Marty already knows, but I guess I'm eating my hat re the Audi heater matrix mod. After changing the o rings a couple of times and the joint still weeping, I decided that, given the age of the matrix and the fact that it's probably full of junk even after trying to flush it both ways, I'd replace it, and went the Audi route.

It is possible to do this mod without cutting or otherwise modifying the HEVAC unit itself, by splitting it in half, and getting the new heater core in place through the entry point. The tight bit is the plastic divider that sits sandwiched between the two halves of the unit, but with it in pieces, you can get the end of the heater core past that.

The most difficult part of the job is properly sealing the edges of the heater core, especially around the hole in the edge of the HEVAC unit. The long edges of the hole are easy enough, but the short edges are extremely tight in comparison and it was difficult to get the neoprene in the gap without rolling itself up.

Anyhow now it's in, it's not going anywhere. I've put two hoses through the bulkhead ready for connection back to the coolant circuit.

Cheers, ordered a couple, just in case.

Just hoping they are both there, otherwise I have to try and figure out the part number and find a supplier.

Thanks Ferryman, hopefully the dowels are with the block, because they aren't in the gearbox. :|

Ashcroft heavy duty plate ordered and on its way to V8 developments for balancing.

Better get all my parts ordered ready for reassembly.

Anyone got a picture showing where the alignment dowels for the engine/bellhousing go?

Ok so the consensus (all of two) seems to be to replace the flex plate regardless of the condition of the current one (except Ray at V8 reckons it looks absolutely fine so not to bother)..

50/50 on whether to go genuine or heavy duty. Anyone else want to add their opinion?

Its getting the torque camshaft, but I guess that won't take me wildly out of the realms of a genuine flex plate?

Looking at rave, replacing it sounds like a bolt off bolt on job with the engine being out?

Refitting the engine to the gearbox, rave mentions making alignment marks before removing, how critical is that? Because, obviously, I didn't. :)

Already had a go at the cruise control, but replacing the pipe didn't fix it; with the coolant issue at that point I didn't get any further in diagnosing why.

Flex plate.. should I go genuine LR, or for something beefier like this:
Ashcroft P38 v8 heavy duty flexplate

Pondering if there's anything I can do to my engine bay whilst the lump is out of it.

Is it worth doing anything with the sound-proofing/heat resistant foil that's looking a little moth-eaten?

Think I will go the route of wrapping my headers rather than using the metal shields (one is missing anyway) - has anyone tried doing this?

Gordon: All I can say is, assuming reassembly goes smoothly, you better sell yours and get a time machine to keep up ;)

Kinda wish his email had been less brief, wouldn't have worried me so much. I say that, but to be fair I had a beer and watched telly, so wasn't really that perturbed.

Anyway turns out my gudgeon pins are knackered, so he just wanted the go ahead on a new set of pistons. Add that to the previously mentioned spec, and there really isn't much left of the bottom end.

Email from Ray, sounds ominous, asking me to call urgently. :(

Certainly off the beaten track, but sat nav took me right there (google maps). Waiting for a call from Ray with the bad news.

Engine out and loaded in the boot of the wifes car. Tight fit through the boot opening on a saloon. Heavier than I expected too, after ferryman's comments about him being able to wander about with the bare block. Was easily a two man lift.

Thanks Gilbert; Ray seemed to think I probably wouldn't need to worry about shims, but I can do the checks once the work is done and go from there.

OB:
Mm, too much spendy, but equally, no point in doing a half assed job if I'm this far in. For all the above though it's still a lot less than Turners wanted, which means I can actually afford the cam upgrade.
I'm hoping front cover is OK; I'm sure Ray will let me know if not, but I've not had any oil pressure problems with this engine in the time I've had it, and oil gets to the rockers pretty quickly whilst just turning it over on the starter. Hardly scientific, I know.
Rocker wear; I'm not overly concerned here, as I'm not doing any more work on the heads at the moment. If I have to shim, I will, but hoping I can get away with it - the tolerances are pretty wide after all.

To add to the joyous spending, my dailys timing gear finally gave in the other day, so we're down to just the wifes car now. Five cars on the property and only one is a runner (and it doesn't exactly sound a1 at the moment). :(

Been chatting with Ray at V8 developments, and this is the general gist of what I'm hoping to go for:

Top hat liner block only (this comes with new cam bearings and core plugs)
New mains, big ends and rings
Balance full engine inc front pulley and flex plate (this inc pocketing of the pistons)
New oil pump gears and up rated relief valve kit
New seals and crucifixes
Labour if you were to give me a built short motor - this is all parts acid dipped and chemically cleaned and fully rebuilt. I have assumed pistons to be serviceable. I would measure pistons individually and bore block to suite which would eliminate any piston wear up to this stage.
MC1 high torque cam shaft short nose kit complete

I can't quite stretch to the "Pair latest spec ''Torque Master' heads", but if I suddenly find a pot of gold those can get done at a later date.

Since we're talking about tools, would a dial bore gauge be an easier to use tool than a internal bore micrometer? Presumably there are jobs for which both have their merits?

Gilbertd wrote:

mace wrote:

Gilbert; I take it you left the front cover on the engine then, from what you've said?

I left the front cover on as well as the front pulley. I only took the water pump off as removing the fan and viscous coupling gave me a lot more space at the front when lifting the engine out and I already had a new water pump to go on when the engine went back in.

Nod; I've taken it off too, mostly to inspect the pump. Looks prettty new inside and out; tiny amount of perceptible movement in the shaft when it was on the engine, but probably within expectations for the bearings.

Hi OB,

I have some of those tools; it's not so much the cost of the remaining tools, but rather the delays they will introduce. You've also reminded me that I need to get some calibration blocks for my micrometer.

If I have to measure everything, then that presumably means that I can't order bearings etc until the measurements have been performed after receiving the machined block back.

V8dev have at least a 2 week backlog at the moment, and I'm getting plenty of pressure at home to make this thing move under its own volition for more than 10 minutes between tear downs.

Think I'll pass on the fine Britpart offerings..

Gilbert; I take it you left the front cover on the engine then, from what you've said?

OB:

Seen those vids, braver than I am (although if I was against the wall, I probably wouldn't put it past myself to have a go).

I did consider having the work done up here, but there are only really two "proper" engineering shops I know of up in Glasgow, and one supplied me the wrong kit for the Tino engine rebuild I did a while back. The other got my business for the head skimming for this V8 and I couldn't fault their work or helpfulness. Only problem is they only have one guy that does machining and he's on holiday for the foreseeable, no doubt whilst work piles up for him.

A plus for V8 developments is that they are based near Spalding, and as my mother lives in Downham Market and I'll be seeing her in Sheffield with family in about a weeks time, I'm hoping I can lug the lump down there with me (via Devon for a family hol), bung it in her boot, and she can get it to them on her way home. Alternatively I might take it direct to Spalding then go to Sheffield, looks like its approximately a 2h30m detour. Depends on time really, and how the kids/wife cope with the drive.

Re the £950 package, I'll need to wait for them to come back to me with prices/recommendations. I'm happy to do some of the work myself, but don't have the gear to check bearing clearances or machining, so anything that might require that really needs them to do it.

Depending on numbers, I might bung the heads in with the block and get them to replace the valve stem seals/valves as required. Heads are already skimmed so that doesn't need redoing. Again as that all requires machining, although I'm quite happy lapping valves and putting it all back together, I doubt the labour saved if I get them to send me the parts will amount to anything worth bothering about.