I have been feeling that I really need to get this running, then follow up with the rest.
I did put in a little time today and checked the transmission and gas tank for water. All clear.
The video:
https://youtu.be/DmuX9u-529c

Revised plan:
Monday:

• Put it back together with lots of substitute (known good) parts.
• Carefully power everything essential back up, one fuse at a time:
• https://youtu.be/EFu6Q8T_gvo
• Start the engine and idle for 10 minutes.
• Check for problems, pull oil filter cup and examine.
• Put some seats in and bolt an exhaust back on.

Tuesday:

• Drive a mile to the Tag Agency (Local DMV) and show them some receipts for parts and file for a 'rebuilt title'
• Drive home and start taking it all back apart.

:cheers:

I think you've made some good points here. Let's think about in detail. What options do we have when the car was flooded and what damage can be caused. I try to keep it short.

Materials:
Engine casing: alloy. Pistons: steel. Oil control rings: steel (can rust). Piston rings: steel (can rust). In general some carbon resedue, because it's a used engine. Catalytic converter housing: stainless steel. Catalytic converter: ceramics, and materials that start the redox reaction above around 500° C / 932° F.

Time:
Car did sit für 4 months and was flodded with sweet water. Sweet water is a plus, because salt water would have been much more agressive. But the not stainless steel / not alloy parts can be corroded a bit. Will it make a difference if it sits 2 days or 4 months? I would say yes. Will it make a difference if it sits 4 months and 2 weeks. I would say no. Also the conditions in which it sat might make a difference.

Debree:
Was the water conatminated with sand or debree? If yes that seems intake wise to be stopped by the air intake filter. In that case Exhaust wise sand / debree can have found it's way into the combustion chamber. Water could also pass oil control rings and piston ring gaps and get into engine housing. Very small debree might sit in between them or passed. That would be a minus, because of the alloy block. (I suspect in sweet water rivers / lakes you have cleaner water (OK maybe not in harbors)). Will water have solved the carbon inside the combustion chamber in 4 weeks? Probably not.

Parameters we / i don't know:
Was the engine running and hot, when the poor car was flooded. Was the engine stopped by flooded water coming in the intake system. And would that make a difference?

How was the car saved? For example: if the front was lifted while saving it initially, this would be a plus, because fluids could run out of the exhaust system. But we don't know that.

Oily cats and what kind of oil/water consistency might we find there:
If the engine was flooded while running i suspect the redox reaction in the cats was stopped before the oil was flushed into them. So i suspect they were "cold".
Could there be an oil/water mixture caused while the engine running? Hm, to me that seems to be improbable.
Could be oil / water be sucked back into the engine if the header / exhaust systen is connected to the engine while starting for the first time? I would say no, but Honestly not shure about that. If the car was raised in the front, most of the liquid will be come out of the exhaust system. And because 78F350 said the muffler is off the car now i would say fluids have had their change to drain away the exhaust system.

So i think 911monty is right on that. Kind of hydrolocking will be not possible. Headers don't need to be removed, but i think it's a good idea to remove the muffler and lift the front of the car before starting it.

Grand childen:
Seems to have a very good influence. Videos have sound tracks now. ;) :D

All fingers crossed!

Regards, Markus

Not much progress today, as it should be. A little break is good. Tomorrow should be a busy day working on the car.
Installing the coils:
https://youtu.be/HfNgOWQjFEY

I started the car today and ran it for a short time. I wanted to run it longer, but the radiator leak is more severe than I expected. I have a repaired radiator to put in temporarily while I wait for a new one to arrive. I tried to install it for another run, but it was dark before I was done.
On this first run, the O2 sensors were still removed and header was unbolted behind the cat. Lots of oily, wet mess still in the exhaust system. I don't want to put it in the garage until The exhaust is cleared out. Not sure if I'm going to drive it on the road tomorrow. Lots to accomplish still.

As I type, the video is still uploading:
https://youtu.be/OVfvKD2GIW8

Engine sounds good to me. All cylinders seems to be present.

On top of that - fingers crossed.

Regards, Markus

Well done. Could turn out to be a great find

It's alive! Yay! :cheers:

Very cool!

Should this work out and you get it back in top shape this effort will be worthy of an Excellence and/or Panorama feature.

Good luck!

Indeed. This is PCA worthy. Good on ya!

