If your taking the belt off, you pretty much have to loosen those cam pullies.. you will have a hell of a time getting the belt tension right if you dont.

 

A few pics for your viewing pleasure. Sandblasted (lightly) the intake and throttle body and thoroughly washed all afterwards. It all cleaned up really nice with no damage. The engine compartment shot reveals the valley cover, which received the same treatment of sandblasting. Installed the valve covers then realized I forgot to insert the plastic baffles! It's all good now. Going to loosen those camshaft bolts and sprockets then dial in the timing and tighten it all down. So far, so good. . .Thanks to all for you input and help. Don't think I could be doing this without this forum. . .

 

Kewl.. Kinda shame you couldnt pull it all and give it a good bath... maybe in the Summer

 

You may want to eventually replace the oil cooler seal, since it may suddenly rupture during a bad winter storm. If it stops raining and freezing on the ground, I may get around to replacing the ruptured seal on my 1996 Audi A6 Quattro this week. I will try removing the nipple for the oil filter with an internal pipe wrench, so I won't have to disconnect the cooling hoses and loose coolant.

 

Unless my eyeballs are fooling me that picture looks like a double triangle not a star - But we don't have stars in NH so I don't know what they look like.

 

I don't know what to tell you, Fred.

The socket I used (E12) came from a 4-pc Great Neck set bought from AutoZone.
It was called "Interior Star Socket", so if I called the bolt "star-headed" on a wrongfully assumption basis, I apologize for the mistake.

 

Hi Gang!
Well, I've now got my real winter weather so I can now return to the project! A fair amount of snow now on the ground but that won't stop me as I'm about 80% finished with the job. Still no grommet for the missing one but I think I can fabricate one to stabilize the airbox good enough. The intake manifold is in place and I'll torque it down tomorrow, install the newly received o-rings on the injectors and then insert the unit. After that, it's mostly plugging in everything and staying warm. Stand by as I hope to turn this thing over in a few days. . .

 

Cool!
(Oops...I wasn;t refering to the weather )

 

Morning out there!
About 1 1/2 feet of snow, 3 hours yesterday plowing the property before I got to the A6, then some good progress. Intakes installed and torqued. Changing the oil, then, after the valve timing's all set, I'll remove the crank lock pin and SLOWLY turn the engine over by hand, hoping that all is good. Before that, I've a logic question: Not ever having taken off the Cam Sprockets, I understand they're a tapered lock fit, that there's no key or dowel that holds them in their rotational axis. So, if I loosen them, what's to keep them from slipping, the cam flopping off-timing from the pressure of some of the valve springs? I understand the need to loosen them so that the timing belt is properly tensioned, but am concerned that the whole thing goes "craps" if those cams should shift in any way. Help me with this concern and how to avoid this occuring IF it can occur in the first place. Then I'll loosen those sprockets, get 'er dialed in and buttoned up. After that, it's a matter of plugging everything in, filling/topping off fluids and fire her up- MAYBE!

 

Well.. some here say that if your careful, the cams will stay in place.. You can always try it, and if they do end up shifting, rent a lock bar..