Intake flap pivot leavers stuck.
 

I bought a used 2000 A6 Quattro with the 4.2L ART Engine. The previous owners had really neglected this car for the entire 2 years that they owned it. Ive noticed busted linkages to the intake pivots, the vacuum actuators seem ok. Im curious if I can just find the linkages or will I need to buy the actuators all together as a set. They probably had been broke for some time, I cant get the leavers to budge any at all. Tonight I had sprayed wd40 towards the outer race pivot casing in hopes that it soaks in enough to making it slightly easier to tap out, We'll see... I found this nice write up online and thought I's share the tutorial. quattroworld.com Forums: 40V Intake manifold fix for stuck or sluggish flap pivots ( w/no broken parts )...
So yeah, This is what I'll be doing next. The two pics below are of my car. (please excuse the dirty dusty engine. When I get all the issues worked out she's going to shine like a new penny. =D Here is the link to the tutorial. This really is a great write up. I'd appreciate any other input someone may have doing this job.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...6e4027a151.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...ee12dbf697.jpg

Very cool. It's about time I check they are working properly on mine.

It's a good write up but:
 

If you pull the rod out too far the rod drops out of it's hole/slot in the back of the intake manifold and you will need to somehow torque up the rod until it goes back into the hole in the back of the manifold.

Second, the vacuum motors are getting hard to find alone…they're available as part of a $750 repair kit from Audi, but you should be able to source a vacuum motor (if the diaphragm is torn) from lamborghini or land rover.

Vacuum Motor for manifold
Cruise Control Actuator Vacuum Bladder Range Rover Classic Discovery 2 II land
Also Lamborghini Part #: 077907327A

I used a land rover part and had to slightly enlarge one hole on the mounting plate to clock the motor to get the correct angle (90degrees) of the ball shaft to the link.

The links are available in billet form from Gruven:

Audi/VW 4.2 V8 Intake Manifold Linkage Arms - Gruven Parts

The rods came out of the socket at the rear when I fixed the frozen flaps on my wife's 4.2 in her Touareg. Did not have a problem wiggling them around to get them back in. Dremel was key to "hone" the bushings on the front mounts. More than a year has passed and still turning freely. Did have to get a replacement Gruven rod when the socket bushing broke on one. Replaced for free with the lifetime guarantee.

Thanks SloopJohnB for the heads up, and wow, those are some serious linkage replacements. These will never break.
Audi/VW 4.2 V8 Intake Manifold Linkage Arms - Gruven Partshttps://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...6768382edd.jpg

Johnkk, I read that too in the write up tutorial, so I feel safe if I had to fish it back in it could be done. But the one thing I worry about doing this job I read where one guy broke off a piece inside the intake while attempting this and had to buy a new intake assembly. Ouch! that had to be costly.

New intake is over $1K from audi. Used, maybe $300.
 

I had an extra one sitting around for several years that I bought on eBay…I let it go. Just flog the p/n and see what comes up!

The used one I had was good all around, good motors and links and moveable arms.

Plastic ones save the vacuum motors or arms.
 

Yes, the Gruven ones won't break, but weakest link and all that.
By the time the rods get so corroded that the vacuum motor diaphragms tear, then you have a $140+ repair/replacement of the vacuum motors rather than just the plastic rods and a ream job for the flapper arms.

My personal opinion is that the vacuum motor diaphragms should be strong enough to hold full vacuum without tearing at full extension but I guess the rubber gets old and weak. Maybe that's what happens to the links as well.

It would be cool to wrap those Gruven bits in carbon fiber….or even fabricate the arms out of carbon fiber with a CDC-controlled fiber laying machine. You could even makerbot the arms out of nylon(?) and/or plastic and have them cast out of titanium.

Check these prices!
 

This is a great deal on the intake, but the price on the vacuum pod is insane!

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...7574f14f17.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.aud...c33be293ef.jpg

I wouldn't worry about it. Just take your time easing the front bracket off the shaft, as in the diy post. You'd really have to be aggressive to break the flap assembly.