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Thread: Subtle differences between RS6 and S6

  1. #1
    Registered User Bigglezworth's Avatar
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    Subtle differences between RS6 and S6

    As I undertake various maintenance repairs to my '02 S6, I am finding more and more little differences between each that have necessitated more time to do the same repair than the RS6. Yes believe it or not - a car that takes more time to repair than the RS6....

    Example - T-stat. Have replaced this item in excess of a half a dozen times across three different cars and it's straight forward. Aside from having to remove the Y-pipe in order to remove the inspection covers, pretty straight forward. The S6 doesn't have the Y-pipe to remove, but it has a mechanical fan to remove....

    Couldn’t get the fan clutch off the shaft because it required more torque to rotate a seized bolt than the tension of a belt or clamp could provide in situ. I resigned myself to removing the bracket as an assembly, so that I could clamp in vice and remove out of the car. Problem was – bolt to remove was just far enough behind the pulley that you couldn’t put a socket and ratchet on it…. I ended up using a sawsall to cut the clutch assemble off the end of the shaft, and then rounding off the corners of the remaining nut housing so that I could slide the pulley over top and off. I was then able to access the bolt and remove the bracket. A large 1 ¼” wrench with an interlocked 1 1/8” and 200+ on the end final cracked the nut and it spun off by and afterwards….

    ALL to get to a thermostat…..

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    I also noticed the belt wasn't tracking correctly and was offset a nominal 1/8". Turns out to be the incorrect pulley. The previous owner(s) had mounted the incorrect idler pulley. There has ever been a requirement or a large triple square wrench to remove any parts on the engine, which should have been the first clue. Pulley was shimmed with a trio of washers to get proper clearance from engine block. gasp Proper part now installed.
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    '02 S6 Avant Silver - Pokey | Carbon Black/Ebony RS6 w/ stuff - darn quick | '03 Daytona Grey/Ebony RS6 w/ more stuff - quicker yet | '91 NSX CDN issue with 6spd & BBSC - quicker yet and then some | '87 Buick GNX OEM clone w/ lots of stuff - quickest hands down

  2. #2
    Registered User mrdave's Avatar
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    Yeah that fan clutch sucks. I used a belt wrench to hold the pulley while I loosened the clutch. It worked, but barely. I wanted to do an electric fan swap but got lazy. Just make sure you use an OEM clutch when you put it back together so you don't have to do it twice like me.

  3. #3
    Registered User Bigglezworth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrdave View Post
    Just make sure you use an OEM clutch when you put it back together so you don't have to do it twice like me.
    What happened in your case? I put in an OEM spec assembly and it is HORRIBLE. Driving around all day today and it sounds like a big semi as the clutch doesn't release until 4000+rpm. Clearly this isn't good. I will be looking to swap it out for a different part.

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    '02 S6 Avant Silver - Pokey | Carbon Black/Ebony RS6 w/ stuff - darn quick | '03 Daytona Grey/Ebony RS6 w/ more stuff - quicker yet | '91 NSX CDN issue with 6spd & BBSC - quicker yet and then some | '87 Buick GNX OEM clone w/ lots of stuff - quickest hands down

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    Registered User mrdave's Avatar
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    OEM "spec" or actual OEM part? I put in an aftermarket clutch with the same p/n and got the same results as you. Had to swap it out for a much more expensive OEM part.

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    FYI I've been able to remove the bracket by saving the captured socket head cap screw for last and you can get an Allen head in there to loosen it.

    Also you do know that it's left handed thread, right?

    Having the spanner wrench makes all the difference though.
    2012 Q7 TDI S-Line - 2010 GTI - 2007 A3 3.2 S-Line - 2003 RS6
    2001 Honda S2000 - 1977 Honda CBR 750-F2 - 1965 GMC 1500 WideSide

  6. #6
    Registered User Bigglezworth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveKen View Post
    FYI I've been able to remove the bracket by saving the captured socket head cap screw for last and you can get an Allen head in there to loosen it.

    Also you do know that it's left handed thread, right?

    Having the spanner wrench makes all the difference though.
    12mm hex head bolts. An Allen head bolt would have worked fine, but that's not what Audi designed. Yes, I knew the clutch bolt turns the opposite direction the engine turns. There was NO way it was coming loose. It took a 3' long lever with a solid 200lbs + putting some back in to things to crack it loose. lol
    '02 S6 Avant Silver - Pokey | Carbon Black/Ebony RS6 w/ stuff - darn quick | '03 Daytona Grey/Ebony RS6 w/ more stuff - quicker yet | '91 NSX CDN issue with 6spd & BBSC - quicker yet and then some | '87 Buick GNX OEM clone w/ lots of stuff - quickest hands down

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bigglezworth View Post
    12mm hex head bolts. An Allen head bolt would have worked fine, but that's not what Audi designed. Yes, I knew the clutch bolt turns the opposite direction the engine turns. There was NO way it was coming loose. It took a 3' long lever with a solid 200lbs + putting some back in to things to crack it loose. lol
    Sorry. I might be thinking 2.7T on the types of bolts holding the fan bracket.
    2012 Q7 TDI S-Line - 2010 GTI - 2007 A3 3.2 S-Line - 2003 RS6
    2001 Honda S2000 - 1977 Honda CBR 750-F2 - 1965 GMC 1500 WideSide

  8. #8
    Registered User Bigglezworth's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrdave View Post
    OEM "spec" or actual OEM part? I put in an aftermarket clutch with the same p/n and got the same results as you. Had to swap it out for a much more expensive OEM part.
    Thermal unit vs. non-thermal unit. Every part supplier in my next of the woods sells thermal fan clutches which have the spring on the front. The OEM Behr is non-thermal from what I can discern which means it works on a torque limiting design to start slipping when RPM's increase past 2K.
    '02 S6 Avant Silver - Pokey | Carbon Black/Ebony RS6 w/ stuff - darn quick | '03 Daytona Grey/Ebony RS6 w/ more stuff - quicker yet | '91 NSX CDN issue with 6spd & BBSC - quicker yet and then some | '87 Buick GNX OEM clone w/ lots of stuff - quickest hands down

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