's it though. When you open it up put it in TDC and throw the crank pin in if you have one. If the chains have stretched (guaranteed after 150k) then the notch on the intake cam will be rotated beyond the cam cap arrow. I put new chains in one of my allroads and the intake notches lined up 100% dead on with new chains.

Nice price for those cams.

Looks like exactly advice I was looking for! Seller promises that their camshafts are under 100K and in good shape. Any ideas for good source where to get chains? I see bunch of cheap one on ebay, but the seem to be chinese.

[4rings2turbos]

Great! Glad my experience can be passed on. Good luck to you. I get my tensioners from Europa and chains from ECS, 100 bucks I think for the pair of chains. I didn't shop around though.

[V1nny]

Local shop just quoted me $1200 labor for replacing camshafts with the used 2.8 camshafts from ebay. I am shocked..

[4rings2turbos]

Book hours on ElsaPro says that's a decent hourly rate. Entire front end and timing belt comes off. I'd do it for you for $800

[V1nny]

Book hours on ElsaPro says that's a decent hourly rate. Entire front end and timing belt comes off. I'd do it for you for $800

Did not know about timing belt.. I have about 35K on timing belt and water pump. Maybe wait another year and do them together? $800 sounds like a deal, wish you were close to Washington DC area!
In this video looks really simple job:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkz6ueXocYw

[4rings2turbos]

I've done it too many times for it to be difficult anymore :)

If you make a trip to Chicago and want to do it then let me know, could do it for you. I put up on Instagram that I have a heated garage and happy to help Audi owners and I've been barraged lol.

[a4kamila6]

I've done it too many times for it to be difficult anymore :)

If you make a trip to Chicago and want to do it then let me know, could do it for you. I put up on Instagram that I have a heated garage and happy to help Audi owners and I've been barraged lol.

Got a line of beater audis lined up ready for some maintenance? build an extra garage and open your side business!

[4rings2turbos]

Was literally thinking of that today. I charge $50-$75hr as a handyman/remodeller and pretty sure I could get close to that. It would be the consistency of work that I would need. I work maybe 20-30 hours a week. That's quite a few cars!

[a4kamila6]

Dude i think it would be sweet money for you if you have the space for extra garage with lift. All you would need to do then is advertise your services and i guarantee you that your investment would return within a year. lots of people out there who dont have the time, tools, knowledge or determination to wrench. If you werent in chicago id love to just help you out with stuff but definitely something you should consider


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[4rings2turbos]

You're inspiring me my man... maybe I'll try to make this a bit more regular.

[V1nny]

I've done it too many times for it to be difficult anymore :)

If you make a trip to Chicago and want to do it then let me know, could do it for you. I put up on Instagram that I have a heated garage and happy to help Audi owners and I've been barraged lol.

If I don't find someone local in 2-3 months, and you still available, would seriously consider going to Chicago, especially if you could work on it on weekend.

Also found another video, slightly better angle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOMxi5FZH_w

[4rings2turbos]

Yeah no problem at all. Only thing I need to read up on is anything I need to do when installing a non-factory cam beyond assembly grease, etc. Break-in process or something.

[V1nny]

Yeah no problem at all. Only thing I need to read up on is anything I need to do when installing a non-factory cam beyond assembly grease, etc. Break-in process or something.

The camshafts I got are factory, just from 2.8 NA engine.

[4rings2turbos]

I mean to say cams that didn't come and weren't married to the heads from factory. The break-in period for cars is partially for the cam and heads to fine-tune their machining to one another. Not sure if anything is required for putting different ones in. I'll read up about it sometime.

[V1nny]

here are the parts/tools I gathered so far:
stem seals
http://www.ebay.com/itm/300589605052
stem seal tool:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121863222678

chain kits:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262206256964
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261903969348

camshafts:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271864461229

did I miss anything? Should I also get the aux pump delete hose at the same time? Intake gaskets, or maybe spacers:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/5mm-Phenolic...-/191734317737

any other ideas?