Major maintenance

[diagnosticator]

Just wrapping up on a big maintenance job on my Avant. 128K miles and except for an earlier timing belt, this is the first big maintenance it has required.

Raxles front half shafts.

Gates Timing belt with new style belt tensioner.

OEM Audi coolant pump.

Lemforder tie rod ends.

Reman ZF '05 S4 Servotronic steering rack, quicker steering ratio. Also wired up Servotronic control module. Replaced wimpy Koyo steering rack.

Upgraded power steering fluid cooler.

New Nisens radiator

Discovered IC core half blocked with crud, cleaned out with Super Clean.

Changed oil, using German Castrol Edge 0w-40.

Fresh Pentosin coolant.

4 wheel alignment tomorrow.


Jobs like this always take three times longer than I expect at first, waiting on parts, other delays etc.

Feels good to get this stuff done finally, I have been postponing the rad replacement for a couple of years now.

[evo_ski]

Info on the new style belt tensioner?

I installed an rs4 steering rack and was very happy with the quicker ratio. Definitely quite heavy without servotronic. Nice work retrofitting that! As always A+ work done on your car!

[ADCS]

B7 style tensioner.... They are the bees knees.

[diagnosticator]

Info on the new style belt tensioner?

I installed an rs4 steering rack and was very happy with the quicker ratio. Definitely quite heavy without servotronic. Nice work retrofitting that! As always A+ work done on your car!

The new style tensioner is a tension roller with a tension spring and no hydraulic tensioner required.

http://mekocat.mekonomen.com/Images/...16-5636471.pdf

If you have a ZF Servotronic steering rack, hooking up the control module is easy, and worth doing IMO. You need a relay socket that fits the horizontal relay carrier under the driver's dash relay position #2, a Servotronic control module and the harness connector that fits the hydraulic pressure modulator valve on the rack. There are only 5 wires that need to be connected. See wiring diagram for Servotronic.