Three cheers!! I know you have lots to do but hearing that motor run is a big incentive to continue to push forward.

A big pat on the back...great job!

I would suspect the radiator issue is due to the forklift drivers at Copart. Mine had same issue but passenger side. Guessing they don't like the pressure from being lifted up. :)

Yes, exactly. It also has a slight crease on both side of the bumper. :mad:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1517409329.jpg
If I took the time to look up new parts and shop time for the damage caused BY COPART on this car, it would be well into the thousands. Radiators and brackets, bumper, plastic panels, suspension parts, and right rear tire. I have bought three cars from the Houston lot over the years, and every one was damaged by them. My local lot in Fayetteville Arkansas, handles them much better.

I'm starting a week of day shifts now, 7 am to 7 pm, so not planning to do much work on the car. I will post a summary (edit)before the weekend. I had a busy day today, no time.... I drove the car on my lawn yesterday and parked it in the garage. I have a lot of electrical issues to track down (as expected) such as the passenger side window and spoiler. I also had the low oil pressure warning come on. It could be serious, or it could be simple. I suspect that it was from residual water causing foam in the oil, or impeding the filter. Don't worry - I shut the car off immediately when the warning light came on. (edit) Ran the car a little this evening, no low oil pressure, still lots of slop blowing out the exhaust.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/76221517411025.jpg

It's all going to be easy now, Right? :cool:
Tuesday was going to be a big day. The car had run on Monday and I was pretty sure that I could finish putting it back together enough to drive to the Tag Agency (DMV) and file for a rebuilt title. What did I have to do?

• Finish replacing a radiator.
• Put the front bumper cover on.
• Bolt the exhaust back together, or just replace it.
• Flush engine the oil and refill.
• Add coolant.
• Put wheels on.
• Install headlights.
• Put the seats and some interior trim back in.
• Organize paperwork showing the purchase of repair parts.

I had most of the day available, and until 4:30 to get in the door. If all the work went smoothly it would be easy.
I started with the radiator. After removing the original radiator I saw that it looked better than my replacement (note to self: dispose of the replacement). It just had a broken stub, leaving a small hole. I decided to do a JB Weld patch and work on other stuff while it set. A brand new radiator was already ordered.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/31517625040.jpg

Exhaust-ing...
Next, replace the muffler. The old muffler was still ½ full (or ½ empty) of oily water. Working in a small puddle under the car, on my back with the sun in my eyes and oily goo on my gloves, I removed the last few nuts and bolts. I tried to pull the muffler out. It would not fit between the bumper and rear of the transmission. Rocked it, rolled it, tipped it, it was not coming out. The rear bumper cover would have to come off. :mad:
To remove the rear bumper, the spoiler has to be raised to get access to screws. There is a switch on the fuse panel to raise the spoiler, but it didn't work. I ohmed out the switch and connector. They were good. Next, I looked at the relay in the trunk. I had originally thought that the (rear) trunk electronics didn't get flooded. I was wrong. Opening the relay, I saw rust. I replaced all the relays. Still no spoiler movement. Must be a problem in the mechanism itself. ...Okay, the bumper was not going to come off that day. Instead, I'd bolt the original exhaust back together.
Where did I put those nuts and bolts? I like to put nuts, bolts, and small parts in zip lock bags as I remove them. I label the bags with a marker, so I know where they all came from. The “Exhaust” baggie was nowhere to be found. :(
Stop. Walk away. Wife makes lunch.

'All day' isn't so long anymore.
Back to the radiator. The JB Weld repair looks good. I used “KwikWeld”, not for a permanent fix, but good enough for a few days. The radiator is pretty easy to install. The hardest part is getting the hoses in place and clamped. It can be hard to reach with the radiator in place, so I just put one bolt part way in while I got everything set. To tighten the lower hose, I put my head underneath and looked up. Perfect position to have the radiator fall off the one loose bolt and smack me in the face. I'd have a black eye, or worse, but fortunately I was wearing safety glasses. With the radiator installed, I topped the car off with distilled water, then noticed a slight leak from the radiator on the other side. No big deal, just a slow drip. Woody (https://www.facebook.com/Woodys-Parts-LLC-866155110110548/posts?) is sending me a good used replacement and a spare.

