forum.audiv8.com Foren English Audi V8 Forum Clutch problem

Now I´m posting this question for a V8-friend. He just bought a -92 V8 4,2 with manual gearbox. A while ago, on the highway while shifting from fith to sixth gear, a clear bang was heard and he had to force the gearshift in place. The clutchpedal reached the floor too easy. So, the question is, to inspect/service the clutch, does he have to take down the gearbox with driveaxels or can it just be separated from the engine?

Hey every1.

I'm the friend he's asking for, thought i'd explain the problem myself to avoid mis-understandings!

I was driving the car pretty hard on the freeway, and when shifting from 5th to 6th gear my foot slipped of the pedal! I heard a loud bang, and then i couldn't use the clutch! I can still shift gears without using the clutch, so i figure the clutch release bearing must have been destroyed? There's absolutely no slip what-so-ever, so the clutch plate/clutch pressure plate seems intact, as well as the propshaft...

As soon as i start the engine there's a rattle from the gearbox as well, must be the clutch release bearing spinning aroung the prop shaft, no?

What i want to know is: Will it be possible for me to replace this (and see if anything else has been damaged) without totally removing the gearbox? If so, will i have to disengage the drive shafts, or can they be left mounted on the gearbox? I know the exhaust has to be removed as well as the propeller shaft for the rear wheels, but of course i'd prefer as little work as possible, changing the clutch release bearing...

I've worked as a car mechanic, but i've never had to deal with these cars before (my previous V8 - may it rest in pieces ... - was an automatic)

Thank you again Ulf, for asking the question first hand for me :-)

Hi Gustav,

I've had to remove my gearbox three times now on my Audi 200 and it should be somewhat the same work to do as for the Audi V8. It took about four hours for two mechanics to exchange the complete clutch including all parts. The gearbox has to be completely removed for this work, as far as I know. In my case it has been done. It is very easy to remove the both front drive shafts, you simply need a long tool to reach all the screws. Start with the top one and turn the wheel to rotate the shaft and loose screw by screw. Takes two minutes for each side.

Don't forget (IMPORTANT) to remove the Procon-Ten steelropes on the top of the gearbox and put them in place after the clutch exchange. If you forget this, the next crash will probably your last one...

Unfortunately I can' tell you which part of the clutch is damaged but you should exchange all parts of the clutch in my opinion as it is not a nice work to remove the gearbox and no one is interested to do this more than once a car's lifetime I guess...

OT: I've been in Nyköpping last week - where exactly are you located?

Best regards from Austria

Bastian

Hi.

The clutch has allready been replaced once, a couple of years ago, so that shouldn't be a problem, but don't you think it'd be possible to change the bearing without taking the whole gearbox down?

as to the OT, i live some 50km north of nyköping, so you were close...! :-)

Hehe,

found a non-working Audi V8 in St. Anna (Schären) 50km in the west of Norköpping on my travel - electric problems (ignition point sensor I guess). You know him? Picture attached.

I don't think that you can change the bearing without either moving the engine forward nor the gearbox downwards. You have to move one of both parts. But perhaps anybody else has a good hint how to ease the process...

Best regards

Bastian