New owner - first post - first problem.......

[bmbjmh]

Hi All,

Been a proud owner of a red S3 for a few weeks now and have been watching forum closely for a few months.



Unfortunately I managed to ground her on a speed hump a few hundred yards from home on Friday. They are huge.

When I got out I noticed a pool of oil underneath the car. Inspection has revealed that the exhaust has punctured a hole in the sump. However I also noticed that the sump is very low and is sitting firmly on the ARB.

Have decided to replace engine mounts with Rally design ones which have been ordered and have also managed to get hold of a second hand sump (more difficult than I expected).

Question is: What is the best way to increase ride height to try and avoid this again. Clearly the engine mounts will help.

One of the shocks is leaking a little so I was considering replacing all four next year for the MOT.

If I go for Gaz Nickel or Gold Pro what sort of ride height increase can I expect.

Anyone with any experience of this situation?

Thanks for all your help.

Jon

[Barkychoc]

I am not sure who it was (was it our late friend Ken?) made some shims to fit on the engine mounts to raise the height slightly.
I'm sure if you went to an engineering shop you could either get some scrap and make them yourself or ask them about making some for you (prob pricey as a one off though).

[mep12345]

Barkychoc said:

I am not sure who it was (was it our late friend Ken?) made some shims to fit on the engine mounts to raise the height slightly.
I'm sure if you went to an engineering shop you could either get some scrap and make them yourself or ask them about making some for you (prob pricey as a one off though).

I did it as well, B&Q stock square washers (50mmx50mmx2mm) with a central hole that is just big enough to take the engine mount bolt, I used a grinder to grind from one edge to the hole to create a slot that then allowed me to jack up the engine, loosen the securing nut and then slip the washer over the bolt before tightening it all up again. One on each side raised the sump by 10mm approx from the ARB.

Mark

[v8s4me]

Will the engine have to come out anyway to change the sump?

[GreenV8S]

How did the exhaust manage to puncture the sump? Is the exhaust itself still OK?

If the suspension is getting soggy the car will use more suspension travel so just replacing knackered dampers may be a big improvement, especially if you get adjustable ones and stiffen them up a bit. Almost all aftermarket dampers have adjustable spring seats and this gives you the opportunity to sneak the ride height up a little bit, but don't overdo it because it affects the handling. But make sure you're at or slightly above the standard ride height rather than stylishly lowered. You will need to check/correct the suspension geometry anyway if you change the dampers.

[steve j]

v8s4me said:

Will the engine have to come out anyway to change the sump?

Yes, there`s a chassis cross member that blocks the removal, it`s the front outrigger beam.

[ketvrin]

A few tips for engine mount replacement...

Cut the stud that will go through the chassis mount as short as possible so that when the mount is in place the stud has only a couple of threads through the nut. this will make future removal much easier as access is bad when the engine is in situ. (next time... and there will be a next time )
Use a locknut intead of normal hex nut and lockwasher.
locate the mount as low as possible in the slotted chassis mounts. the mounts are in a "V" configuration when viewed from the front so the lower the mount, the higher the engine will sit (= more ARB clearance)

it would be useful of you could grow extended triple jointed fingers too, but if you are taking the engine out for the new sump anyway, you will not need these this time...

good luck

K