Project A4

[Andy]

What's the logic of stuffing a fuel filter above the f--ing gas tank? I've never understood that.

[Chris]

did you really notice a difference after replacing the filter?

[ScottyB]

did you really notice a difference after replacing the filter?

yeah, i did, esp. at low rpms

[ScottyB]

Well after BJ, Mikey, and Pete posted up some cool yearly reviews, i figured i might as well join the bandwagon. it's actually been a year ( :!: ) since i aquired the car and figured a writeup might be kinda cool.

many of you know the story behind the car, most don't. the original thread is here. i got the car from my father, who wanted to move on to something newer. needless to say, there is alot of sentiment and fond memories tied up in this thing, so it's been very much a labor of love with this car. i'll try not to let that taint my review :lol: .

OVERALL PICTURE -
this car is my DD. it does all the long haul trips, takes me 60 miles round trip to work every day and is the first choice for foul weather travels. its also my big toy, and has to satisfy my speed needs. as such, it has been mildly modified with performance engine management, a boost gauge, upgraded front brakes and some other minor things. some of you may wonder why i don't look into other cars for the needs i seek. truth is, alot of it is the aforementioned sentiment, and alot is also the fact that i want to be different and i believe this chassis has a lot of potential for those who really want to bring it out. anyhow, i ask alot of it and it has put some bad B5 chassis myths to rest, while increasing my awareness of some other negative nuances of the wierd character that is Audi.

BODY and INTERIOR -
i got the car in august '05 with 67k on it and many original parts. it was garage kept and was mostly driven around town. so far, there have been almost no creaks or groans from any interior part and the seats, steering wheel, and shifter show little to no signs of wear. the underbody has comprehensive protection from the elements and shows not a single spot of rust. the front edge of the hood has taken a beating from rocks and shows only a few nicks. got a crack in the window from a stone kicked up by a dumptruck...that's the only really noticable body damage, and can be easily fixed. the red interior lighting is cool and i love the overall lines and feel of the parts. i have to say the stereo is a total dissapointment...having to hook up a discman to my tape deck is just retarded. but anyway i really enjoy just looking at the car, Audi hit a home run with this thing in my book in terms of looks.

SUSPENSION -
i have been very pleased with the travel, compliance, and balance this suspension provides. although it is the sport package, the ride remains completely tolerable but doesn't wallow or bottom out at all. the multilink f/r suspension is extremely smooth, alleviates any percievable bump steer, and not a trace of torque steer....however i have not been super impressed with the longevity of the ball joints. they're creaking alot on cold mornings and i reckon they will need either immediate attention with a grease gun or replacement in the next 20k or so. nothing really problematic, just annoying. the addition of sportier Avon M550 all seasons woke up the grip quite a bit.

ENGINE -
i was lucky enough to end up with a chassis that came with the AEB code 1.8T, which in my case was the last model year this engine was used for 1.8T models. this particular engine has bigger ports in the head and some cool features in the bottom end like forged pistons, among other things. the 1.8T has a great deal of potential, but is unfortunately saddled with minor, deep rooted problems that make it hard to get past the face value of the driving and modification experience. the Bosch ME7 ECM is re-freaking-diculously complex and is the biggest hurdle to overcome in making big changes and diagnosing problems. there are also hardware issues like faulty sensors, short lived ancilliaries systems and metal stressing in the exhaust system (cracks and hairline fractures)....sounds great, right? i have had mostly good success with the exception of replacing the t-belt and water pump at 70k miles as precautionary maintainance. not being able to do the job myself put the hurt on my wallet. i'm also getting a little lifter noise at idle, but it's not a big deal at all. as for the driving experience, the heavy flywheel limits response a bit, but the power delivery is so smooth, and so punchy down low that it's easily overlooked. i love the monster torque for shooting the gaps in traffic but i'm longing for real power....that will come in time though. many people have made nearly 400 chp safely on stock internals and with upgraded rods as the only modded internals, 500+ is not unreasonable at all.

