Erlingtheyounger
Member
I suspect the ‘rubbing’ isn’t an issue on the 75 because it has greater flex due to it being rubber.
DJ's adventures in A2 land
- Thread starter dj_efk
- Start date
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Today it was Akoya’s turn on the ramps for a precautionary oil change and for the first time since collection from DS Motorsport I had the bonnet off and under tray off:
When I bought Akoya the seller had told me it had a service only around 2-3000 miles ago but always best to go ahead and service a new-to-me steed I say, plus regular readers will recall I had 80l minus one oil change (now in Audrey) of Mannol 7715 approved VW oil in stock as it was so ridiculously cheap on eBay compared to Castrol or Qantum (See this thread for details ); also a few months back I’d picked up a small job lot of Mann (OEM) oil filters for about the equivalent of £5.40 each - so it seemed rude not to ahead of the winter.
So did I find any issues and also what about the alloy lower boost pipe, was that in imminent danger of its clip wearing through and causing boost loss as per the design flaw noted in my previous posts and In this thread?
View with the bonnet off and the first issue presented itself: Note the missing bolts and their fixings securing the front bumper to the car (@Clackers / @A2Steve could I ask you to save me some replacements - not sure if they’re body coloured or not, if so then next time you get a similar coloured car in?) :
I was pleased to see the engine cover was still with the car (and was further amazed to see the fragile foam cam cover insulation jacket in its rightful place too - and installed exactly how I had previously installed Audrey’s by the way, so that answers the question posed on the previous page as to whether it was positioned correctly, if you’ll pardon my smugness!
Second issue: the upper boost pipe mounting point appears to have sheared or perhaps there’s a part missing - anyone know what’s happened here?
I whipped off the under tray and noted it was in excellent condition even if a few bolts were missing which thanks to @Clackers sending me that previously noted bag of fixings wasn’t a problem! In fact both the tray and the insulation jacket must be fairly recent thinking about it judging from their condition, so I bet they were replaced by Paul during his ownership; as everything I see so far and also the mountain of recent history with the car indicates he lavished a lot of love and attention on it as well as miles.
I undid the sump plug to let the oil drain. It seemed in good condition, black obviously, but seemed and smelled like it was relatively recent, the filter was a quality Bosch item and also looked clean.
I found a top tip at this point to help minimise spillage: unscrew the filter housing but don’t remove it while the oil drains from it - and hence into the housing and down to the sump and out the plug - for a good half hour while I carried on my inspection under the car looking for further issues prevented any drops as it was removed.
I took a look at the lower boost pipe, no pics but the clip that wears through the pipe was broken off at the mounting / base plate and in its place a loosely-tied zip tie secured the pipe whilst allowing it to move around as it needs. This had been well judged and executed, so I left it well alone and moved on.
Now whilst Akoya drives very nice, I’ve always felt there to be a touch too much vibration and movement originating from the the engine and box, I had therefore assumed the dog bone mount was on the way out and had been lucky enough to pick up a decent Febi one for a Polo that would be just the job for £33 delivered. To check this was indeed the culprit I grabbed and rocked the powertrain unit while watching the rubber mount under there, but to my astonishment my eye was instead drawn to massive movement where the bracket bolts to the gearbox!!
Both bolts were not even finger tight! Easy fix thought I - so I grabbed the 15mm socket and went to torque them up - Can you guess what happened?
Yes it turns out that what’s actually occurred here is the threads in both the mountings have actually failed and pulled loose, so they would not do up - when I removed both bolts they had chunks of thread trapped on them, so I now need to drill out and helicoil the mounting holes with the mount removed - something I’m not sure I trust myself to do and I don’t know where to start in terms of buying the correct kit! Any tips here?
I am amazed the car drove as well as it did, no wonder there was the odd clunk and just a little more vibration than Audrey produces in the cabin. I was by now running out of time, managed to get the rearmost bolt done up to just more than finger tight and put the car back together, filled with oil and reset the service indicator as per @Birchall’s how-to thread on this:
I then drove very gently back to my in-laws where I’m currently living ahead of the big move. I was pleased that much of the loose feeling and clunks were noticeably absent.
