The Frenchy

Hello,

First , sorry for my awful English language... I am best in French...

I have an gearbox oil leak on the right front of my A8 3.3 TDI Quattro 2001'
So I would like to change the join between gearbox and driveshaft but I have not the method and a strange female hex bolt (diameter 17mm) on the center of the shaft stop me... I have no idea to unmount this shaft.
I'll wait for a big 32 or 36mm female hex bolt like most of cars !

Thanks for your help.

Yves from North of France.

tozoM8

You need a 17mm Allen wrench and a 4 foot pipe to brake it loose. Take the bolt out, lift up the car, take the wheel off. Remove 6 triple square bolts from the inner axle flange. Remove sway bar connecting link and disconnect the inner end of the front lower control arm. Turn the wheel left and take the axle out.

silverd2

I assume you mean the front right axle shaft (from trans to front wheel?).

You must have the proper tools, esp the axle bolt in question (17mm): A very large breaker bar...better, the proper torque wrench. Notice that it requires 140 ft lbs PLUS 180 degree turn tighter. Must have a 17mm allen socket to fit to this wrench. It's HIGHLY recommended to use a new axle bolt when replacing...very high torque stretches the original bolt.

The following is the Bentley procedure...sorry, I had no practical way to translate to French...can only translate small portions of text, but not entire documents.

Hope this helps >>>

Prospeeder

Your gonna have to heat it. I use 600+ lb impact guns and those bastards wont budge. Heat it up, breezes right out.

silverd2

Heat what?

I have never had to heat an axle bolt on any vehicle...and I've done a bunch of em..VW's, Porsche's & Audi's....medium length pipe to break loose...long pipe to tighten...NEVER a problem.

If that's what you mean, I'm gonna call that REALLY bad advice. I have never heard of a frozen one from ANYONE before now. If they were put on correctly, they will break loose with a pipe...every time.

Must have something bad wrong with your impact wrench...never needed one myself.

tozoM8

I had to do that before. The bolt was unrecognizable rusty. It was a car from the salt belt. Frenchy's car is way cleaner.

silverd2

I'll take your word for it...but can't be too common for that bolt.

Plus, I would certainly consider heat a last resort for a bolt more commonly known for simply being tight, as it should be. I just put a wrench or socket on it, a medium length pipe and stand on it with all my weight...never a problem.

But, in fairness, I have always lived in the bible belt, as opposed to the salt belt...so a little cussing will break anything loose

The Frenchy

Thank you for your quick replies,

No problem for me to understand without translator... I read 2 or 3 times and if some words are difficult I have a dictionnary, but here, no problem.

It seem very hard tight and I have no the good 17 mm tool.

So I am going to buy it to operate myself next week.

Thanks everybody for your precious help.

Have a nice day, with a very good weather and sunshine like here this morning.

The Frenchy

Hello SilverD2

Here it is 9 pm and I start to work on my shaft.
No problem to unscrew the 17mm hex bolt.
But I ask me a question because when I go to dealer's audi parts today to receive my join and my oil, I ask how they tight the bolt.
They tighted for 300 Nm, here no question of angular tight...
So, with your informations, I make a mark on my screw and unscrew it.
Just after, I tight it for 190 Nm and my mark is only 45° far.
Whe are not at 180°.
It seems 180° is very very hard tight !
And I have no wrench up to 220 Nm....

It is not a problem for the moment, because I unmount.
Tomorrow morning I hope all is finish.

Sorry for my awful language.
I hope you understand me .... It is another story.

Yves

silverd2

Yves,

The original bolt has stretched, by design, so is not an accurate indication of total torqued revolution...So >>>

It is highly recommended to use a new bolt when you finish the job...these bolts are designed to stretch a specific amount (just once accurately)...new bolt: torqued to 190nm and then a full 180 degree turn (mark bolt after 190 torque, then tighten further).

Many people have successfully used the old bolts, but it's hard to say how much more stretch is OK(?). If it later backs off (loosens or cracks) in usage, it will destroy the wheel bearing in short order.

It does seems like a lot and truly requires a 3-4 foot pipe on a 17mm hex key to achieve the extra 180 degree turn...unless you have an industrial size breaker bar or torque wrench (3-4 ft long).
This much torque on a standard 1/2" breaker bar will snap the socket post off..Cheapest way is a hex key & a piece of metal plumbing pipe.

The final torque rating is not even expressed by Audi specs...it is more of a rating of "bolt stretch" needed for this application...and only truly accurate with a new bolt...usually available for about $5 (or less). Be sure to ask for the 17mm allen head bolt made for this specifically...no substitutions.