A3 1.8T Sport - Broken timing belt

[TheAudiGuy]

Hi all

My friend's A3 1.8t sport (02 plate) has just had the timing belt break on him, the garage he's taken it to have said there is no compression so it's likely the valves are bent - they want something like £400 to check what damage has been done so he's decided to get rid. I was thinking of buying the car to fix as a project (it would be a second car so there would be no rush to get it fixed or anything). I figure my options are as follows:

Option 1:
Check damage and replace valves, have head skimmed and valves lapped.

Option 2:
Buy replacement cylinder head and bolt that straight on

I wouldn't have thought any damage would have been done to the pistons or any other engine components so would replacing the cylinder head alone be enough? Are there also any guides on this? I'm not a mechanic but have a real interest in how cars work and would like to learn by taking on something like this! Any thoughts?

Cheers

 

[phil miller]

good idea, cheap car, worth doing, if it was me id take the head off and check, look at the piston crown damage and go from there

you could just buy a second hand engine and replace it, that way you wont have to worry about piston damage

 

[Prawn]

My only worry would be the condition of the pistons.

Depending on how badly they've made contact, it's possible that there's more damage underneath than visable on top, like an exit wound kind of situation, I've seen pistons with a small dent in the top that have been ruined below the crown.

Still, you can pick up a complete AGU engine for £250, sling it in and enjoy

 

[TheAudiGuy]

Cheers for the reply guys - yeah true about the pistons, might look at full engines then! I was going to give £500 for the car, its 02 plate with around 120k on it, do you think that's ok?

 

[Filth]

if you had second thoughts you could break it and make your money back I guess.

 

[TheAudiGuy]

Yeah true... anyone else have any thoughts? Need to decide by tomorrow really!

 

[phil miller]

Yeah true... anyone else have any thoughts? Need to decide by tomorrow really!

Buy it dude and fit an engine, i did with my TQS, paid £200 for a 2001 Y plate with 90,000 on the clock, just finishing off my Ko4 swap, so will have loads of go and will only stand me at about £1500 in total for a car with the best part of 270BHP (unless i decide to add a relentless mani, downpipe, sports cat and badger 5 TIP) no stop it Phil, you dont need to do it, ****** brain is thinking that way the wallet is getting thinner lol, its a snow ball effect, but a lot of fun lol

 

[MURRAYS444]

I say buy it:icon_thumright:

 

[TheAudiGuy]

Buy it dude and fit an engine, i did with my TQS, paid £200 for a 2001 Y plate with 90,000 on the clock, just finishing off my Ko4 swap, so will have loads of go and will only stand me at about £1500 in total for a car with the best part of 270BHP (unless i decide to add a relentless mani, downpipe, sports cat and badger 5 TIP) no stop it Phil, you dont need to do it, ****** brain is thinking that way the wallet is getting thinner lol, its a snow ball effect, but a lot of fun lol

£200 for a Y plate seems amazing! Do you not think 500 is a bit much then?

 

[phil miller]

£200 for a Y plate seems amazing! Do you not think 500 is a bit much then?

£500 for an 02 plate is ok, say £250 for a replacement engine, the car will owe you £750 still a very very cheap A3, try knocking him down a bit, the reason i got mine cheap is because it was a customers car, he didnt know what to do and as soon as i said he would get £150 wieghted in and id give him £200 he was never gonna say no lol

if i hadnt of reg on here i would never have gone Ko4, the car stood me at £350 to buy and replace the engine, i could have sold it on for £1500 but decided to keep it and give it a power boost, looking forward to my first drive this week before she gets re mapped