Yes
nip the little retaining lugs off the back and ease out the outer ring clips Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What have you done to your Audi A4 B7 today?
- Thread starter Dani_B19
- Start date
Yes
nip the little retaining lugs off the back and ease out the outer ring clips Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Did a few bits on the Golf yesterday, bit of touching in here and there and on a couple of the alloys.
I think today will be a washout, so no car washing today sadly.
Recently I've been doing longer jobs on the Golf (warped rocker cover most recently) where a new gasket didn't seal it fully, it's better but didn't realise it was warped, but can get a new cover / gasket from Darkside.
Common thing on the older 1.9 PD's is for the cover to warp...when I took it off again after the new gasket didn't really work, I placed the cover on a glass surface. Where the oil was coming from that corner and back edge it was warped by at about 1.5mm so put back the new gasket again but this time tried to seal it better with Elring Dirko HT - has helped a lot, but not 100%, it's not a huge nasty leak by any means, but over time does make a bit of a mess that's all.
Whilst I have a fairly decent rechargeable 2000 lumen inspection lamp, on the longer jobs I get sick of it running flat towards the end and getting dimmer on the way.
So I've just pulled the trigger on this which was £10 cheaper on Amazon compared to ebay.
Should be nice and bright at 21600 lumen and can be angled / folded etc and hopefully a reliable work light.
Amazon product
View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DT15RMVN?smid=A2BLJJO6CDAHYW&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp&th=1
I think today will be a washout, so no car washing today sadly.
Recently I've been doing longer jobs on the Golf (warped rocker cover most recently) where a new gasket didn't seal it fully, it's better but didn't realise it was warped, but can get a new cover / gasket from Darkside.
Common thing on the older 1.9 PD's is for the cover to warp...when I took it off again after the new gasket didn't really work, I placed the cover on a glass surface. Where the oil was coming from that corner and back edge it was warped by at about 1.5mm so put back the new gasket again but this time tried to seal it better with Elring Dirko HT - has helped a lot, but not 100%, it's not a huge nasty leak by any means, but over time does make a bit of a mess that's all.
Whilst I have a fairly decent rechargeable 2000 lumen inspection lamp, on the longer jobs I get sick of it running flat towards the end and getting dimmer on the way.
So I've just pulled the trigger on this which was £10 cheaper on Amazon compared to ebay.
Should be nice and bright at 21600 lumen and can be angled / folded etc and hopefully a reliable work light.
Amazon product
View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DT15RMVN?smid=A2BLJJO6CDAHYW&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp&th=1
Rain stopped play today on the car front so made a start in the garage rebuilding the diesel injector pump on my kubota tractor .
A tad fiddly to remove but all off and ready for a full rebuild.
A tad fiddly to remove but all off and ready for a full rebuild.
That tractor is a wicked piece of kit, she's Japanese, she'll run forever!...when it's fixed I want a go on it...and go to the bakery on it hahhaa
A lot of the inspiration for me to get a mains powered work light was from when I saw yours earlier this year on the tractor...just plug in, aim and be fully illuminated.
A lot of the inspiration for me to get a mains powered work light was from when I saw yours earlier this year on the tractor...just plug in, aim and be fully illuminated.
I use that LED work lamp on everything Matt, It's so handy and rugged to, ive dropped it a few times with no loss of lamp output etc.
Older kubota parts are no longer available so some carefull cross ref part numbers etc can solve probms.
Kubota PFR fuel pumps are made by bosch/zexel so parts are allways available somewhere.
Older kubota parts are no longer available so some carefull cross ref part numbers etc can solve probms.
Kubota PFR fuel pumps are made by bosch/zexel so parts are allways available somewhere.
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Yeah that's what I need, something tough and rugged, and can be folded flat to slip into tighter areas...apparently it doesn't get too hot either.
Hmm....I may even be able to wash the car at night now hahahaha
Hmm....I may even be able to wash the car at night now hahahaha
Think the time has come to replace the front shocks as i now have a metal clonk everytime the car hits a dip in the road or goes over a manhole cover etc... only comes from the drivers side front and all the other suspension bits are all fine and dandy... lovely the weather just took a turn for the worst... and it'll take me at least 2 hours a side to replace them ( yeah all is done with handtools not one powertool insight so it takes a bit longer to do it) anyways hope the weather turns a bit better soon so i can do those front shocks and springs. With my car being 20 years old there is always something to do but overal it runs like a dream, especially for a 20 year old estate.
