Steve Sears coughed up:
> Thomas,
> When I bought my '87 5ktq, the guy I bought it from had just had the
> clutch replaced. A year after I bought it, a whining/hum began which
> I traced to a leaking rear crank seal. A replacement seal cost me
> all of about $10, but pulling the tranny and clutch to get at the
> seal to replace it would cost me big $.
> From what I read here, and what I hear from other folks who work on
> cars, it's often the bearings in the waterpump and tensioner that
> fail and take out the belt. Once the mechanic has the old belt off,
> it's best to replace those things while they're in there. Chances
> are, if you replace the other things they would have lasted another
> 60k miles, if you don't, they'll fail before the next belt change ;-)
> If they fail (and you catch them), the best case is that it costs you
> _WAY_ more than it would have had you had it done while the belt was
> being done.
> BTW, mechanics on a race team are no more experts on the longevity of
> parts than regular mechanics - maybe even less so - engines and
> subjected to hell for a race or a few, and then rebuilt or replaced.
> Very seldom do race engines drive the car for 60k miles without major
> work or replacement.
> Yep, $1000 is alot of money - but so is an engine replacement.
> Cheers!
> Steve Sears
> 1987 Audi 5kTQ
> 1980 Audi 5k
> 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
> (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply) .......blarphoogy


Ok, thanks. By the way, I noticed that you have the same dream-sig that I
have had.... Made me nearly fall over laughing.......



....[rip]...

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Whyowhydidn'tsunmakejavarequireanuppercaseletterto startclassnames....