I may have to admit defeat on this one and book the car into a garage as to me it seems a high-stakes repair, I’m not sure however, as despite the drilling out of the threads being involved, YouTube videos make it look a relatively simple repair - would anyone know how I could find the correct helicoil kit so I can be sure my bolts will fit?
When I bought Akoya the seller had told me it had a service only around 2-3000 miles ago but always best to go ahead and service a new-to-me steed I say, plus regular readers will recall I had 80l minus one oil change (now in Audrey) of Mannol 7715 approved VW oil in stock as it was so ridiculously cheap on eBay compared to Castrol or Qantum (See this thread for details ); also a few months back I’d picked up a small job lot of Mann (OEM) oil filters for about the equivalent of £5.40 each - so it seemed rude not to ahead of the winter.
So did I find any issues and also what about the alloy lower boost pipe, was that in imminent danger of its clip wearing through and causing boost loss as per the design flaw noted in my previous posts and In this thread?
View with the bonnet off and the first issue presented itself: Note the missing bolts and their fixings securing the front bumper to the car (@Clackers / @A2Steve could I ask you to save me some replacements - not sure if they’re body coloured or not, if so then next time you get a similar coloured car in?) :
I was pleased to see the engine cover was still with the car (and was further amazed to see the fragile foam cam cover insulation jacket in its rightful place too - and installed exactly how I had previously installed Audrey’s by the way, so that answers the question posed on the previous page as to whether it was positioned correctly, if you’ll pardon my smugness!
Second issue: the upper boost pipe mounting point appears to have sheared or perhaps there’s a part missing - anyone know what’s happened here?
I whipped off the under tray and noted it was in excellent condition even if a few bolts were missing which thanks to @Clackers sending me that previously noted bag of fixings wasn’t a problem! In fact both the tray and the insulation jacket must be fairly recent thinking about it judging from their condition, so I bet they were replaced by Paul during his ownership; as everything I see so far and also the mountain of recent history with the car indicates he lavished a lot of love and attention on it as well as miles.
I undid the sump plug to let the oil drain. It seemed in good condition, black obviously, but seemed and smelled like it was relatively recent, the filter was a quality Bosch item and also looked clean.
I found a top tip at this point to help minimise spillage: unscrew the filter housing but don’t remove it while the oil drains from it - and hence into the housing and down to the sump and out the plug - for a good half hour while I carried on my inspection under the car looking for further issues prevented any drops as it was removed.
I took a look at the lower boost pipe, no pics but the clip that wears through the pipe was broken off at the mounting / base plate and in its place a loosely-tied zip tie secured the pipe whilst allowing it to move around as it needs. This had been well judged and executed, so I left it well alone and moved on.
Now whilst Akoya drives very nice, I’ve always felt there to be a touch too much vibration and movement originating from the the engine and box, I had therefore assumed the dog bone mount was on the way out and had been lucky enough to pick up a decent Febi one for a Polo that would be just the job for £33 delivered. To check this was indeed the culprit I grabbed and rocked the powertrain unit while watching the rubber mount under there, but to my astonishment my eye was instead drawn to massive movement where the bracket bolts to the gearbox!!
Both bolts were not even finger tight! Easy fix thought I - so I grabbed the 15mm socket and went to torque them up - Can you guess what happened?
Yes it turns out that what’s actually occurred here is the threads in both the mountings have actually failed and pulled loose, so they would not do up - when I removed both bolts they had chunks of thread trapped on them, so I now need to drill out and helicoil the mounting holes with the mount removed - something I’m not sure I trust myself to do and I don’t know where to start in terms of buying the correct kit! Any tips here?
I am amazed the car drove as well as it did, no wonder there was the odd clunk and just a little more vibration than Audrey produces in the cabin. I was by now running out of time, managed to get the rearmost bolt done up to just more than finger tight and put the car back together, filled with oil and reset the service indicator as per @Birchall’s how-to thread on this:
I then drove very gently back to my in-laws where I’m currently living ahead of the big move. I was pleased that much of the loose feeling and clunks were noticeably absent.
I may have to admit defeat on this one and book the car into a garage as to me it seems a high-stakes repair, I’m not sure however, as despite the drilling out of the threads being involved, YouTube videos make it look a relatively simple repair - would anyone know how I could find the correct helicoil kit so I can be sure my bolts will fit?