Are you sure it's not the lower front control arms? The ones the shocks attach to, as well as the ARB drop links? Mine had exactly the same knock, and it was them - the shocks are well overdue but make no sound. Do you get the knock if you push down on the front wing? I couldn't on mine. These control arms take the most forces and are the commonest suspension component to go first.
A good diy regime on these cars rewards bags - they are well made and relatively easy to maintain, compared to newer cars. So popular too, were they, everywhere, that all the faults have been catered to in the aftermarket... and in even the smallest village somewhere in Europe, I've found, there is always some small garage can have you back on the road, very quickly.
So finally dyed the new cloth armrest to match the rest. Dyeing Black fabric, as it was, to any other colour is extremely hard and most of these fabric dyes are next to useless anyway, as I found out with the near rear hatch trim. But I used light grey thinking it would , if it worked dry dark grey, and it seems to have turned out pretty good. The original is still in good condition but was getting a bit shiny, so this looks much newer.
Nah new arms both top and bottom on both sides did that a year ago. Bought oem arms and they are fine, but it's the shock making the noises... it's evident when taking left turns as the car dips when doing that regardless of the speed... but take a right turn and the car only dips when going over 30 mph... today I also noticed it making the same noise when braking and you can slightly feel the car leaning a bit to the OS.
So I got the shocks and new springs so will pit them on asap.
So I got the shocks and new springs so will pit them on asap.
Well, it took me a while since I did it with handtools, and turning those bolts and nuts by hand takes forever... OS front took me a good old 3 hours mostly because this was the problem side... the other side took me 2 hours... and both shockabsorbers do not come up after being pushed in... meaning in the front, it was 100 % supported by the springs..
The clonk is gone by the way, and so is all the dipping it used to do in fast corners.
As I stated before, the oem schockabsorbers will hide that they are done for because of how well they are made. Now that I have replaced them, the car feels way more planted.
Ps It now has new APEC OEM sport springs all round and DREXLER OEM sport shock absorbers all around. There is no reason to go for more expensive units as these are just fine and keep the oem ride quality and height. No silly lowering for me anymore. I've been there, done that, won't do it again, unless the car is on oem airsuspension.
The clonk is gone by the way, and so is all the dipping it used to do in fast corners.
As I stated before, the oem schockabsorbers will hide that they are done for because of how well they are made. Now that I have replaced them, the car feels way more planted.
Ps It now has new APEC OEM sport springs all round and DREXLER OEM sport shock absorbers all around. There is no reason to go for more expensive units as these are just fine and keep the oem ride quality and height. No silly lowering for me anymore. I've been there, done that, won't do it again, unless the car is on oem airsuspension.
A nightmare like always, but they came out quick enough. I had more problems getting the pinchbolt of the steering off this time around, to be exact, It was the OS, hence the extra hour. Once I did the problem side, the NS actually wasn't to bad, but pain and stiffness started to settle in, and I barely managed to get the shockabsorber back in its place..
Had to use the jack to lift it from the bottom and push it all the way to the right location, than move it up and adjust until the top plate finally sat right.
Than I had to clean all the tools and put them away.. took me another half hour since I struggled to bend, walk and stand up straight.
... yeah that shoulder, my body and my age don't agree with me doing all this youngster malarkey 
But it's done, and the front needs to settle as it's higher now than before I started. Like a good 15 mm higher ( no it's not because the springs are wrong) .. so the car seems to have reverse rake, but it drives so much better now. Actually feels more planted, it brakes better, steers better and the communication of the roads you are driving on is now so much better.
I should have done it when I did the rears but wanted to wait until I found a problem on the front...won't do that again since I bought the complete set with springs and mounting hardware in one go. Mweh at least I abused the lot until something gave up.
Had to use the jack to lift it from the bottom and push it all the way to the right location, than move it up and adjust until the top plate finally sat right.
