I'm hoping someone with experience could answer a question for me. I'm looking to buy an b5 a4 1.8t, but I'm thinking of buying one with lowish miles like 80-90k and running it till it dies, or buying one with alot of miles and just rebuilding it myself so its reliable. With that said I've never rebuilt and engine before and was wondering if you think an amateur can successfully rebuild the motor with a repair guide (wat ever audi calls factory service manuals) and possibly a dvd if I can find one.

I'm thinking the rebuild would give me a more reliable car and save me money that could be spent in other areas. But could I do it right?

 

why not just buy a 90k mile car that doesnt need to be rebuilt? there are plenty of them out there. i bought mine at 92k miles and there is now 125k and it runs like brand new. granted i take care of it very well.

and what exactly do you mean by 'rebuild'? strip and reassemble the whole engine? just replace normal wear and tear items? doing work that isnt necessary will never increase the reliability of your vehicle. its just wasted money.

 

if you find an busted beater and get a fantastic price on it you could theoretically, do the work yourself. you will need a guide http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=282450 and lots of time. if you have another car to get you around, you could just spend a few hours a couple nights a week and have it done eventually. this would also give you the opportunity to build a stout bottom end ready for future projects.

 

I have plenty of time and a mazda to get around town in, I'm just trying to replace all the bearings, rings, gaskets, perhaps some studs (maybe stronger rods), and get the head rebuilt. As well as all the pumps, belts and any funky hoses. I'm trying to build a reliable dd that when I get the money I can eventually reach my goal of around 400hp.