spoon2000

I agree your break is in a tough spot. However, I'm sure there's SOME solution out there short of going to the parts counter for a new kit. Two that come to mind are taking the pieces to an auto body shop or competent garage and asking them to do a weld, or finding a junk yard and getting a part off a wrecked Audi or VW (there are several VW and Audi models -- I think they're all V8 engine vehicles -- that use those bellows arrangements.

jroczniak

Ok, my cold start problem is getting worse.

It used to only happen in mornings but today after work I turned the car on, it surged once and then promptly turned off.

I tried it 20 times. Finally I gave it some gas during the surge and it stayed on and eventually settled into normal idle.

I got home 30 miles later and turned the car off, and then it started right back up.

I am checking vacuum lines tonight and cleaning the MAF if I can find it.

Any other thoughts, I am not scared to go anywhere far away!

Thanks in advance!!!

SloopJohnB@mac.com

You probably cannot reattach it to the diaphragm...one word....JBWeld might work.

SloopJohnB@mac.com

Don't go crazy and pull the manifold. Just try to move the lever arms and if they move with difficulty you'll probably be able to just remove the lever arms and clean up/lube underneath. Remove the damaged vacuum motor and see if you can JBWeld the ball that gozinta the dogbone. Good Luck!

jroczniak

Well, good and bad...

1 - I started replacing the vacuum tubes, will do them all throughout the week/weekend if I can.

2 - I was able to loosen up the seized valve control arm and it now moves and swings back into place.

3 - the bad..I broke the head off of the 4mm bold that holds the valve control arm onto the spring shafts. Since it is not connected to the vacuum diaphram, I think its ok, because it is not moving anyway...how I am going to get the rest of the bold out is anyones guess...see picture

4 - Can I use JB weld for metal + plastic? the part that is broken is actually the plastic clip that sticks up out of the diaphram, if not I just need a new diaphram motor part...


Once I put it all together the car took a few starts to stay on, I am assuming that the vacuum took a few starts to return...now it starts right away. We will see if cold start is just as bad in the morning.

jroczniak

Well, now really bad news.

Audi cant replace that bolt without selling me the $350 kit.

Should I pull out the good one and try to find something close?

They couldn't even tell me the size because it doesn't appear on their diagrams at the dealership part desk. They went out and looked at it and said I was out of luck.

spoon2000

You could try to get the good one out, but you might risk shearing the head off that one, too. You might go to the hardware store and get a couple of nuts that look to be approximately the right size. Take the to the dealer parts counter and ask nicely if you can examine one of the bolts from a replacement kit, and test the bolt to see which nut it fits for size and thread type. Then you could try to find a replacement bolt that fits.

All of the above is academic, however, if you can't get the original bolt out of the end of the shaft. Which raises the question of whether the bolt is really needed in the first place. How likely is it that the black plastic piece is going to work its way off the shaft if the bolt head isn't present? And might there be some other way to secure the black plastic piece to the shaft? You may need to find some non-dealer mechanic who's creative with older cars and who's first reaction isn't automatically to say "Buy a whole kit."

jroczniak

I took a video of my cold start issue so you can see the RPM and hear it.

It starts on the 5th or 6th try and eventually goes to normal idle.

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jroczniak

I might just JB Weld the end of that bold and deal with it later.

Can you use JB Weld between metal & Plastic?

spoon2000

Wow, that's much worse than mine was. Mine used to surge 2 or maybe 3 times and then level off without having to do restarts.

Does your check engine light stay on all the time?