A great find at a local boneyard! And some questions of course...

[tim at unrealexpectations.ath.cx (stetson)]

Today was an excellent day.

Which is strange because it's been a cloudy overcast day that's been cold
and windy. The type of day when you visit a boneyard to get stuff you
absolutely NEED rather than browse for the odd wish list item.

But this morning waking refreshed and with a will to go and get 2 100mm axles
from an AUG tranny that was sitting on the front of the jettas engine bay
that had birthed it, I collected my friend/renter to hit another yard that
had Rabbits which he needed a drum brake assembly from (it never hurts to
have an extra set of hands at the yard either!).

We hit the yard he needed first as he was adamant about me checking out
this Audi that he was sure I'd want peices of (I thought it was self interest
motivated, but then, so was offer to take him there in the 1st place
cause he could help me w/ the axles).
He's heard me lamenting my inability to locate an Audi 3A engine even though
I'd called every yard I could find from Chicago to Souix City and all
points in-between of the bi-state region and thought he had located this
white whale for me.

Getting to the yard, that like others in the area had had a bare minimum
of cars in them last time I checked (It seems that scrap prices are up for
the 1st time in about 3 years and yards are taking adavantage of it to
rotate stock), I found that the choices available had doubled and was
intrigued by the plethora of victims <ahem> donors but didn't have time
to peruse them as my companion drug me back to the farthest corner of the
lot and then pointed triumphantly at an Audi 90.

I was not impressed.

Until, that is, I looked under the hood and found <gasp!> a 4 cyl. engine
cruelly joined to an automatic transmission. I checked it's completeness
(the radiator was missing and some wiring harness had been cut, but that
was the extent to which it had been plundered) and then looked at the
odometer which clocked in at 106k. I became very interested indeed!

I tried to bottle my enthusiasm as we searched for the proprieter up near
the entrance to the establishment and upon finding him asked what he'd
want for the engine. He smiled upon hearing that and immediately turned
tables on me by asking what I'd pay for it.

I spouted something to the effect of "Well, depending on the shape it's
in, and if I can use it for what I'd like to do which I still have to
check on, $250 or $300 tops." and then proceeded to get ready for the
ensuing sparring match that can occur when a Carharted entrepeneur
knows he has something that you want.

"Well, I've had Audi's on the lot before but nobody that's wanted an
engine from any of them.", he said, "but I also know that if you leave
something out there long enough it will make it's stay on the lot worth
the time."

This was rather ironic as I'd been to this lot the week before and the
Audi hadn't been there.

"I'll sell you that motor and everything on it pulled for $200."

Now this should normally send me to my car without a word because it's
just too good to be true, but I've known this yard for about a decade and
I think they are beginning to realize that too. The guys are reputable
even if almost living characterizations (One looking like Mickey Rooney
and the other like Christopher Lloyd as Reverend Jim and sharing some of
the mannerisms of each).

So I came home to consult the ETKA and make sure it was the same, then
went back to the yard and plunked $50 deposit on the engine that I'll pick
up next Saturday.

So this is just as the forces of nature should be because remember that
other 3A I'd found in MI that I'd have to pick up there going for $395
+ $50 for the dist?
I'd just sent off a PayPal deposit on it for $100 to have it pulled
earlier this week.

It cleared yesterday.

I'm hoping I can salvage a 16v knock sensor set up that they also
had and lessen the bath I'll be taking but even if I get nothing out of
it or back I'm still $145 up on the deal and that's extra money I can
throw at getting the head worked up and maybe doing a complete rebuild of
the block.
There are also things I'll be getting that I don't need that
I'll let go pretty cheap (anyone need a A/C condenser, ex. mani., or power
steering pump from one of these beasts? Email me direct. If not they go on
eBay to fund the project.) so that is going to help too.....

And now the questions! They are rather bizarre so if extra explaination is
needed just ask!

Which head should I use? The JH or the 3A? I know that I can throw on the
JH as it's a known good mod, but are there any advantages to trying to
keep the 3A head and use it? Bigger valves, etc.?
I'll be getting the manifolds w/ the injectors. Could I use that w/ my CIS
fuel management?
The injectors are mounted in the manifold runners which I saw on a site
somewhere could attribute to "cooler running" IIRC?
Any thoughts on that?
Other than that it looks A LOT like the Fox intake/Audi 5k TB I presently
have and love!

The throttle body looks to be the larger Audi 5k type but with cable
mechanism like a 16v versus the mechanical linkage of the 5K or stock TB.
You folks think I can just get a 16v cable and use it with the TB?
Maybe concoct some sort of frankensteinian post set up for the WOT and
idle switches to be activated by?
The exhaust manifold I know I can't use and so I will be impressing the
4-2 reamed out rabbit one that I currently have on (and the winning head
arraingment will be being accompanied by both manifolds to the machine
shop for port matching!) into service.

I'd bought a G60 valve cover (that I'm polishing up to mirror
brightness and considering finishing w/ a darkly tinted clear coat) that
I meant to throw onto the JH w/ non-shouldered studs and a rubber gasket
(a bling bling application I know. But it DOES look pretty!) It LOOKS like
it should fit perfectly on the 3A but I will defer to the more
knowlegdable collective of the group.
Any reasons you think this arraingment might not work?

I'll be needing a complete rebuild gasket kit for this monstrousity.
Any one know of a good place to get this?
Potter doesn't seem to have it (although I haven't special request emailed
them yet either) and germanautoparts.com has 2 versions at $40+ and $50+
respectively but they have the dubious manufacture of "German" and so are
somewhat suspect until checked up on (Thanks Patrick! I will call those
gentlemen that you referred me to soon).
Any recommendations of a manufacturer that exceeds OEM?

The plan (as I see it before any other input) is to completely rebuild the
3A and have the head P&P, port matched, and a valve job done (perhaps w/
7mm stems, titanium springs, new keepers, blah, blah, blah, as I see
cash burning merrily!) then slap that puppy in there w/ the newly
reconditioned and 5th gear swapped 9A tranny with 80% LSD kit and SMS bolt
kit (Beware!!! Tranny questions lurk in the near future!!)

Next years project just might be to turbo the beast (if I win the lottery
or create a gravo-magnetic power source).

Thank you for your indulgence and any opinions you may wish to offer!

Tim

If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
		-- Tallulah Bankhead

"If a nation values anything more than freedom, it will lose its freedom; and
 the irony of it is that if it is comfort or money it values more, it will
 lose that, too."
-- W. Somerset Maugham