With coolant, I could finally run the engine enough to warm it up and burn some of the moisture out of the engine. It started easily and ran smooth. Lots of white smoke as it warmed up. About 10 minutes in, the Low Oil Pressure light came on. Not good. These engines die catastrophically without good oil flow. I shut it down immediately and hoped for the best. :eek:

Time for an oil change. The oil that came out still had a lot more moisture in it than I expected. It was a milky caramel color rather than translucent maple syrup I had hoped it would be. At least the filter looked good. I refilled with about 9 quarts of cheap synthetic, had a cup of coffee and thought about what to do next.
Video:
https://youtu.be/9zIiqB1FHmc

Nope, not today
It was nearing 3 pm and I was not likely to have it ready to drive by 4:30. Rather than get in a rush and start breaking expensive things, I decided to just keep going and get as far as daylight would take me. Driving, or pushing the car into my garage at the end of the day would be good enough.
I finally found my baggie of exhaust hardware underneath my fuse diagrams on the passenger side and got to work reassembling. It all went together well except for the “C- pipe” on the right side. That took some prying and convincing, but eventually went on.

I ran the car again. This time, with the full exhaust on. It was a smokey mess, pushing the water – oil mix out the tail pipe. It ran smooth, but again the low oil pressure light came on after about 10 minutes. I was glad that it ran that long, but still troubled by this. I tried a couple re-starts and the warning light came back on quickly. I thought of my contingency plans: Pull the engine and start a tear-down. Make this into another Audi V8 swap. Strip all the good parts and sell the ones I don't have use for.... Not so fast. Keep faith. It's probably just a minor issue caused by water still in the system. I did another oil change This car takes about 9 quarts of oil per change and I ran out of buckets to put it in. The guys at Autozone were not too happy when they saw me dumping all that intermix into their waste oil tank, but glad to sell another 10 quarts. ;)

I was resigned to putting it back together and rolling it to my garage. Before dark, I had the lawn cleaned up and the car back together with wheels, bumper, and a seat from an Audi A4. I decided to start it and check for the warning light. There was a brief flicker, then it went out and stayed out. I put it in gear and drove a couple circles on my lawn, then parked it in the garage. Another victory. Another small step towards completion.
Video:
https://youtu.be/McrcEr8_2jU

Good Stuff! :cheers:

Busy day, great progress :cheers:

What are opinions on dumping some Marvel Mystery oil in with my next oil change? Bad in a Boxster? A few people outside the forum suggested it.

I don't think it will have any positive impact. Getting everything coated with regular engine oil is the most important. Did you check the cylinders with a boroscope? I would suggest checking all 8 cylinders looking for a ring of corrosion where the rings sat. If there is one you will have to decide whether you'll just drive the car or try to clean out the rings, which will require a complete engine breakdown.

Marvel Mystery Oil is great for protecting corrosive parts, but I doubt it will be able to release a seized ring.

Eight....
 

....cylinders?

Uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........

Marvel mystery oil: http://www.audiosears.com/MSDS/FS0433-Marvel%20-%20Marvel%20Mystery%20Oil.pdf

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1517716248.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_spirit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricresyl_phosphate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,2-Dichlorobenzene
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,4-Dichlorobenzene

I'm not a chemist, but i'm not shure if Dichlorobenzene might affect rubber sealings (IMSB).

In general (even cheap) engine oils contain enough detergents and rust inhibitors. Personally i don't see why Marvel Mystery Oil should have a positive effect in this case. If you have corrosion in the engine i owuld recommend to get it warmed up completely and flush the engine oil to get all particles out. If parts have been rusted they have an inreversable structural defect. So at the moment i don't see why something like Marvel Mystery Oil should have a positive effect.

Have a question as a non US residential: are there any given time limits by the US government to get a rebuilt title for a car?

Regards, Markus

It's pretty amazing that you've gotten this far and I wouldn't worry about putting any snake oil inside the motor. It took two oil changes to completely get water out of my flooded engine. After that it was a great running motor. My flooded 55k 3.2 motor had better compression than the non-flooded 37k 3.4 it had temporarily replaced. I took that flooded motor out after a 1000 miles and it still had great compression. It's now in a race car and performing great.

Markus, thank you for the information about the chemical composition.

