Friday
Friday: This weekend, it was finally time: I was able to pick up Erika's engine from SPS Motorsport! So, right after work on Friday, we headed over to Altendiez to receive it. Since it took several people to load it into the back of Chris's A4, we were a bit skeptical about how we would get the engine out later. But with the engine crane, it ended up working quite well.
In addition to the engine, the clutch also made its way back to Erika, as it had remained attached when the engine was removed. We also took a floor plate with us to modify the seat to fit me properly.
At that point, we already knew that some parts were likely missing from the engine, but we didn’t yet know which ones. Figuring that out kept us quite busy over the weekend.
Saturday
Starting the day semi-rested, we first removed the front of the car on Saturday, as the oil cooler still needed to be removed. Due to the previous bearing damage, there was a risk of metal shavings inside, so we flushed the corresponding lines. With the oil cooler, we had the first part that needed to be replaced at SPS.
After taking the first steps to mount the flywheel, we ran into the next challenge: no suitable alignment tool for the clutch. So, another entry on the SPS list to ask if we could borrow one on short notice.
Comparing old photos of the engine, we also noticed that it had been removed with the water lines and ignition coils still attached—both of which were now missing. Additionally, we decided it would be best to replace the exhaust manifold gasket as well.
Fortunately, we were able to drive to SPS on short notice and pick up a new oil cooler, the exhaust manifold gasket, ignition coils, and the missing water lines. We also borrowed a few potentially suitable alignment tools for the clutch.
Back in the workshop, we were able to assemble everything and prepare for the engine installation (along with the previous night's leftover pizza as breakfast 😉).
Finally, we started lowering the engine into Erika, which turned out to be harder than expected. We had to try several different tilting angles at first. In the end, it made the most sense to tilt the rear side down first and lower it slightly sideways. From there, we worked the clutch closer to the gearbox until everything finally aligned properly.
However, we noticed that the water pump wheel was also missing. Since I needed to return the alignment tools soon anyway, we made a second trip to SPS that day to pick up a water pump wheel.
Once we were back, we continued with the engine installation. The whole process took us about 6 hours. Part of the reason it took so long was that we initially had a hard time getting the release bearing correctly aligned with the clutch's splines. We struggled so much that I missed the moment when it finally fit, and only realized later. At that point, frustration was pretty high, so we quickly bolted the gearbox to the engine and secured the motor to the engine mounts. We were just glad to finally get some rest.
Sunday
Since I only had time to continue in the afternoon, not much happened on Sunday. Chris had already started working on the manifold earlier in the day, and we finally secured it together. Additionally, I connected various cables and hoses. This wasn't as simple as it sounds, because the original wiring loom is still intact, but not everything is still in use. So the question was always: Does the hose or connector have a counterpart? And if not, is something missing or is it intentional?
After taking another look at the dry sump pan, we realized that the side feet are very close to the steering and front axle. However, this was noted as a problem to address the next day.
Monday
Monday started with my fourth trip to SPS to pick up the missing idler pulleys.
Once these were attached to the engine and the drive belt was fitted, we continued connecting Erika fully with her engine. I also temporarily attached the throttle cable, although it still doesn't fit perfectly, and secured the first intake trumpets.
Unfortunately, after speaking with SPS, it turned out that the feet of the dry sump pan were indeed too close to the components and needed to be reduced or removed. There wasn't much space from underneath to reach them, and the thought of removing and reinstalling the engine was out of the question. So, we decided to try it from the top, even though this meant lifting the engine again. We had to be really careful to lift just the engine and not risk raising the whole car off the lift.
Fortunately, this approach was successful, although some hoses and cables had to be removed again first. Chris then carefully ground down a good portion of the foot on both sides, and I did some finishing work afterward.
Now there's definitely more space than before, and we're hoping that it will be enough...
All parts to connect the dry sump tank, as well as the tank itself, will be ordered from SPS in the coming days. Fingers crossed that they arrive by next weekend, as there isn't much time left. Otherwise, next weekend we'll focus on the seat, because I really need to be able to reach the pedals to drive 😅.