Steering rack removal - How to

2013-08-17T09:00:00.002-07:00

This is the location of the ID-plate on the rack so you know which one to buy. You may get one used or refurbished on www.ebay.com/co.uk/de and so on.

My part-nr was 4A1 422 065 AL. There are many different numbers out there. Be sure to get one with the same number.

This is the new (used) steering rack bought on ebay.de. Search for Audi A6 Lenkgetriebe. That`s the german word for steering rack.

Drain the coolant from the engine. Later we will remove the heater hoses going to the heater core in the dash to access the power steering hoses on the rack. Put a pan under the car to catch the coolant.

Remove the air filter housing, the intake pipe, and the top plastic cover for the engine.

Next thing to go is the resonance box mounted on the throttle body. It is held on by two 10mm bolts. Pinch the connections on both crank case vent tubes and pull them off. One on each side.

There we have the damn steering rack. We`re not even halfway yet..

Remove the vacuum controlled valve for the heater core. This is located benieth the front windshield. Remove the big plastic cover to access it. It is held on by some hose clamps. Old heater hoses are some of the worst things to remove. they are almost "fusioned" to the pipes. But with a lot of struggle cussing and pulling it will come off.

These connections and bracket will have to go too. Push them aside. Held on by a 8mm bolt.

Here we see both heater hoses going to the vacuum valve and the heater core. Pull both hoses out and push them aside.

With both hoses gone we can finally see the banjo-connections on the steering rack. 19mm bolts. This is where it gets really tricky. If you have big hands this is even worse. It`s like sticking a hand inside a pringles box and turning it around to loosen/tighten these bolts. But it is possible. Power steering fluid will pour out so place a pan under the vehicle. I even put my mouth on the fluid reservoar and blowed all the old fluid thorugh. I want to start with all 100% new fluid.

Undo the tie rod ends on each side.

The steering rack is held on with a 16mm bolt on the passenger side. You`ll have to use a wrench with an extension and a flexible joint to undo the bolt. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the opposite side. There it`s much easier access. Only two 13mm bolts. Access though the wheel well.

Crawl on the floor and remove the 13mm bolt that connects the steering wheel to the rack. Use a flathead screwdriver to push the rack loose.

The steering rack is now 100% loose and can be removed though the hole on the passenger side of the car.

Cam-belt change - How to

2011-09-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

This guide covers cam belt, water pump, thermostat, roll bearing, and tensioner replacement. Equipment : CaThis guide covers cam belt, water pump, thermostat, roll bearing, and tensioner replacement.

Equipment :

Cam belt kit with the already mentioned parts.
Accessory belt. When you`re in there you might as well swap it.
5-6L coolant. My coolant was pink = G12/G12+. Do NOT mix red or blue!! It`ll clog up the passages and radiator..
Pulley holder tool. In order to keep it still when removing bolts.
Heat silicone.
Brake cleaner
Sockets/wrenches, common tools.
White marker
Drain pan for the coolant.

Anyways, look at the pics and do as I do.

Special tool :

Audi tools
Cam holder : 3242
Crank holder : 3243

Procedure:

My car did not have a splash guard panel underneath the engine. If your has, remove it.
Then, remove the plastic covers on the engine. The top one is attached with 4 (¼) turn screws.
The front cover is attached with 2 allen bolts.

Put a 17mm socket on the accessory belt tensioner and twist it til the belt comes off.
BTW notice how the belt is routed before you take it off. There are several different options!

Twist the tensioner until the two tiny service “holes” line up and put a screwdriver or something similar in it. I used a drill bit.

Next thing to come off is the power steering pump pulley.
Use the pulley holder device and undo the allen bolts.
NB : Make sure the allen bit is waaaaay in the bolt before you try to break it loose. Over the years these bolts get filled with crap and dirt. I tapped the bit with a hammer to make sure it was properly seated. Do so on ALL the allen bolts from now on!

Now we`re going to loosen the 8 crank pulley allen bolts. Notice LOOSEN, not undo completely!
Again, tap the bit with a hammer to make it seat properly.

Use a 24mm socket and turn the crankshaft clockwise!
A wrench like this works excellent.

