Two Sick Audi Swaps

Seems like there's always a lot of talk of swapping an engine into an Audi, but no one ever manages to get it done! Check out these two builds that managed to walk-the-walk.

By Neftali Medina - October 26, 2017

Matt B’s TWIN TURBO LR4 Audi S4

Yep, you read that right, this was just finished this past month. Probably one of the craziest builds here. Matt B approached a problem with a hellish idea and swapped over a fully built LR4 engine into his S4 sedan. It’s not a sleeper by any means, as the front bumper was removed to allow for its massive intercooler. Although even if you couldn’t see the monster inside, it's not hard to figure out what’s in there, just by listening to it. 

The build took about 5 years, and the end product required some extensive revisions along with new parts. You can check out his full journey, from start to finish, here. 


>>Join the conversation about these two Audi Swaps right here in Audiworld.com.

The Engine Setup

Matt B decided to use two HX40 60mm turbochargers with internal wastegates. Initially, the car was going to run on a water/meth setup, but Matt decided against that and installed a massive intercooler. The LR4 engine has Pac1218 springs, BTR/ljms stage 2 turbo cam and interesting enough eBay head studs. It was completely rebuilt from the bottom up, with new push rods, upgraded oil pan and a slew of other parts. Hands down, it's a monster. 


>>Join the conversation about these two Audi Swaps right here in Audiworld.com.

The Chassis

The chassis was also revamped to accept its new heart. Some notable upgrades include the reinforced rear end and BMW rear differential. The front bumper has been hacked into pieces to allow for the massive intercooler, resembling the popular Bane villain from DC’s Batman. 


>>Join the conversation about these two Audi Swaps right here in Audiworld.com.

Bhusted 4.2 V8 B5 Sleeper

Whether intentional or not, this car is one hell of a sleeper. What looks like a stock for stock, B5 A4 - hides a monster 4.2 V8. Every part if the swap was meticulously planned and executed. As it had to be, with the fitment for the engine being very snug, the entire motor just barely clears the radiator support. The engine received tensioner pads and chains prior to its installation. The clutch was also upgraded to a South Bend Stage 1, rated to handle up to 340 ft-lbs. 


>>Join the conversation about these two Audi Swaps right here in Audiworld.com.

The Obstacles

Perhaps the toughest part of this fitment was squeezing in the cooling system. An MK-IV aluminum radiator was cut to fit and just barely worked, leaving about 1/32” of clearance. On the front of the radiator, you’ll see 11” pusher and stock electric fan. The setup manages to cool the engine pretty well, as reported by Bhusted. Seems like the majority of the swap went fairly smoothly, with him only running into some tuning issues in order to normalize the idle as well as a few other small things. 

The interior was also spruced up, including a cluster from a newer 2000 model. This install not only updated the car but also handled some VSS issues that appeared. 


>>Join the conversation about these two Audi Swaps right here in Audiworld.com.

For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance or repair project, please visit our how-to section in the forum.


NEXT
BACK
NEXT
BACK