'87 5000 engine hood gas strut replacement secrets/tips?

Hi...I'm replacing the gas struts that (don't) hold the engine hood up in my '87 5000 QT wagon...and I can't seem to get the pins out that hold the tops of the struts in place.

They're basically like cotter pinned sleeves....the clips on the inboard ends of the sleeves came off easily, but the sleeves themselves, which pass through the top strut hole and go through a flange spot-welded to the underside of the hood are completely resistant to being tapped/pushed/turned out.

In fact, with the struts unhooked from the bottom at the inner fender lips, lifting the strut turns the sleeve, which suggests the sleeves are either corroded (I've sprayed them liberally, though they don't look rusty) or somehow attached/clipped/slotted to the sleeves in a way I can't see or figure out.

I replaced the rear hatch struts in a few minutes, but the engine hood struts have me stumped.

Am I missing some Secret of German Engineering here?

Help!

Thanks Winston

Reply to
winston
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I have owned four T44s but never have had to deal with this issue.

the person who would know is busy for the next few days and may not be able to respond till later.

You may want to ask at the AudiWorld T44 forum. Lot of knowledge there.

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w> Hi...I'm replacing the gas struts that (don't) hold the engine hood up

Reply to
Tony

Thanks...I'll continue to use a ViceGrip on the strut rod for now until I figure out whether there's a trick to them...it's pretty rare to fix anything on a German car through brute force...that's a technique usually reserved for a used Chevy.

Reply to
winston

Winston, The pins on the top and bottom should be the same, and they're secured with a circlip. It is possible that you have rusty residue in the seat of the circlip that will not allow the pin to pass through the strut, or the pin may be "natures weld"-ed into the strut (ie - rusted-in). I would apply a bit of PB Blaster or some other rust solvent (not WD40), be careful not to drip onto the fender or the hood, when the pin is soaked, strike it a couple of times with a hammer - not so hard that you bend the bracket - then let it sit for a couple of hours. With a pair of needle nose vicegrips, attempt to rotate the pin by grabbing onto the head. Fixing rusty things on a German car is the same as on a Chevy.....brute force, heat, nasty chemicals and an assortment of grinding wheels and cutting torches always come in handy....the only difference is that you must reach for the metric tools and not the imperial ones (unless the hex-heads are REALLY rusted down in size....) Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"winston" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@v46g2000cwv.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Steve Sears

Thanks Steve...I've noticed in my other readings around the 'Net about my Cdn spec. '87 5kTQ Avant that you are the undisputed Lord of the Rings, in a manner of speaking....so thanks for all your years of cumulative advice on these cool cars.

W
Reply to
winston

Winston, wow - thanks! I'd have to say that there are many more folks that are waaaay more in the know than I. I'm just good at repeating their advice. People like Scott Mockry

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Huw Powell
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Phil Payne
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Martin Pajak
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and people on the a.a.a newsgroup like JPF (now frequents Land Rover Groups) and C.R. Krieger. I'd have to agree on the coolness factor - the Type 44 was waaay before it's time in aerodynamics and looks - many folks are amazed that my 5ktq (albeit somewhat cosmetically altered) is almost 20 years old. Of course, the age shows once in a while - like now as it sits in my driveway sulking with a partially diagnosed no-start problem. Keep 'em running!!!! Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ - sulking in the driveway 1980 Audi 5k - cozy in storage 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - '62 venturing from cozy storage to the Audi Mobile Museum at the Import/Kit/Replicar show in Carlisle, PA, May 19-21. (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
Reply to
Steve Sears

I've always liked the 5K TQ Avant...the whole idea of a turbo quattro wagon with a stick shift always appealled to me as the ultimate SportWagen.

I drove Audis new at product launches for years as an auto journalist in the 80's through the early 90's, most memorably once down the west coast from Vancouver to Seattle, so when I saw this Avant sitting unloved, its red paint chalked-up to a light pink being offered for sale at a silly low "please take it away" price I picked it up to use for cottage weekends... and have been bringing it back up to snuff over the past month or so while my BMW 3 series sits idle, no doubt wondering what it did wrong.

Everything comes back in vogue again of course, and the recent crop of crossovers and sportwagens proves that the European estate/sport/hatch/wagon was and is a cool, fun, practical kind of vehicle to drive, and the Audi Avant is perhaps the only Euro sportwagen that has survived as a product in North America over the twenty years or so its' been sold here...so I consider old Avants to be at least as cool as an old Benz 300D wagen, possibly cooler because they're equally as robust a product, yet more fun to drive.

Reply to
winston

Winston, Be very careful of the BMW....these German cars do not take kindly to watching you concentrate your attentions on another - I've come to that conclusion with my 5ktq, which stopped running just after I got my 1980 5k back on the road with a fresh brake system, oil&filter, etc. etc. The flash of the codes 2111 and 2113 was the Type 44 version of a cry of "You cheating B@$tard!!!!!" I'd say I'd have preference for an Avant over a sedan, but you know how my troubleshooting will go tonight....... BTW, your Avant wouldn't have been one of the "Olympic Edition 5ktq's" that were used in the Calgary Olympics in 1988, would it? Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ - jealous 1980 Audi 5k - oblivious 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes - sleepy (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
Reply to
Steve Sears

I don't think so...this one is a red '87 that was bought in Montreal then moved after a few years to Calgary until two years ago when it moved here...the O.E.'s were 88s and I thought they were all pearl white, though I could be wrong about that...

Reply to
winston

OE's were actually red, with black and yellow pinstriping and sport interior (like the German flag). It's true that they were '88's - I missed that part of your message. Cheers! Steve Sears

1987 Audi 5kTQ 1980 Audi 5k 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)
Reply to
Steve Sears

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