Fitting the JHM oil cooler pipe upgrade kit FINISHED!

[rocket1]

looking at a picture on ebay the new oem pipes i think they now use both fixing holes. was both your outlets on original cooler bad? i got mine stripped today and i have 1 side thats ok ( useable) and 1 thats perfect. didnt cut thru nuts just undone them and they came off easy so wasnt dragging the thread on the way. the side that had a good conditon hose is the one with the worse threads of the 2.

[Audi Pardner]

looking at a picture on ebay the new oem pipes i think they now use both fixing holes. was both your outlets on original cooler bad? i got mine stripped today and i have 1 side thats ok ( useable) and 1 thats perfect. didnt cut thru nuts just undone them and they came off easy so wasnt dragging the thread on the way. the side that had a good conditon hose is the one with the worse threads of the 2.

You've been lucky there. I would guess that either the pipes, cooler or both have been changed fairly recently on yours. I only took one nut off the cooler on mine, and once I realised that its condition wasn't that good I didn't bother with the other and just ordered another cooler.

[Rick_RS4]

just thinking about future corrosion, what about heat shrink around the joints?

[adsgreen]

just thinking about future corrosion, what about heat shrink around the joints?

Heat shrink could work but I've found it is best where the joint is roughly the same diameter over the whole thing. I'm not sure how it would take over the bolts.
Aldo hard to get the heat applied all around once it's mounted.
Denso tape just as good and designed for piping.

[Audi Pardner]

just thinking about future corrosion, what about heat shrink around the joints?

Heat shrink could work but I've found it is best where the joint is roughly the same diameter over the whole thing. I'm not sure how it would take over the bolts.
Aldo hard to get the heat applied all around once it's mounted.
Denso tape just as good and designed for piping.

Heat shrink's not a bad idea and I guess you could apply the heat all round if you attach the pipes to the cooler before installing it. But I think I'll probably try Loctite on the threads and plenty of Denso round the connectors.

[Audi Pardner]

Well, I've finished the install at last, which it feels like I started a few years ago It's been so long that I can't remember how to post pics on here so you'll have to make do with the text.

First of all, I should say that the holes adjacent to the inlet/outlet openings in the block (see previous post above) are NOT all threaded; only the 2 outer ones are. I haven't a clue why they're not all threaded but that's for you.

Having been supplied with the wrong pipes by JHM (they were for a supercharged version, though I don't know why they're longer), the company sent me a replacement set within 3 days door-to-door, so it wasn't a big deal, though I've now been billed by HMRC for the second set so am arguing with them.

Mate Andy and I decided to attach the pipes to the cooler on the bench first rather than fitting the cooler to the car and then passing the pipes through the plastic bulkheads to the block, although it probably doesn't make much difference. They're thicker than the OEM pipes and therefore not as flexible, and thus less easy to manoeuvre. Rather than Loctite or copper grease we used a marine-grade grease called Aqua Lube on all the threads. We slid heat shrink tube along the pipes and over the connectors at each end of the cooler and then attached the longer pipe to the top of the cooler with a P-clip (supplied). After applying a smear of Hermetite Blue to the JHM s/s outlets we bolted them up to the block.

Installing the cooler and pipes was straight forward enough; you just have to be careful that you don't damage the fins on the oil cooler or let the smaller cooler in front of it (which attaches to the oil cooler) flop about, as its connectors don't look particularly robust. JHM recommend enlarging the holes in the rubber grommet that fits in one of the plastic bulkheads (as the pipes are bigger), but we didn't bother and instead cable tied pieces of thick rubber hose round the pipes where they were close to any parts they could chafe against. Then we carefully screwed the 2 anodised connectors on the ends of the pipes to the outlets in the block and tightened them up (be careful, it would be easy to over-tighten them).

We then applied a heat gun to the heat shrink on the connectors on the cooler and they pulled in pretty well, but as an added precaution we forced some Waxoyl between the braid and heat shrink and sprayed motorbike chain grease over the pipes. Then it was just a matter of re-attaching the bumper (don't forget to hook up the wires to the foglights and the pipes to the headlamp washers), fit the undertray and, of course, the wheels (always a good idea). Check the oil level too (I used about ¼-½ litre).

So that's it really. It's cost over a grand in all but I've got far more peace of mind than I had before, and it's unlikely that I (or future owners) will have to fit a new cooler and pipes (about £1500 fitted at present Audi rates) in 5-6 years time as would happen if I'd gone down the OEM route. So it's been more expensive than the Forge kit, but that's down to having to replace the oil cooler as well; others might be luckier and manage to re-use the existing one. One thing I'd suggest: if you've recently had a new OEM cooler and pipes fitted, replace the pipes with the JHM ones before the new pipes weld themselves to the cooler and you have to change the whole lot in a few years time!

Hope this has been of interest to some of you

[Youngben]

Nice write up mate and im glad you got it sorted

[Audi Pardner]

Thanks Ben. Looking forward to getting out in it again; haven't driven it for about 3 months

[sonny]

Great write up.

The bolt board is a god send, used them many times when taking engine/box out.

[Audi Pardner]

Thanks Sonny.

I forgot to add in my write up that when I got the undertray off, one of the lugs that holds one of the brake cooling ducts was broken. I find that most so-called super adhesives are useless for repairing these types of fractures, and they simply break again after gluing. However I'd read on another forum about an adhesive that was supposedly really good for plastic repairs and had bought some on eBay for about £10 but hadn't had the need to try it.

It's called Q Bond and consists of a superglue and a powder. I cleaned up the edges of the broken lug and duct, applied the glue to one piece and pushed the two pieces together. Then I poured some of the powder over the joint and applied glue to the powder. It literally instantly bonds (there must be an immediate chemical reaction), and pulling the lug didn't break it. Quite amazing stuff, and despite my doubts it worked perfectly. There are some vids of it on You Tube.

[jaysrs4]

Nice write up buddy - that's one for the future.

[klauster]

Well done fella, bet your glad that's al finished

[Audi Pardner]

Well done fella, bet your glad that's al finished

Thanks Klauster/Jays RS4 - took her out today for a quick blast in the sunshine. So nice to hear that V8 roar again after months of diesel rattle in the daily . Of course, the ****** Sport button decided not to work, so off to the search facility to find out why. Thank God for this forum!

[sakimano]

Bummer about getting the supercharger pipes. They're longer because they put the supercharger right down there in the gap created when they delete the aux radiator, right where the old pipes were. Need the length.

This happened to someone else too. He just cut them shorter. I would have waited for replacement pipes like you.
Did you send the old ones back already?

[Audi Pardner]

Bummer about getting the supercharger pipes. They're longer because they put the supercharger right down there in the gap created when they delete the aux radiator, right where the old pipes were. Need the length.

This happened to someone else too. He just cut them shorter. I would have waited for replacement pipes like you.
Did you send the old ones back already?

They offered to replace or send me the correct measurements so I could shorten the pipes myself, but I've fitted anodised ali connectors to braided steel pipe before and it can be a PITA. The old ones are sat in a box at a FedEx depot somewhere in the UK whilst I argue with customs, who want to charge me duty on the replacement ones too