Death Pipe remanufacture in Stainless Steel. Hopefully now available.

I think my concern over weight, and effects on the female housing at each end may be a bit over done. The section of the male stub, on the coolant side of the O ring, will be subject to the coolant system pressure, which should mean it is actually floating in the pressurised coolant, and not resting on the socket wall.
Mac
 
Good evening everyone. I haven't forgotten about this little project I started. Things have been "a little busy" since the meal and meet up.

Would anybody be interested in being the road test Guinea pig for the immortal pipe?
I think it only fair to offer to someone else first. Probably someone with better understanding of VCDS too, or access to someone with a better understanding. And a car with no dash lights... I keep getting a Nox sensor error come up much to my annoyance.
 
Phil_B said:
Good evening everyone. I haven't forgotten about this little project I started. Things have been "a little busy" since the meal and meet up.

Would anybody be interested in being the road test Guinea pig for the immortal pipe?
I think it only fair to offer to someone else first. Probably someone with better understanding of VCDS too, or access to someone with a better understanding. And a car with no dash lights... I keep getting a Nox sensor error come up much to my annoyance.
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Is it the NOx Sensor, or the Lambda that's integral with the NOx?
Mac
 
Have only just come back to this thread after a long time - much respect for seeing this through! It's a brilliant contribution to the longevity and reliability of these little gems!
If I may be cheeky and ask to be on the list when they become available?

Best wishes
 
MikeMiles said:
Have only just come back to this thread after a long time - much respect for seeing this through! It's a brilliant contribution to the longevity and reliability of these little gems!
If I may be cheeky and ask to be on the list when they become available?

Best wishes
Click to expand...

I will be creating an Excel list soon with interested parties, as has ben done before.
It really needs to be road tested. It's currently looking awesome as a piece of art in my front room.
 
Hi I got informed by Stuart in our german A2 forum about the activities here regarding the “death pipe“.
First of all I appreciate the activities here, since this pipe is really one of the major pain points. I have replaced this pipe on several 1.6 already and know its a little bit tricky. I have elaborated various ways to do this in a better way than the official Audi repair sequence. It is not necessary to remove the drive shaft or the high pressure pump which eases the process but still takes about 2,5h to do so. I think there will be quite some A2 owners who would appreciate a durable solution for the pipe over here in Germany as well.

I had a look at picture of the new steel pipe. The pipe is secured with a clip between the thermostate housing and the pipe to allow to pull out the pipe from the top together with the thermostate housing. Likewise the both parts are also assembled as a unit. The new pipe is missing the necessary recess for the clip at the thicker part on thermostate side. You would have to modify the pipe by turning this groove into the end piece to allow securing the pipe with the clip, see picture, I marked the area where the clip is seated (at the thermostate housing there is a cut out in this position).

Although I live in Germany I would serve as a tester for the new pipe in my A2, if you still need one.
I do have VCDS and know the 1.6 quite well. It is my daily driver so I could put some mileage on it in feasible time and also execute some high speed tests on our German Autobahns ;-)
 

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Indi said:
I don’t think corrosion should be an issue, as the coolant has corrosion inhibitors which will protect the inside, and as far as I’m aware the aluminium boost pipes on the TDIs don’t have issues with corrosion, though I guess the death pipe will experience higher temperatures…

That being said, stainless does feel like a higher quality option for some reason.
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Intercooler only carries air where as the death pipe carries coolant at far higher temperatures
 
kp 115 said:
Intercooler only carries air where as the death pipe carries coolant at far higher temperatures
Click to expand...
I think you'll find the air temp after the Turbo may very well be hotter than the coolant when the Turbo is working. Hence the need for an Intercooler.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk
 
@Phil_B

@Krebserl you raise a good point, well done for spotting.

Looking closely Phil at your earlier picture there appear to be no part channels for the clip to slide into.

1707317481904.png



The clip channel appears absent on your pipe which begs the question "what is the brand and part number"? For reference comparison with Topran pipe.

1707318292364.png


There is the question "is the clip needed"? Possibly not, the pipe is not going to go anywhere once everything is back together, but as many have found and as Krebserl describes very useful for assembly and removal of pipe. Audi designed the clip in, best to use it.

Most odd as you provided your fabricator with he clip I remember???

Andy
 
Here are some more detailed pics for your reference showing the clip and also the nose on top of the pipe to make sure it does not rotate !
This is also very important, since the pipe is angled and has to remain in its very exact position all the time to avoid being under tension and possible early failure.

Materialwise I wouldn‘t worry about the steel material. At the thermostate the pipe is sitting in glassfibre reinforced thermoplastic (probably PA—GF30) and at the water pump it is in the motor block from steel (probably GG-30). This should work well….although aluminum might be lighter and easier to machine as well.
 

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Thanks you for sharing the research and development of the pipe of death .

I've broken down a word prototype to help me understand the meaning. Thought I share what I found.

Proto
Type

The death pipe iterated until fruition is inspiring engineering work. Who would have thought the amount of complexity inherent in such a simple looking thing?

This a suggestion and not a criticism, as the a reader of this post I personally missed not seeing pictures of work being undertaken in the fabricators workshop and I think that your discussions with the fabricator would provide a good read and insight into that side of the design process. I speculate that most of this type of information would have been shared amongst other's at the club dinners?

All the best with this and future projects and I hope to see more R&D A2 parts design making their way onto the market page.

Good luck! Keep up the great work.
 
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The prototype does have the groove for the clip. I had to order a clip and send it to him in order to get the fitment exactly right.
What it is lacking is the locating lug to ensure it doesn't rotate in the housing. When i went to the last meet up, I had just collected the pipe and passed it round for everyone to see.
 
I've got the housing spare. He didn't fit the location lug so that I could collect it in time for the meal in November. I can weld on a lug myself. Just need to know where to put it.
 
Phil_B said:
I've got the housing spare. He didn't fit the location lug so that I could collect it in time for the meal in November. I can weld on a lug myself. Just need to know where to put it.
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Good Evening Again,

Just look at the original pipe, I think you will find it slides between the two prongs (top left).

1707439092688.png


Andy
 
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After suffering a possible head-gasket, loss of coolant issue I had on my 1.6 FSI a while back, The garage had the car for a week to change the head-gasket, only for me to break down at the side of the road the next day driving it back from work, in the end it was the death pipe that sprang a leak with the tiniest of holes, but enough to cause the coolant leak. (1.6 FSI Pine Green i had a while back), the Death pipe has always been one of those little niggling worries I have with the FSI. it was sold not long after..

If this could eliminate the issue I can see another 100k on the clock for these cars.
 
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