I went to 90% assembly like a confident idiot.
I fixed that without tearing it down all the way - intake and exhaust were off by 1 tooth. The cam chain tensioner is a fooler. I have a photo of it when I was putting it together and it looks right. It threw codes and didn’t run right and I took the cover off and it was off by a tooth. Managed to pull the slave cam and tensioner and fix it. Left the belt on. I considered that an accomplishment until I finished it up, filled coolant, and had a gross leak.
Couldn’t find. Looked for hours. It was appearing at the bottom back corner of the block. I’d accidentally pulled one of two bolts on the crossover tube between the backs of the heads but that wasn’t the leak. It HAD to be the thermostat housing. Makes no sense - wrong place for it to dribble. And definitive check means FULL tear down, it’s behind the timing belt.
Pressurized system in hopes of speeding leak, and it sealed up. We’ll see if that lasts.
It’s still not running right either. Didn’t clear up with idle time nor a couple miles driven. Bank 1 is collecting misfires and sounds like a gross exhaust leak. Same bank that I was off by a tooth between cams.
Might check compression, but I have zero indication that anything touched. Did 3-4 full revolutions before firing and never any noises.
I did have to R&R the EGR valve twice (valve cover doesn’t clear, tensioner requires full removal) but it passes visual and I can’t feel any exhaust leak.
It’s even loud in the car under accel. It really sounds like an exhaust leak. I don’t get it.
Not giving up, but may have to throw to the Audi forums.
Definitely know it intimately now.
Put the tires on too. Had to trim 20 bolts
Found that out after bottoming 10 of them in the front knuckles. Hope I didn’t take too many miles off the bearings with that dumbassery.
