VW to Audi sportswagen.

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

So I had my VW Jetta built to nearly 400hp according to online calculations. Then it was in a wreck and deemed totaled due to its age. Finally came to an agreement with insurance and I kept it and took some money. I looked and looked for something similar but something I could make road trips in to work in WTX…rain or shine. I stumbled across an Audi A4 B6 Avant Quattro with a 5spd. Mmmm. Classic signs of a blown head gasket. So I bought it down in the Big Easy and drug it back on a trailer. Tossed in a new head gasket and it was still blowing water and exhaust into the reservoir. Dang. But the head on my VW was the same style just a better casting. This run of B6 Audi 1.8 motors are prone to cracking. Welp.

So I swapped the heads and fired it up today. Deleted some emissions crap and the cat and it’s off to the races. Needs two new headlights and a rear right taillight. New tires, all new fluids, and it’ll be ready.

I went with a manual tensioner after some researching. It’s from a late ‘90s VW and just by using that Ive saved nearly $150 in OEM style hydro tensioners having to swap heads. Wished I had dropped the coin on a set of reusable ARP head bolts. Oh, well.












They said this was totaled.





Old head


There were several. Don’t know if I missed them or they were a new development. I did hear two pops as I torqued the old head with a new gasket.





Stripped in less than 1 hour. Lol.

[zachcrosby [Veteran Member]]

Nice! What’s the plans for the Jetta?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

Nice! What’s the plans for the Jetta?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Move fun parts over and possibly part some of it out. Thinking of selling the tranny, axles, and new clutch kit that never got installed to fund some new higher compression pistons and PC tuning program. I have another that’s an auto I got for my oldest kid but now my wife is crawfishing about giving it to her after I got hit in mine. I was doing as taught in driver’s Ed all these years later and an older lady just didn’t see me. Small grey cars just don’t stick out.

[Reserector [Veteran Member]]

Small grey cars just don’t stick out.

Needs flames.

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

Small grey cars just don’t stick out.

Needs flames.

Absolutely. I was thinking of doing that infamous VW harlequin paint scheme though.

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

This car is testing my sanity. It’s working but the fuse box has some corrosion. Which when fuses were wiggled cause a catastrophic cascade of sensor faults and ground to shorts. I finally got that sorted started looking into the exhaust leak. Put the 25ft/lbs torque wrench on two studs and they snapped off. Awesome. Guess I’ll need to use some OEM and not black iron parts bin studs now.

But she is coming along. I have it insured and tagged.

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

Got this thing OTR and made two trips into WTX with it. Happened across an unmarked dirt speed bump on a dirt lease road and Bo & Luke Duked it. Results were a busted oil pan. Changed it on site with a borrowed shop crane lifting the engine 2-3”.







Pull the engine and put new crank bearings along with new H beam rods and forged pistons. One exhaust valve had a hairline crack so I put in new stainless exhaust valves. Research lead me to a single mass flywheel and clutch assembly from an Audi RS6 that’s OEM capable of holding 400/400 power numbers, and cheap. Big turbo and big injectors as well line up a tuner to tune it remotely. Super excited. Get intake plumbed in along with a big new intercooler.

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

Finally first start it after months of tinkering and burp the cooling system. Heat is blowing hot air and all seems well. I give it a couple of 2500 throttle blips to hear the new turbo whistle and it dies with a couple of clunks.







Tadaaaaa! Pistons are shot.



Head is rurnt.


Valve didn’t drop..?


Looks like a casting flaw/bubble. Instant refund when I sent this pic to the vendor.

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

Meanwhile I scored an ‘06 Touareg with a 4.2L v8 and a severe wiring problem for Uber cheap. But has more hidden issues than I bargained for. It had trans solenoid issues that previous owner thought was wiring. Looks like I’ll be horse trading it the local scrap yard for a motor.

[Brake Weight [Veteran Member]]

Touareg is trash. Previous owner thought trans issue was electrical and not mechanical even though a quick google clearly says it’s the valve bank. Which is apparently a notorious failure part. So it’s $600 lost sitting to the side.

As for my Audi I’ve been busy. Junkyard block and head which turned out to be a reman head. Sent head off to get stainless intake valves and iconnel exhaust valves. New seals and guides as well. Drop in H beam rods with stock pistons and new rings along with a fresh cross hatch. Also have a new 340lph fuel pump to put in once off the ramps along with the 900cc injectors once tuner gets back with me. 3” intake to turbo and 2.5” tubing in/out of big intercooler. Same clutch from B7RS4 and single mass flywheel. Have to fab a new pushrod about 1/4” longer to make it work right due to stack height difference at throwout bearing. Been a year coming but had a first start a week ago but work called wanting some help at the rig.