The Houston 04 SE

[Anker]

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.

[10/10ths]

....cylinders?

Uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh.........

[Smallblock454]

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



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

[itsnotanova]

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.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Smallblock454

... (details about Marvel Mystery Oil) ... 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

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.

[78F350]

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.


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.



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

[78F350]

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:

[78F350]

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.


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.


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.


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.


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

[GTA_G20]

Originally Posted by 78F350

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.


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.


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.


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.


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

[BRAN]

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?)

[GTA_G20]

'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

[78F350]

Originally Posted by GTA_G20

'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.

[78F350]

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.


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.

[MWS]

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.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by MWS

... 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

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

[itsnotanova]

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.

[10/10ths]

https://www.pca.org/classified-ad/326732

[78F350]

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.

[78F350]

Originally Posted by itsnotanova

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.

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.



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.

[PaulE]

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!