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to me that looks like one of those activated carbon filters from the colour - and it's not that bad.. You should have seen the one that came on my other half's car - taking it out was like removing the collector from the back of the lawnmower in autumn!
ps . you're missing two push-rivets securing the bumper skin to the crash bar underneath - if you're taking the inner wings and undertray off every so often I would suggest getting a bag of new ones in as they are a godsend getting rid of rattles and so on, and you always destroy at least one releasing them if they're older. They come in a sort of matte charcoal colour - I've bought two bags off Ebay recently doing the bumper skin on my other half's car as well as future plans for a horn replacement and a/c radiator replacement respectively on my A2s.
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Thanks Robin, you may be right on the filter, however it made my hands filthy so I’m pleased it’s changed overall, although good to know it hasn’t been as neglected as I thought.
I don’t suppose you have a link to the eBay listing?
I get through a lot of these, but they are worth it whenever you go under the inner wheel arches on a car you've not worked on yourself before (or worked on by A2oc-approved places) - made such a difference getting rid of random rattles and vibrations on my other half's car on local roads and dual carriageways when you find there are only 2 under there and a random woodscrew when there are supposed to be 8 or 9 push rivets and all the 4.8mmx 16 torx screws at the bottom were missing!!! you use 4 of these on the top edge of the bumper skin.
Bottom edge you need 3 or 4 (can't remember) of the same torx screws mentioned above but also you need the spire clips (speed clips) that you push over the adjacent panel edge and then screw into ; these are often awol as well.
Have now pasted links for all the fixings I've been using recently in below. the last ones are also bloody useful when the maintenance history is iffy and panels are a bit rough - these have a bigger integrated flange so if holes have expanded you can still tighten things up if there is a spire clip in place behind to retain the threads.
Bottom edge you need 3 or 4 (can't remember) of the same torx screws mentioned above but also you need the spire clips (speed clips) that you push over the adjacent panel edge and then screw into ; these are often awol as well.
Have now pasted links for all the fixings I've been using recently in below. the last ones are also bloody useful when the maintenance history is iffy and panels are a bit rough - these have a bigger integrated flange so if holes have expanded you can still tighten things up if there is a spire clip in place behind to retain the threads.
50 x AUDI Wheel Arch Lining Clip Fastener Retainer Expanding Rivet | eBay
Wheel Arch Lining Clip Fastener Retainer Expanding Rivet for AUDI.
www.ebay.co.uk
AUDI VW SEAT SKODA SPIRE CLIP SPEED U NUT CLAMP 4.8mm N0154581 ANTI RUST COATING | eBay
VW corresponding part number N0154581. Very common for various parts and areas on VW Audi Seat Skoda models. BEFORE YOU BUY - Make sure these are what you need - These are not the only speed nut used on these models, there is many different sizes.
www.ebay.co.uk
20 x VW AUDI ENGINE COVER UNDERTRAY SPLASHGUARD WHEEL ARCH TORX SCREW | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 20 x VW AUDI ENGINE COVER UNDERTRAY SPLASHGUARD WHEEL ARCH TORX SCREW at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
FORD SCREW 5mm Pack of 10 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for FORD SCREW 5mm Pack of 10 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.
www.ebay.co.uk
depronman
A2OC Donor
Why not tap the stripped holes the next size up rather than heli coil it
Then drill the pendulum steel plate holes to suit and fit bigger diameter bolts
I think that are m12 so m14 is the next std size
Paul
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Wow, you’re a true legend and a gent Robin, very grateful for you taking the time to share.I get through a lot of these, but they are worth it whenever you go under the inner wheel arches on a car you've not worked on yourself before (or worked on by A2oc-approved places) - made such a difference getting rid of random rattles and vibrations on my other half's car on local roads and dual carriageways when you find there are only 2 under there and a random woodscrew when there are supposed to be 8 or 9 push rivets and all the 4.8mmx 16 torx screws at the bottom were missing!!! you use 4 of these on the top edge of the bumper skin.
Bottom edge you need 3 or 4 (can't remember) of the same torx screws mentioned above but also you need the spire clips (speed clips) that you push over the adjacent panel edge and then screw into ; these are often awol as well.
Have now pasted links for all the fixings I've been using recently in below. the last ones are also bloody useful when the maintenance history is iffy and panels are a bit rough - these have a bigger integrated flange so if holes have expanded you can still tighten things up if there is a spire clip in place behind to retain the threads.