In the USA, the Federal Government sets automotive safety and environmental standards, but each state determines how they will comply. Oklahoma is the most unrestricted state I have lived in.
Here, there is no safety or emissions testing on cars. For a normal car, you just pay a fee and they check the VIN to verify it is correct.
For a car over 10 years old that has a salvage title (and not labeled 'non-reparable'), all I have to do to get a 'rebuilt title' is bring the car so they can verify the VIN, and show paperwork indicating that repairs have been made.
The reason that I was trying to do it quickly is because if I do not transfer the title into my name within 30 days of the purchase, there is a fine.

Okay, No Snake Oil...
The engine does not put out smoke until after it has warmed up. I'm pretty sure that its from the oil-water mix in the exhaust heating up on the cats rather than a problem with the engine. I am still not happy with my oil samples. The oil on the dipstick looks clean and clear now, but samples from the filter are cloudy with water and fine debris.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1517778137.jpg

I took the oil from the filter and strained it in a coffee filter, then spread the residue on white paper. There is nothing metallic or gritty. What I found is more like a flaking varnish. I have seen similar stuff in the carburetor of a lawn mower that sat with water in the gas tank. It is soft and can easily be broken up with the tip of a probe. The largest pieces are smaller than a millimeter in diameter. That is still more contamination than I had hoped to see after four oil changes.

Next I'm going to pull off the sump plate and give the bottom of the engine a good cleaning. I'll spray it with fogging oil, brush it, and wipe down the internal parts that I can reach. I would have dropped the pan earlier, but I was in a hurry to get it running and flushed. Now it seems like a good precaution before I run the engine under more of a load.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1517778208.jpg

I did some diagnostics with my Autel MD802. Just some minor codes that are probably related to having an '01 instrument cluster installed instead of the '04. It also sometimes shows a secondary O2 sensor code. No worries there. The ABS/PSM shows code 4276 “Valve relay”. No idea about that yet, but the connector was wet for a long time.

Video:
https://youtu.be/BW-jrg0WdbQ

I don't want to apply power to the electronics until after I have inspected them internally. Yesterday at work, I checked the instrument cluster for corrosion. All of the circuitry looked good. There was only a little rust on some internal shielding where contact with a ribbon cable had held some moisture. Last night at Super Bowl Half-Time, I plugged it in. Finally I know the mileage of the car.
44,608. :dance:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1517840442.jpg

I had a busy week of work, with heart attacks, strokes, a stabbing, car wreck, and a house explosion. I didn't get much work done on the car. Now I'm off for seven days.

Sump thing is dirty.

Engine oil flushes could not get all the crud out, so I dropped the sump plate today. The bottom of the pan looked terrible with soft, cloudy sediment and small water droplets. There was no way that the stuff outside the baffles could make it to the drain.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518066150.jpg

With the pan dropped it was easy to clean. One of the oil return outlets had broken tabs. Fortunately I had a pair of them available from a scrapped engine and didn't have to wait for delivery of a new one.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518066208.jpg

The engine itself looked great. No sign of internal corrosion. I'm glad I didn't disturb the sediment any further by driving the car around or running it hard. If I ever buy another flood car, cleaning the sump will be my first step.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518066325.jpg

It's all back together now. A very thin coat of gray sealant, then bolts tightened to finger tight. After setting for an hour I torqued them all to 10 Nm (7 Ft). Now it sits over night before I fill with oil and run it.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518066780.jpg

While waiting for the sealant to set, I removed the spoiler and rear bumper. The motor for the spoiler was bad, so I replaced it with one from my parts car. With the bumper off, I got a good look at the damage from transport. It looks pretty superficial. Tomorrow, I'll take it to a body shop for an estimate.

Also today I went to the Tag Agency (DMV). It's the 30th day since I bought the car, so if I didn't transfer the title, I'd start accruing fines. I explained that I planned to file for a rebuilt title soon, but the car wasn't ready yet. The clerk replied that she could take my application and fee, then hold it for me until the car is ready. That way there is no rush and no fine. Awesome deal.

The video: https://youtu.be/SLf2ukEbQeU

Well done man. Low mileage !!!! Looks good now need to source a used SE muffler tip

Fantastic! I like that "challenge accepted" attitude and then even win. Great job!!

And my highest respect for helping people in need.

(any chance, that the shipping/hauling company has to take care of the exhaust tip and rear cover?)