TRANNY -
the 5 speed has been very smooth and the clutch is super light but sucks for feel and response. gearing is super low thanks to only having 150hp in stock form to move 3200 pounds of car. on cold mornings, rushing the synchros is a big no-no. the lightness is a relief in traffic but when the going get's sporty i'm left quite dissapointed. the shifter has alot of play and i balk downshifts from time to time if i hurry it. there's also alot of movement that is due to the soft engine mounts...but ultimately i need to learn to deal with the character of the shifting better. i've had to replace the clutch twice in 10k miles, which was the result of a faulty rear main seal that spewed oil on it and was replaced under warranty. the single most disspointing aspect of this car is the clutch/flywheel, it takes everything away from the joy of heel/toeing and if the response is terrible, the feel is worse. this is the only manual car i've ever driven that has taken me more than a few months to master shifting in. i'm really looking forward to a real cluth/fly combo. the Quattro IV AWD is incredible at maintaining progress but the bias is too far frontward. so far i don't have much experience with it's merits except for one snowstorm where it was stellar. many people run silly HP through these boxes with no problem at all...its more of a truck gearbox than anything, so at least the strength is there

BRAKES -
strong, if not a little vague. takes some getting used to the touchiness, but once that's down you can drive it as smooth as anything. the addition of the A8 front brakes has made fade a non-issue in every environment. the brake pedal is mounted to high though (audi always does this, it sucks) so heel/toe is difficult. aftermarket pedals have helped that though. the modification possibilities for brake systems on the B5 are very impressive, if you have money you can put some outrageous systems on there.

DRIVING EXPERIENCE -
again, that torque is so nice. its fun to use the low gearing to dig out of the hole and just go where you want, when you want. the driving atmosphere is very serene, because of the general smoothness of the whole package and the ergonomics. if you really toss it around, it won't bite back but will instead just hold on and then phase into understeer until you jump off the throttle. the weight over the nose makes transitions at high g's a little sloppy but it's no worse than any FWD i've ever driven. if you really play the power delivery right, and take a line that works with the car's weight distribution and balance you can really roll out of a corner with some authority. on the highway, the overdrive is geared way too high, but 30+mpg is no problem. it's quiet and the seats are wonderful and amazingly adjustable. climate control is fantastic but.....i hate the stereo. it blows. insurance is silly cheap.

I LOVE -
torque
its a beautiful car (horrible color though)
smooth when you want it to be
punchy when you need it to be
interior is really screwed down tight and fits great
safety net of AWD and many safety features
good economy
the overall build of the car is very strong
handling is progressive but not eye opening
modification path can be mild to super wild
the VW scene is great, although kinda weird 8)

I HATE -
expensive parts
short life span of many important parts
much of the car tries to be too spread out, i.e. sporty feel but falls a few nothes down when the going gets fast
dealership is a racket
metric tools and bizarre specialty tools
the Audi scene is mostly elitist pricks (no offense Paul)
damn clutch/flywheel

thats about it. hit me up with any questions, and sorry this got to be a novel...i'm trying to hold back but it's just not my nature, ha

[Feersty]

Nice writeup Scotty. Car&Driver quality.

[ScottyB]

been keepin track of milage this past month....doesn't seem too bad! my driving is:

75% work commute
15% errand running
10% personal travels (visiting relatives, fun drives)

that translates to basically 90% highway and 4 lane surface streets.

so far i'm averaging between about 28 mpg. solid, fill up to fill up highway treks will net me more in the 30-32 mpg range if i don't get above 80 mph much....which is alot.

the most miles i can pull between fillups before i puss out is 370 miles at which point the low fuel light comes op -- at the final 3 gallons apparently.

