Quote:
Originally Posted by Simply Red
yeah - in all honesty there are some good Audi Forums, it's broke - or off it's track, I was told by the dealer that I needed a new engine - somehow - i'm not buying that. but again, I am really just uncertain.
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Either way if it's broken or slipped if your motor is an interference engine it's almost certainly done.
The difference between interference and non interference is that in a non interference there is enough valve/piston relief that even if the valves are fully open they won't contact the piston. Hence the valves and pistons don't interfere with each other.
In interference motors they do and frankly if you've got a high performance engine it's almost certainly and interference motor. It would take a pretty low compression motor to be non-interference.
In short when your timing chain breaks one or more of your valves stays open. You piston comes up to greet said open valve. Pistion V valve and the piston wins. Valve bends and then generally breaks off. The valve head now drops into the cylinder with the piston and proceeds to beat the shit out of the top of the piston, cylinder walls and head. Remember you motor is running at N thousand RPMs per minute. Even if it shuts off quick it's too late.
In short if it broke your motor is toast(if it's interference). Technically it can be possible to fix it but you'd have to replace the cylinder sleeves, the pistons, and the full head at minimum. It would very likely cost significantly more than a new motor and be less reliable.
But how many miles are on the car? Timing belts are designed to be replaced. But if I recall most if not all timing chains are designed to last the life of the motor.
Just checked the 3.2L and it's 12.5 compression so it's definitely an interference motor. Sorry if the timing chain broke it's toast...sometimes you get the short straw with these things.