TDC = Top Dead Center

The camshafts : "the wings" on the cam sprockets are pointed in horizontally position. One of the two holes in each “wing” is slightly bigger than the other one. They go towards center of the engine.
Crankshaft : Notice the tiny mark (1 o`clock) should line up with the mark on the plastic cover behind the crankpulley.

The left hole is slightly bigger.

The crankshaft is now alligned and the camshafts in right position. Now it`s time to install the special Audi tool.

The cam tool attaches to the sprockets and the holding pin makes it stay put.

The crank locking pin goes in the crank pos sensor hole in the block.

Now re-check the cam sprockets, and the crank pulley. If they are 100% lined up, then go ahead and completely remove the crank pulley.
Notice there are two slots to make sure it goes on only one way.

Remove the rear plastic cover. I think it`s held on by two 10mm bolts.
And remove the other smaller plastic cover held on by two allen bolts.

Finally we`re ready for the cam belt!
Clean the cam sprockets and crank pulley with brake cleaner.
Make some marks on the belt and the pulley and the two sprockets.

Now let`s remove the tensioner. Stick a big allen key in the “allen hole” haha, and hold it tight.
With another allen key undo the other bolt and it should loosen up. You know, this is the way you set the tension on the belt.

Away it goes and off comes the belt.

Put it on the ground and count the amount of teeth between the marks 100 times until you are 10000000% sure you got it right. Then make the same marks with equal distance on the new belt.
This is in theory not neccecary because of the special audi tool, but heck I`m not taking any chances.

Place the drain pan beneath the engine. Now we`re about to tackle the cooling system.

With the new waterpump as reference, look for the 9 (10mm) bolts holding the old one on.
The coolant will go all over the place..

Then let`s remove the thermostat housing. It`s held on by two allen bolts. You might have to tap it gently with a hammer to break it loose.

Clean out the area and around the edges.

The gasket goes OUTSIDE of the thermostat. NOT beween the block and thermostat. You might want to glue it a tiny bit with silicone to make sure it`s seated when installed.

Remember to mount it properly. The air vent holes goes on top!

With your finger apply a thin layer of silicone where the gasket goes. We do not want any leaks when everything is back in place.

Install the new roller bearing, tensioner and waterpump. (I dont know the torque specs, but I tightened it good.)

Route the new belt on the right camsprocket. Then over to the left one and all the way down to the crank.
Tip; Attach the belt to the sprockets with zip-ties. To make sure the belt don’t pop off. It worked like a charm!

Pop it over the tensioner. The belt is pretty tight so this might be a challenge but it will work.
Then tighten the belt. You should be able to twist it 90degrees more or less with your fingers.
Again, use the allen keys to give the tensioner “tension” and with the other one, tighten the allen bolt.

Remove the crank lock and the cam holder.

Now we have come this far.

Remove the zip ties and bolt on the plastic cover with the crank pulley mark.
Attach the pulley with 4 bolts only.
This is just temporarily to make sure the timing is correct!
Turn the crank clockwise. Give it a couple turns and make sure nothing interferes with the pistons..
After a couple turns and everything seems alright, attach the remaining 4 bolts on the crank pulley.
I mixed 6L coolant.
Pour gently in while squeezing the top radiator hose.

Remove the plastic cover beneath the windshield. There you`ll see a tiny air bleed nipple.
Undo this screw a couple turns while refilling the system. Then tighten when full.

Then we`re ready to start the engine! Fingers crossed!
Listen for any abnormal noises. My tensioner made a howling noise. That means the belt is a bit to tight. I loosened the tensioner and it was perfect.

Put on the plastic covers and the new accessory belt. We`re 99% complete!!!
Undo the lid on the expansion tank, start the car and let it warm up. Turn off AC and the heater. Do not rev the engine cause the waterpump is brand new and still dry cause the thermostat is closed.
When the thermostat has opened, rev the eninge occasionally to bleed the system.
Check for leaks.

JOB DONE!

Audi 2.6/2.8 **V6** cam-belt and steering rack DIY with pics

Steering rack removal - How to

Cam-belt change - How to

Audi 2.6/2.8 V6 cam-belt and steering rack DIY with pics