Than I had to clean all the tools and put them away.. took me another half hour since I struggled to bend, walk and stand up straight.
... yeah that shoulder, my body and my age don't agree with me doing all this youngster malarkey 
But it's done, and the front needs to settle as it's higher now than before I started. Like a good 15 mm higher ( no it's not because the springs are wrong) .. so the car seems to have reverse rake, but it drives so much better now. Actually feels more planted, it brakes better, steers better and the communication of the roads you are driving on is now so much better.
I should have done it when I did the rears but wanted to wait until I found a problem on the front...won't do that again since I bought the complete set with springs and mounting hardware in one go. Mweh at least I abused the lot until something gave up.
Well done mate, one of the major jobs done on these cars and you shouldn't have to address it for a long while again. Very true what you say about the suspension masking issues; I know for a fact my front (and rear) shocks and probably springs are well past their due - it was even pointed at as an MOT advisory that the NSF shock had little to no effect, 3 years ago; but I would just add I have no dipping and no noises, and she handles very nicely, so that is not necessarily a definitive test.
True too what you say about our age getting to us with aches and pains - I'm 61 and sometimes I forget that, but hands don't with physical spanner work.
I would urge you now to get a proper 4 wheel alignment, as with any suspension work, for the sake of your tyres and handling. The rear has an effect on total alignement too, hence why I've gone to all the trouble of renewing eccentric bolts there, since the new control arms were fitted at the front.
I've got the alignment spot on... I marked the previous position of everything i took off, than when i refitted the lot it went back in the exact same positions 
It takes longer to put the stuff back when doing this but it saves you from needing an alignment afterwards. the way how i actually mark the lot off, i can put a new part in without the need for an alignment. It just takes longer to finish a job because everything needs to go back into that starting position and line up perfectly... if it doesn't i pull it out and start again until it is right, aka the OS had been re-adjusted about 10 times before my OCD checking found it perfect. the NS went a bit quicker, mainly because it wasn't as bad as the OS but yes it too requiered to be adjusted several times before my OCD was satisfied it was in the right postion.... (i fitted it looked about and found one mark not lining up, unbolt repostion try again.. i think NS took me 7 times to line it all up perfectly)
Or i could have just slung it all on, than took the car for an alignment... but it's a habit i have to get stuff to sit in the exact same position it was in, before i take it apart. I also have this OCD cleaning thing which makes the fitting of stuff take longer... nothing wrong with that either as that way you can detect possible defects early, it just takes longer.
ps the OCD part is this bad:
When i remove a wheel, it goes back in the exact same position as it was when i removed it... even when i accidently turn the brake rotor, the rotor gets turned back to it's previous postion, back to where it was when i took the wheel off ( during whatever i'm doing if it moves it get's turned back to it's position too) I know i can leave it but it's the OCD to put everything as it was... just think most people have tyres changed and are fine with it... not me. I'll get home and set them all to what it was before they messed with it... yes i mark the rotors and the inside of the wheels have it too before i take it for a tyre change. I don't bother the tyre fitters, I let them do the tyre fitting, balancing and even let them put the wheels back on... but as soon as i get home, everything get's put back to the marks I put on.
I dislike having that OCD part as it makes me do stuff a few times over, but on the otherhand, it just makes me find problems early, my diagnoses are usually spot on, and with me doing almost every job myself, i know it's done to a higher standard than when it is done by a garage where time literally is money.
It takes longer to put the stuff back when doing this but it saves you from needing an alignment afterwards. the way how i actually mark the lot off, i can put a new part in without the need for an alignment. It just takes longer to finish a job because everything needs to go back into that starting position and line up perfectly... if it doesn't i pull it out and start again until it is right, aka the OS had been re-adjusted about 10 times before my OCD checking found it perfect. the NS went a bit quicker, mainly because it wasn't as bad as the OS but yes it too requiered to be adjusted several times before my OCD was satisfied it was in the right postion.... (i fitted it looked about and found one mark not lining up, unbolt repostion try again.. i think NS took me 7 times to line it all up perfectly)Or i could have just slung it all on, than took the car for an alignment... but it's a habit i have to get stuff to sit in the exact same position it was in, before i take it apart. I also have this OCD cleaning thing which makes the fitting of stuff take longer... nothing wrong with that either as that way you can detect possible defects early, it just takes longer.
