So it looks like my engine install is going to have to wait. I thought that the shop had the material needed for powdercoating, and I would just have to pay for what I used. I took the class tonight, and it turns out that I have to go out and buy my own powder. And for headers, I need to get ceramic powder, which I can't just pick up at Harbor Freight. If I can get it by next weekend, I'm probably going to have to do it on the 26th.

 

Painting the driveshaft. Because black >> rust color.

Before:


After:

 

cool, what paint you use. ummm are you being kept in a padded cell by chance. lol.

 

I used some engine enamel I had lying around. 2 coats primer, 3 coats color, 3 coats clear. I'm not trying to make it look perfect, just trying to make it look like not rust.

I'm doing everything at a public workshop, and they happen to have a paint booth.

 

Yes the after does look better. The next pedestrian you run over (who would be the only one to see it) should say oooooooh nice as well.

 

 

Now if and when you show off the car, you're gonna have to throw a mirror on the ground so people can appreciate your efforts!

 

Big day today. At last, the day for the engine install. Here's how it went down.

Got it wheeled into place:


Got the K-member out:


Got the engine set up:


And the Eagle has landed:


All things considered, it actually went relatively smoothly. The only really tough part was getting the AC lines and Power Steering lines to play nice. I also stripped out the thread in the back of the AC compressor where the lines connect, ended up making a run to O'Reilly to get a new one (couple hundred bucks I wasn't planning on spending today). I realize I could've used a helicoil kit to repair the thread, but we were pretty strapped for time, so I decided to bite the bullet. But now it's in, that's a big monkey off my back. Still a looooooooong way to go, but today was a huge step forward.

 

Finally made some more progress yesterday. Got the driveshaft installed, got the torque arm hooked back up, and I re-coated the headers. Used high-temp powder from Caswell. They didn't turn out great, but I'm well past caring at this point. They're better than they were before, and they're ready to go back in. Hopefully tomorrow.

I did discover one big problem, however. I hooked the shift cable back up, and I found that when I shift the lever into Park, the lever on the transmission doesn't go all the way there out of reverse. Instead of the cable pushing the lever forward, it buckles and bends upward.

 

adjust it. http://shbox.com/trans/A4_trans_linkage.html