Thoughts on this rs6

[Vux]

I am viewing this rs6 tomorrow and would like to get everyones opinion.
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds ... 9/10187509

The gentleman selling has owned since 2010 and used his local specliast for servicing. It has not had the coolant pipes and oil seal repairs done. Will this be a concern at this age/mileage and how much would I be looking for the fix
Thanks

[Greg3227]

I am viewing this rs6 tomorrow and would like to get everyones opinion.
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds ... 9/10187509

The gentleman selling has owned since 2010 and used his local specliast for servicing. It has not had the coolant pipes and oil seal repairs done. Will this be a concern at this age/mileage and how much would I be looking for the fix
Thanks

I’ve just come off the phone from him, having enquired about the car before finding your thread. Sounds like a lovely fella but it put me off it. The car’s never been to a main dealer apart from recalls. It’s not a case of when, but if, and it’s a big engine out job. For, what my humble opinion’s worth....

[Vux]

That's my concern aswel. It's a bit of a shame as the car seems a nice low owner example. It's not too far from me so will view it anyway.

[Jim Haseltine]

My car was at 79K miles when I bought it, I did the coolant pipes within a year (and just in time too from the state of the old ones) and struggled on for 3 years with the oil leak going from a slight mist to something which couldn't be ignored.
Both jobs CAN be done without removing the engine but having done them myself separately I'd advise removing it to do both jobs at the same time - doesn't have to come out completely, just dropped by 3-4 inches and pulled forwards by about the same distance. So much stuff has to be taken off the car to be able to get to the oil seal that there's hardly anything else that needs to be moved before you can take the engine out.

[welwynnick]

Jim, with the benefit of hindsight, what's the MINIMUM amount of stuff you have to remove to do the oil seal?
Could you support the engine, drop the subframe and remove the N/S turbo and the oil pump to access it?

Cheers, Nick

[Jim Haseltine]

I did the job when I was dealing with the turbos so I had the left turbo off anyway. The awkward part was getting the pump back on - that's where I needed clearance by loosening the air-con compressor bolts and you can't get to all of them with the left turbo in place. But I was working on my back with the car on stands in my drive, things could be easier if the vehicle was on a lift.
However, I got the pump off BEFORE I moved the engine.
Minimum stuff to remove (I think)
Radiators including oil cooler and PS oil cooler
Anti-roll bar
Subframe
LH turbo oil return line (the only way you can get to the top bolt for the pump side bracket - parts 26 & 9 on the ETKA diagram - I tried but the bolt is a shallow head 12 point and strips easily)

Doesn't sound like much does it?
Getting the subframe off isn't that simple. Ideally you'll need an assistant or two - I was stuck working by myself. You have to support the suspension then disconnect the lower arms. Support the front of the engine, loosen the engine mount bolts (2 of which go through the subframe). Support the subframe, remove rear subframe bolts, remove the two front bolts then loosen the 4 remaining engine mount bolts to allow the front of the engine to be lowered by a couple of cm. Lower the rear of the subframe and slide it backwards whilst lifting the front mounts out of the engine mount brackets and manoeuvring it around various bits of the engine and box. Then for safety lift the engine back into place, replace the 2 front bolts and tighten all the engine mount to body bolts.

[House89]

The Phirm did my oil pump drive seals without having to move the engine at all, same with the coolant hoses in the arch.

Unless we're talking of another oil seal? In which case I'll get back in my box.

I do know the vacuum pump on the back of the block is leaking on mine and that is an engine out job...

[Greg3227]

I am viewing this rs6 tomorrow and would like to get everyones opinion.
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds ... 9/10187509

The gentleman selling has owned since 2010 and used his local specliast for servicing. It has not had the coolant pipes and oil seal repairs done. Will this be a concern at this age/mileage and how much would I be looking for the fix
Thanks

How did the test drive go, did you buy it?!

[Jim Haseltine]

The Phirm did my oil pump drive seals without having to move the engine at all, same with the coolant hoses in the arch.

Unless we're talking of another oil seal? In which case I'll get back in my box.

I do know the vacuum pump on the back of the block is leaking on mine and that is an engine out job...

Very difficult to remove the subframe without moving the engine a little, may be possible with the car on a lift. Complete replacement of the coolant pipes without moving the engine is possible (I did it and will carry the scars for the rest of my life). It's awkward and painful and you spend a lot of time wishing that you'd taken the engine out.

Are you sure it's the pump leaking? I thought mine was and then discovered that some of the servo pipes had split. Unfortunately that was after I'd put the engine back so getting to one of the crimp ear clips was more than a bit difficult.

[Jim Haseltine]

Duplicate post - sorry

[welwynnick]

Thanks for all your input Jim. I'm pretty much resigned to doing an oil seal and coolant pipe job on an RS6 at some point in the future. It's written in the stars.

My poison for the last few years has been a number of V12 Mercedes, three of them twin turbos, and one was a particular challenge. it was re-mapped, very fast, and everything went wrong. Those cars were reputed to need the engine out for all manner of ordinary jobs, and I needed to change my engine mounts. I spent ages debating with myself about whether there was a better way, and wrote it up here:

https://mbworld.org/forums/sl55-amg-sl6 ... odels.html

Although the RS6 seems worse, its a lot of work to remove the engine, and the subframe seemed to block access to so much it was worth finding another way. What sold it for me was listing all things I had to remove or disconnect to move the engine. Keeping it in the same position saved all this work:

•Fan
•Bulkhead
•Wiring
•Cooling
•Heating
•Air con
•Oil cooling
•Charge cooling
•Transmission cooling
•Alternator cooling
•ABC
•Exhaust
•Propshaft
•Transmission
•Engine

I figured out how to do it a few years ago, and have done it several times since. The Merc has the added complication that the steering rack is mounted on the subframe, and that's a pain to remove. I don't want to sound work shy, but all that work is a big fat invitation for lots of things to go wrong, quite a consideration on any car over ten yeard old.

Nick

[Jim Haseltine]

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=126612
A previous coolant pipe thread with some of my input after doing the job. Take note of how difficult it was to remove the flexible hose from the inboard end of the longer pipe.

[Greg3227]

This car has now resurfaced on the Autotrader with a dealer, FIVE grand more than the owner sold it to them for! ‍♂️