50 x AUDI Wheel Arch Lining Clip Fastener Retainer Expanding Rivet | eBay
Wheel Arch Lining Clip Fastener Retainer Expanding Rivet for AUDI.www.ebay.co.uk
AUDI VW SEAT SKODA SPIRE CLIP SPEED U NUT CLAMP 4.8mm N0154581 ANTI RUST COATING | eBay
VW corresponding part number N0154581. Very common for various parts and areas on VW Audi Seat Skoda models. BEFORE YOU BUY - Make sure these are what you need - These are not the only speed nut used on these models, there is many different sizes.www.ebay.co.uk
20 x VW AUDI ENGINE COVER UNDERTRAY SPLASHGUARD WHEEL ARCH TORX SCREW | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 20 x VW AUDI ENGINE COVER UNDERTRAY SPLASHGUARD WHEEL ARCH TORX SCREW at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.www.ebay.co.uk
FORD SCREW 5mm Pack of 10 | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for FORD SCREW 5mm Pack of 10 at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.www.ebay.co.uk
So the holes visibly in the top of Akoya’s bumper - do the above links cover all the missing fixings would you say, or just some?
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Hmmm!
You know what, I might just give that a go. I guess I would need bolts of around 40mm in length, possibly 50mm.
Thanks Paul
the holes in the top of the bumper cover are 4x push rivet, that's all - in the photo 2 were missing.
The other things I've listed are used around the base of the inner wheel arch (front and rear lower ends where FSi spoilers and mudflaps attach) and in the bits joining the arches and bumper together next to the windscreen washer bottle behind the panel, undertray fixings and so on. As well obviously as a lot of push rivets under each inner arch.
ps. please don't call me a legend - I used to play charades a lot as a student 20 years ago and it makes me think you're calling me a foot.
The other things I've listed are used around the base of the inner wheel arch (front and rear lower ends where FSi spoilers and mudflaps attach) and in the bits joining the arches and bumper together next to the windscreen washer bottle behind the panel, undertray fixings and so on. As well obviously as a lot of push rivets under each inner arch.
ps. please don't call me a legend - I used to play charades a lot as a student 20 years ago and it makes me think you're calling me a foot.
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dj_efk
A2OC Donor
@depronman - ok Paul I’ve just bought the tap set, an adjustable handle and a selection (40 / 50 / 60mm) of M14x1.5 bolts. Wish me luck
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
Today was D-Day for sorting out the stripped dog bone mount threads on Akoya’s MYP gearbox!
One helicoil kit:
I’ve never done anything like this before but all was fine apart from difficulties ensuring I was drilling straight while lying on my back under the car!! - Luckily the kit is comprehensive apart from the tap handle, which I bought separately - and is good quality. It all went smoothly, I quickly had the new threads / helicoils in and soon I was ready to reinstall the dog bone mount itself.
I’d bought a new Febi Polo item when I thought the mount itself was shot and hence the cause of the vibration and loose engine / box feeling - I thought I may as well fit it: side by side comparison:
Comparing their condition - yep good thing I have a new one:
I had the original mounting plate swapped to the new mount in no time and everything went back together with no issues from there, with the bolts going into the repaired threads on the gearbox and doing up lovely and tight - success!!!
So satisfying. The drive home was just that little bit more refined and i felt glad to have saved myself a couple of hundred quid in garage repair bill!
One helicoil kit:
I’ve never done anything like this before but all was fine apart from difficulties ensuring I was drilling straight while lying on my back under the car!! - Luckily the kit is comprehensive apart from the tap handle, which I bought separately - and is good quality. It all went smoothly, I quickly had the new threads / helicoils in and soon I was ready to reinstall the dog bone mount itself.
I’d bought a new Febi Polo item when I thought the mount itself was shot and hence the cause of the vibration and loose engine / box feeling - I thought I may as well fit it: side by side comparison:
Comparing their condition - yep good thing I have a new one:
I had the original mounting plate swapped to the new mount in no time and everything went back together with no issues from there, with the bolts going into the repaired threads on the gearbox and doing up lovely and tight - success!!!
So satisfying. The drive home was just that little bit more refined and i felt glad to have saved myself a couple of hundred quid in garage repair bill!
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