My New 1990 AUDI 200T With 32K

[V8quattro]

My pump was noisy and tho it didn't actually fail, been there done that with a B3 Passat GL 16v I used to own. I trusted the advice of the dealer service manager who said that a noisy pump can go for ages before they die. The next week, it died, had to get towed.

So I replaced the V8q's pump with a new OE replacement before it had a chance to quit, but then had to order a new cage as the old style cage won't fit the new pump. I also had to change a connector, from memory. If you're interested, I'll dig out the pics I took as I was going to write a how-to but never got the chance. I don't have a step-by-step but I think I have baskets new and old and it will make sense once you see the pics.

Yes you're right abt VAGparts - I didn't realise. A real shame as they were the one sure way of making an old Audi half-way affordable to run. I reckon you could establish contact with an Audi dealer thru Ebay UK and get a similar deal on parts.

If you can get those clusters, hang onto them, they are like gold - and I assume they are for the late 200T - as they are completely different to the early type 44 dash.

They won't be worth much as the 200T and V8 q are not exactly collectors items but they are rare in RHD. I looked on eBay UK and rang wreckers and had no luck back in 2005 trying to source one, and even trying to use elements of the LHD cluster is difficult because of the transposed layout - and LHD V8q dashes are different anyway.

I think I has speedo bounce too (I had a few problems random in nature, that's why I became an expert at pulling the cluster out) and those pins were pretty fragile, as was the circiut board itself. I fixed the speedo pins by adding some solder to the contact point on the board, I think, as well as lightly sanding the pins to ensure good contact, plus I bought some contact cleaner from Jaycar to get contacts plugs clean.

Make sure you take pics every step of the way, as even though pulling the cluster apart isn't rocket science it will be if you can't remember how the various layers go back together! If you are a bit ham-fisted I'd say hand the whole assy over to a instrument specialist, but if you are half way handy with a soldering iron and are patient, you can fix most if not all of it yourself.

The exhaust on my V8 was the original and I think it was stainless. It didn't look like it needed replacement anytime soon, and I was under that car a fair bit to see it! I'd look on Ebay in Germany and the UK for a NOS rear muffler to get the original look - that is exactly the sort of thing you see often in an online parts shop on Ebay, but the shipping might be expensive. Any exhaust shop could sell you a replacement though, it depends on how much you want it looking original.

That grey V8 you saw might be the one I've seen a few times on the north shore and eastern suburbs - it belonged to a doctor judging by the parking passes on the w/screen and yeah, even when I first saw it in 2005 at POW Hospital it was beginning to look sad and when I saw it abt a year a go it was very tatty.

[V8quattro]

Have a look at audifans.com too. Good stuff there for older cars, esp in the archive and also FAQ . Takes time to wade thru, but useful.

[superfly.nn]

There is a really nice example of a 200T on carpoint at the moment but would probably need an engine rebuild. I see what you mean about the exhaust looking original based on the photos of this one:

http://www.carpoint.com.au/used-car/...sn6994627.aspx