[Colin Aitchison]

Part One
Over the winter I have rebuilt a 20v 7A engine that was to replace the 20v 7A engine in my Audi coupe GT B2, engine back in and running then ready for a short drive, jumped in and started the car, dipped the clutch and selected reverse gear and CRUNCH!!!, the car refused to go in to any gear when running but I could get all 6 gears with the engine switched off, after much faffing about with clutch master and slave cylinders and replacing the flexi hose to the slave cylinder, with no success, I decided to remove the gear box to look at the clutch, release bearing and release bearing fork but all was well, after some lengthy pondering time spent looking at the rear of the engine my thoughts turned to the pilot bearing that I fitted in the rear of the crank shaft, as I still use the original B2 gearbox and flywheel I need to fit a pilot bearing in the rear of the crankshaft, the input shaft to the gear box is 18mm so after searching around the garage I found that the locking pin from my engine lift was 18mm, so inserted it in to the pilot bearing and quite shockingly found that I could only turn the pin anti clockwise, I was stumped and dumbfounded how the pilot/needle bearing could only turn one way unless it was damaged or faulty, then my thoughts went to how the hell do you get that out, anyway next day I was going to the AGM of the local hill climb club and put the question of removing the pilot bearing to some of the older members (the guys with the MG's, Morgans and other older British cars) because they would have some ingenues device or method of removing the pilot bearing, what do you know I was right for a change, pack the pilot bearing with grease with no air pockets then take you 18mm pin and hammer it in to the grease packed bearing and out it popped after a few good taps, points to the old guys for that one, new bearing fitted and gear box back on, car on the ground and running and can get all 6 gears, result, moral to this story is if you have problems after working on a car don't go taking bits off the car that have been working for many years look at the new parts to see if they are causing a problem.
Part Two.
So, now for the test drive, 11miles round trip all is well, back in garage looking for any fluid leaks, no leaks, so of to garage for fuel and a little run, did not get 1mile for the house, if the water temp gauge went any higher the needle would vanish behind the dash, quick stop, up with bonnet expecting to vanish in a cloud of steam as you see other cars at the side of the road but no the engine did not feel hot or smell hot, had a look at the oil temp and oil pressure and both were normal, wiggled the wires to the temp water sender on the engine to see if one of the wires was earthing out to the block but no the gauge on the dash was still showing very very very hot, unplugged the sender wire and gauge on the dash dropped to cold instantly, method of elimination the sender is faulty or the engine is really hot, hmmmmm, can this water temp sender be faulty after swapping engines? Now back in the garage after letting the car cool for a bit before I drove it back just in case, after letting the car cool for a further hour I started the engine and the water temp gauge went to above where I would expect the radiator cooling fan to come on instantly but the engine was cold or cold-ish if you like, now for the big hunt round the garage for a 5 cylinder 10v KV engine water temp sender, I use the 10v temp sender with adapter to fit in the 20v 7A engine, found one in an old head fitted it and all is well, result.
Moral to part two, Ignore moral to part one, old car will bite you in the ass some how.