ps the OCD part is this bad:
When i remove a wheel, it goes back in the exact same position as it was when i removed it... even when i accidently turn the brake rotor, the rotor gets turned back to it's previous postion, back to where it was when i took the wheel off ( during whatever i'm doing if it moves it get's turned back to it's position too) I know i can leave it but it's the OCD to put everything as it was... just think most people have tyres changed and are fine with it... not me. I'll get home and set them all to what it was before they messed with it... yes i mark the rotors and the inside of the wheels have it too before i take it for a tyre change. I don't bother the tyre fitters, I let them do the tyre fitting, balancing and even let them put the wheels back on... but as soon as i get home, everything get's put back to the marks I put on.
I dislike having that OCD part as it makes me do stuff a few times over, but on the otherhand, it just makes me find problems early, my diagnoses are usually spot on, and with me doing almost every job myself, i know it's done to a higher standard than when it is done by a garage where time literally is money.
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Nothing wrong with being OCD about mechanical precision and safety; and yes I marked the eccentric bolts too, before fitting the new ones, since I know the rear is spot on by the long life and very even wear of the tyres.
But I don't follow why you would need to mark the rotors/hubs? and inner wheels after new tyres and wheel balancing; any new balancing would surely negate any advantage in this, to my mind. Alignment obviously is a different thing and I would always have a new 4 wheel alignment after fitting new tyres. Obviously too though, you cannot guarantee that the balancing was done properly and weights do sometimes fall off, but that still is independent of pre-marking the discs and inner wheel, unless there is an overiding issue with the hubs or wheels themselves, perhaps.
It's because all my wheels need to have the valves and badges in the same spot on all 4 corners... yeah this is why I don't like wheel spin .. it puts them in a different direction... rotors need to be in the same spot too... I blame the OCD for this.. there are days where I just jack the car up to center the lot... because they are off...
As I said OCD, it kicks in way too often... there are days that I don't look at the car just because of it.
As I said OCD, it kicks in way too often... there are days that I don't look at the car just because of it.
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OK, I get you lol; we all got our things - I got a pair of scissors that I have to put back in the drawer, every time; I got a pair of sunglasses that I cannot get in the car without, come hail or shine, drives my mrs nuts... well not the sunglasses lol, since she bought them; quality polarised that I wear more than often, since you can see right through the tints on the driver rear.
Alignment is something I leave to the professionals with the proper laser equipment, I don't believe just marking is enough; alignment doesn't stay put. The same place that did my exhaust do 4 wheel for £60. I'm going to swap front to rear tyres before too, this time, since those Pirellis won't last the winter otherwise.
Just got the car back from the paint shop, for the slight 'codger' damage to the bumper; I got him to paint the sills (which were a little flat and the last job) and fix A pillar stonechip/dent at the same time. I'll put up photos when I get it cleaned, after the rain and after it's had time to settle in.
Alignment is something I leave to the professionals with the proper laser equipment, I don't believe just marking is enough; alignment doesn't stay put. The same place that did my exhaust do 4 wheel for £60. I'm going to swap front to rear tyres before too, this time, since those Pirellis won't last the winter otherwise.
Just got the car back from the paint shop, for the slight 'codger' damage to the bumper; I got him to paint the sills (which were a little flat and the last job) and fix A pillar stonechip/dent at the same time. I'll put up photos when I get it cleaned, after the rain and after it's had time to settle in.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I do get the alignment checked, and adjusted when it needs to be done. But at the moment, the tracking is still the same as when I had it checked in February this year... and the tire ware is even both on the front and rear.