[ScottyB]

another weak sauce update.

took care of a nagging thing - my b00st gauge came with white numerals that contrasted hard with the stock red color. it was also buzzing really badly under high load between 0 and 8 psi.

i ended up finding the cheapest place online to buy one of those colored "bulb condoms" or whatever you call them and put two on there (haha i'm double baggin that junk) and luckily they fit perfectly.

also got the boost gauge tubing kit from 42draftdesigns. they have some really nice gauge solutions for dubs and their tubing kit was perfect - high quality line, a nice fitting for tube-->gauge and an anti-buzz t-fitting where the guage line connects to my FPR (yes its on there good and tight, no i won't lose fuel pressure).

really lucked out with how well the font matched up. thanks Chan! :thumbup:






coming up:

this weekend will probably be my attempt at a heat shield to go with the open element intake that i'm peicing together. the audi airbox is actually excellent, the problem is that it's big and i'd like room to eventually mount a catch can in that space (cramped engine bay fo sho)
probably in the next month or two i'm going to go mideival on my lifters. i'm not even going to get into it right now, but i'll take pics, give a writeup with results and you can be pretty much assured it'll be some crazy shite.

[Feersty]

Looks factory!!

[Chris]

looking good Scotty! Hopefully one of these days I'll get a chance to see the car in person.

[Ginger]

It does look really good, Scotty. Come to think of it, I've never seen your car, either. Keep up the good work.

[ScottyB]

thanks. and its creakier, slower, and higher off the ground than you can gather from pictures :lol:

[Sijray21]

looks good scotty! i can always count on you for making something look good when you create it yourself.

[ScottyB]

yesterday i get rear ended, today i get boost leaks.

the best part is that i didn't know it until i was merging onto the highway after work, where i normally floor it. boost gauge hit a brick wall at 5 psi right as i am getting in front of a truck hock: go dammit!

limp mode FTW! for the car i mean!

[ScottyB]

well, found out today after a quick glance under the hood -- i forgot to reconnect a sensor after taking the intake apart this weekend. limp mode averted!

so now that i don't have to worry about spending 80 bucks on a torn hose or something, i can concentrate back on what i meant to do as my next project....replace the gear oil in my tranny and rear diff.

so here's the question guys - what gear oil do you like? its between royal purple and red line right now, both 75W90. RP is a little more expensive and i've also heard it's really a top notch product. however redline is very popular, proven, and costs less. i will need 5 qts.

what do you all recommend?

[.RJ]

Motul Gear 300 for me.... great stuff. Order from HMS Motorsport.

[Andy]

I've been using Amsoil in the my cars recently. It's great stuff and maybe its more readily available since you're in the south.

[ScottyB]

thanks for the input fellas. i'm considering both of those choices...still doing research and figuring out some other random logistics.

[ScottyB]

5 qts. of Motul Gear 300 on the way from HMS Motorsports. Thanks for the advice RJ, they were much cheaper than anywhere else and great customer service. i looked into Amsoil too but Motul had some stellar reviews and i'd like to try something different. plus, putting motorsport related fluids in my car makes me feel cool!

got an AEM dryflow filter and 2.5" 180 degree aluminized steel u-bend coming from Jegs to complete my new intake. also a suction pump to put the gear oil into the rear diff. it will probably leak all over me but since i'll only do this like once every 3 years, i decided i'm too cheap to buy something nicer.

lastly, i've got all the junk i'll need to do my hydro lifter enema this weekend. i'll take videos.

she's coming along, slowly but surely. mostly slowly. :roll:

[D_Eclipse9916]

Nice scotty, your intake setup is what I did, cut the 180 into pieces and weld em together then put on the AEM dryflow. That sucks thjat you have to use a suction pump for the rear diff.

[ScottyB]

Nice scotty, your intake setup is what I did, cut the 180 into pieces and weld em together then put on the AEM dryflow. That sucks thjat you have to use a suction pump for the rear diff.

i'm hoping it will fit w/o cutting and welding...my measuring was pretty good but i guess we'll find out :lol:

yeah....i don't like working under the car, let alone while trying to pump fluids uphill from a cheap suction pump. hopefully i'll have some pictures of me covered in gear oil for you to laugh at.