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DON'T DIY!!! Pay someone a lot of money to do this for you and be happy you didn't do it!!
I followed the Bentley manual instructions and looked at some walk-throughs online (for transverse VWs mostly, couldn't find much for Audis). The instructions are fairly detailed and accurate, right up to the end where it simply says "remove the screws securing the manifold" (with no indication of how many or where all of the screws are, luckily they are all accessible with a 6"+ extension on a 1/4" drive ratchet through cutouts in the manifold) and "carefully remove the manifold". I got stuck about 5 hours in with the manifold pulled an inch out and it wouldn't move any further.
So I hit the internet again and found a video with 3 excellent recommendations: undo the upper coolant hardline and tie it up out of the way, remove the high pressure fuel pump entirely, and remove the alternator (I didn't but would have made much more room). I also separated the coolant line at the front of the block because it was hanging up the manifold, might not have been needed with the alternator removed.
Now I'm cleaning the nastiness out with Sea Foam. It is working quite well so far. Getting brushes in around the valves has been tricky, settled on a toothbrush with a filed down head and acid brushes.
I followed the Bentley manual instructions and looked at some walk-throughs online (for transverse VWs mostly, couldn't find much for Audis). The instructions are fairly detailed and accurate, right up to the end where it simply says "remove the screws securing the manifold" (with no indication of how many or where all of the screws are, luckily they are all accessible with a 6"+ extension on a 1/4" drive ratchet through cutouts in the manifold) and "carefully remove the manifold". I got stuck about 5 hours in with the manifold pulled an inch out and it wouldn't move any further.
So I hit the internet again and found a video with 3 excellent recommendations: undo the upper coolant hardline and tie it up out of the way, remove the high pressure fuel pump entirely, and remove the alternator (I didn't but would have made much more room). I also separated the coolant line at the front of the block because it was hanging up the manifold, might not have been needed with the alternator removed.
Now I'm cleaning the nastiness out with Sea Foam. It is working quite well so far. Getting brushes in around the valves has been tricky, settled on a toothbrush with a filed down head and acid brushes.
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