'78F350, question. Did you have any sitting water? How did you deal with that. I just bought an a4 and the drivers floor is water logged. It wasn't even a flood car just clogged drains and harness and modules submerged in water. Hope you had better luck beneath your carpet

So far all I have done is raise the carpet by propping it up with scrap wood and circulating air with a fan. The best way is to remove the carpet, but that may not be practical on an A4.
I am currently parting a 2006 A4 2.0 on AudiWorld.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsm5Y9wsR
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/parts-sale-201/parting-06-a4-front-collision-2935036/
I recently sold a few modules and the left side harness from behind the driver's seat back. If you need anything, PM me from either forum and I'll figure out how to ship to Canada. :eek:

A little update:
The rear bumper and tail pipe claim – I did my own estimate for repairs and had my wife contact the shipping company. They agreed to my figure, out of pocket from the driver rather than through insurance. I am still waiting for the money.

I think I'll repair the bumper myself, and if the result isn't satisfactory, take it to the shop after. I have a decent spray set-up and a bumper is a lot easier than a whole car.

The original muffler has a lot of water trapped, and it will take a long time to get it all out. Rather than deal with that now, I installed another S muffler with the two round tail pipes.
Future? Maybe buy the SE tail pipe, or maybe get a lighter aftermarket exhaust.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518299723.jpg

I'm working through some of the electrical issues now. Most of the electrical motors that got wet, failed. The rear spoiler and trunk latch motors have been replaced. The SAI blower , the top motor, the HVAC blower; All bad. The passenger side window motor was shorted internally and constantly drawing power.

Much of the rest is good. The ABS/PSM was having a code because I forgot to put the PSM fuses in. HVAC control, lighting (except right tail bulbs), instruments, and controls, are all good. All indications are that the airbag system will be good after I install both seats and reset the module. Even the original battery is recharged and working fine so far.

The engine is running great. Oil samples look good since cleaning the sump. I took a short drive around the neighborhood. It pulled hard and felt good.

I have new rear control arms and drop links ordered and already replaced the broken track arm with one that I had from my parts car.

Over the next few days, I'll get the electronics sorted out better, put the interior back in, and get the title and tags done by Friday. Once it is on the road, I'm going to drive it for a few hundred miles and check it out before I pull it apart again for further repairs and cleaning.

I would have bet money that the climate control was shot...glad to hear I was wrong (although I don't know why it wasn't, but I won't jinx you). Checks in the mail I guess. :)
The battery also is a suprise...was the water level higher than the battery? If so, when you are charging (and it begins to heat up) I wouldn't be surprised if evil liquid starts draining from the battery vent; I would keep it well away from anything important (or unimportant for that matter) or better yet, just spring for a new battery.

I think we all knew (including yourself) that the electronics would be the most maddening part. Glad to hear you are working though the issues, and that you are doing so "with a plan" rather than with a prayer. ;)

This kind of project takes a plan AND a prayer :D

Here's a short video update:
https://youtu.be/EnnyCChHA8o

I see you have a seat back in. Were you able to save them? I figured the leather would get tough and brittle after sitting in water like it did.

Looki here...
 

Thanks 10/10. I actually got a PM about that last night too. You guys are great. I've had a reply from the seller and I'm waiting for a shipping estimate.

Woody, I am a little concerned about the leather, but so far it all looks good except for the upper 1/2 of the dash. I cleaned and treated it all pretty thoroughly when I first got the car. I just got 3 Liters of Lexol, but I'm not sure if any further treatment will be better or worse. For the moment the seats look almost new, but that dampness sitting there for so long must have taken a toll.

I put the rest of interior together today. I have an old 4-spoke steering wheel and airbag in until I see about re-affixing some of the leather on the airbag.
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1518588852.jpg


Started insurance on it and drove to the Tag Agency. They said that my Oklahoma Salvage title is in the mail, and I'll have to bring it in to get the rebuilt title. Sounds good, it will probably arrive in tomorrow's mail.
While driving it today I got the Check engine light for both secondary O2 sensors and an ABS light for the brake pedal switch not working. I'm expecting these sorts of things and have parts on hand for most of it as they come up.

I took the door lock from my old parts car and pulled it apart. It took me some figuring, but I made it match the key that I have for the car. Hopefully I'll get it installed before I lock myself out. :eek:
http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02/lock1518588886.jpg

Regarding the leather on the seats and airbag cover, I bet there a lot of interior experts that have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves that they've learned over the years from reconditioning cars coming off lease. This thread is better than any show on Velocity channel!