I’m annoyed with my tyre guy because he didn’t line up the tyre logos in relation with the valves the same on all 4 ,he thought I was being pedantic or trying to get money off
I can understand when it comes to balancing wheels sometimes they have to rotate tyres but this isn’t the case here
Finally got the abt’s fitted
They are 67.1 hub size 50et that come with 10mm hub centric spacers that reduce down to 57.1
I wanted 12mm front spacing and 15mm rear
Giving me 38et front 35 rear.The adapter spigots and correct bolt lengths arrived today so got to use the spacers I keep to provide options
The keen eyed will notice I’m still waiting for silver lock bolts to arrive
Wasn’t sure on the style of alloy at first and I still prefer others I have but I’m warming to these and the car definitely feels more nimble having a lighter wheel set on
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I get it, and as I said earlier: I too would rock them because they are so rare, plus added lightness means faster car...
also i'm glad i'm not the only one that has that tick that the centre logo's need to be lined up in relation to the valves, i stopped telling the tirefitters to put them straight i just go home jack the car up and sort them all out myself. Saves me from getting looked at weird, because it doesn't matter to how the wheel is running... No thank you, I want the lot lined up it just looks better. But a wheel spin and the lot is off again. Meaning i'll be sorting them out not long after that happened... one thing though it's just lining the lot up as i've already centered all the centercaps with the valves, so the wheels do not need to come off, just lifted and rotated so all line up.
also i'm glad i'm not the only one that has that tick that the centre logo's need to be lined up in relation to the valves, i stopped telling the tirefitters to put them straight i just go home jack the car up and sort them all out myself. Saves me from getting looked at weird, because it doesn't matter to how the wheel is running... No thank you, I want the lot lined up it just looks better. But a wheel spin and the lot is off again. Meaning i'll be sorting them out not long after that happened... one thing though it's just lining the lot up as i've already centered all the centercaps with the valves, so the wheels do not need to come off, just lifted and rotated so all line up.
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Looking good Jamsmoo! Yeah, I've wanted to replace all my wheel bolts but I don't want to lose the original Audi wheellocks, which would then stand out. I've got all the caps but I've never seen the point of them - a total faff to take off and put on.
Since the new exhaust, I've seen quite a noticeable increase in mpg. Before with admittedly a lot of short/medium local trips the full tank remaining has regularly been around 550. Since the change; it now reads 680 (nearer as it should be on a 140), with the same! Maybe the new EGR/ASV too, but I reckon the old exhaust on these diesels has some considerable back pressure, mainly at the back box; all in the name of emissions but pretty useless nonetheless - there's less smoke than ever before with this standard two box setup.
Maybe the Liqui-Moly 5w30 helps too; it's bang on full after a 1000 miles or so now. Since I coded fixed service intervals in, the ECU seems to have adpated to my 6-8K changes also - it read 7,500/352 days, right after data appeared - some 300 miles later, rather than 10k. I think I'm going to try one of those syphons for interim oil/filter changes; really quick to do. But I intend to drop the sump when I have the next cambelt/water pump change, around the 300k mark. I want to see if there's any gunge in it; since 3 and a half litres put it slightly over, when it should take 3.8. I also want to see how the KMB 100mm hex key has faired. I know it'll be good; but I never changed the actual pump itself, which I may do, as I hope to see at least the 400s in this car; since it was preventative and had not failed. All in the interests of posterity you understand ha ha.
The reason for this thinking is - look at the wear on the old key, were it runs in the pump journal, it's almost equal to the part that sat in the old balance shaft. I've never heard of one failing but I the new 100mm key will tell me at that point, if there is any further wear there.
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if that is the old key it was well past it's best... but today i took the car for a nice little run on the motorway... and i have to report the car tracks like it's on train tracks now.. it actually moves straight on even roads, so straight i can let go of the steering wheel without the need for adjusting... but for safety i kept my hands on it.. very losely but it runs well and trully straight. So all the extra mrkings i put on clearly paid off.
also the car feels so much better on the roads, way more reassuring feel whilst cruising at 70 mph (with the cruise control on) both feet off the pedals and just a nice relaxing drive... actually enhanced by me putting the front seats in the highest position and sitting up right, i normally have them set in the lowest position leaning back, but i just now realised for long trips the up right position gives a more relaxed drive. It's easier to get in and out of the car, but i did hit my head twice today, on the sunvisor and on the b- pillar... never happened before when I have the seats in the lean back position, all the way down to the floor. And sitting up straight all of a sudden creates space between the front and the rear seats... I always thought it weird that the space between them was so small, now i know why lol.
also the car feels so much better on the roads, way more reassuring feel whilst cruising at 70 mph (with the cruise control on) both feet off the pedals and just a nice relaxing drive... actually enhanced by me putting the front seats in the highest position and sitting up right, i normally have them set in the lowest position leaning back, but i just now realised for long trips the up right position gives a more relaxed drive. It's easier to get in and out of the car, but i did hit my head twice today, on the sunvisor and on the b- pillar... never happened before when I have the seats in the lean back position, all the way down to the floor. And sitting up straight all of a sudden creates space between the front and the rear seats... I always thought it weird that the space between them was so small, now i know why lol.
My quest for the just-right B7 continues. I looked at a few this week, but not much to get excited about thus far.
On the Allroad front, all is well and running very nicely, a very civilized experience indeed.
I was looking for some ideas for it and stumbled on a pic of a Lava grey allroad just like mine even with the factory privacy glass.
Fitted with the factory fit option of 20" Lemans, they look very nice and suit it nicely in dynamic ride height position, may look into a set , will mean more tyres though and 255/30/20 wont be cheap....
On the Allroad front, all is well and running very nicely, a very civilized experience indeed.
I was looking for some ideas for it and stumbled on a pic of a Lava grey allroad just like mine even with the factory privacy glass.
Fitted with the factory fit option of 20" Lemans, they look very nice and suit it nicely in dynamic ride height position, may look into a set , will mean more tyres though and 255/30/20 wont be cheap....
yep, looking nice.I’m annoyed with my tyre guy because he didn’t line up the tyre logos in relation with the valves the same on all 4 ,he thought I was being pedantic or trying to get money off
I can understand when it comes to balancing wheels sometimes they have to rotate tyres but this isn’t the case here
Finally got the abt’s fitted
They are 67.1 hub size 50et that come with 10mm hub centric spacers that reduce down to 57.1
I wanted 12mm front spacing and 15mm rear
Giving me 38et front 35 rear.The adapter spigots and correct bolt lengths arrived today so got to use the spacers I keep to provide options
The keen eyed will notice I’m still waiting for silver lock bolts to arrive
Wasn’t sure on the style of alloy at first and I still prefer others I have but I’m warming to these and the car definitely feels more nimble having a lighter wheel set on
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the down side now is the stock brake setup looks lost with those alloys, now whack on some 18z's on the front with 350's and S4's on the rear, it would be spot on.
Yes Rob ,break set ups have been high on the searches since I bought these ,looking for guidance
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18z with 350 discs, or go S4 front setup as it will be a bit cheaper as S4 calipers will be cheaper option than the 18's but will still use 345 discs so will look much better than the 320 setup.
I’m conscious of accommodating the array of wheels I keep
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Best choose S4 calipers as they are the same overall size as your current calipers just use different carriers so will fit all your rims without the issues that afflict the 18z with offsets etc for clearance.
yes, depends on what you need to know as it can be a somewhat specific install depending on what alloys are being used.
actual retrofit is very straight forward , its the wheel fitment that can be problematic depending on personal choice and offsets etc.
Do they require different carriers /will the correct carriers bolt straight on
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Argh I sold it. I decided to keep the E500 for a few more months so the Audi had to go.
Still unsure whether I did the right thing, time will tell... but I'll still be lurking as I suspect I'll be getting another Audi soon enough.
Still unsure whether I did the right thing, time will tell... but I'll still be lurking as I suspect I'll be getting another Audi soon enough.
The brembo are bolt on fit but you need new bolts and nuts and reducing sleeves, if you can source the correct diameter bolts then the sleeves can be ommited.
New hoses also .
look on FB market place i spotted a 2 sets going cheap and in cheap i mean front only s4 brakes for a b7 (means 345mm discs) and 1 b18z set front and rear at 150 ( not sure on the rear disk size though) but they are the only 2 cheap sets going at the moment... the rest is normal priced 1 set is at 350 but comes with disk/pads new slide pins but doesn't have braided brake lines.
The problem with a lot of these used 18z on fb etc is that they are tarted up with a paint job and new pins but thats it.
no proper overhaul for the pistons and seals or the bleed and link pipes.
18z are well known for siezed pistons and other parts , sadly buyers find out the hardway, its a buyer beware situation.