How to lock camshafts in place to change timing belt

[tsimom]

Been searching both here and the net. I have a 2g tsi my son is doing the timing belt and water pump. I guess he is alittle afraid that he will mess up my engine. He is having a hard time with holding the camshafts in place to change the belt. I think now I have spent at least a $100 maybe more and still nothing has worked. I know about the vfaq but it is not working at the moment(server issue I think). Are there any tools that will make him more comfortable? I know people have used various things. Is there any tool out there to make it easier. He keeps asking about a key of some kind. Did find one sight in Taiwan. They wanted a 10k order to make and ship them. Not into that obviously. Any input would be appreciated. I have been waiting 2 months for my car to get done. I think I am going through withdrawal.

 

[BUCK]

I'll post a pic because they DO make a Tool for this & I bought one but couldn;t use it because you really Don't WANT the cam Sprockets 'locked in place" because as you Tension the Belt the Cam Sprockets ROLL INTO TIME as the Belt TENSIONS - so.... What you'll see is you actually have to mis-time Exhaust Cam a Tooth when you first lay Belt on Teeth - read below:

A really handy tip for setting the timing belt tension is if you are
putting a new hydraulic tensioner on leave the pin in until you
tighten the tensioner pulley, ALSO when you can slip the Pin in The Tensioner is in the CORRECT position so you can check Tension Setting WITH THE PIN.

& Here's my 2 cents worth on TB Timing & Tensioning...

I just bought some 8MM ALLTHREAD at a Hardware Store & double nutted 2 Nuts at the end for a Tool.

- If you were to watch what the TB does when tensioned you'd see that the TB literally "rolls" into Time as the Tensioner takes out the Slack at the proper point & pulls slack out of the front side of the TB loop.

- Set Sprockets & Balance Shafts per - http://vfaq.com/mods/timingbelt-1G.html - EXCEPT....

- It MAY be necessary to BIAS = Mis-Time Exhaust Cam Sprocket ONE Tooth Clockwise - Belt Tensioning process will roll it back into time.

-Don't forget to apply Soft Loctite or RTV to Tensioner Fasteners & apply Final Torque.

-Run ALLTHREAD Tool in until Tensioner Arm Bottoms against Tensioner Rod - PULL GRENADE PIN - Then run ALLTHREAD tool in until Tensioner Arm just Bottoms against Tensioner Body.

-Basically you preload the Eccentric Tension Pulley enough to achieve the correct Gap between Tension Arm & Tensioner Body - SO...

-PRE-LOAD the Eccentric Tension Pulley & snug Pulley Bolt (I used soft Loctite on this Bolt too) - My favorite Tool to apply the Load on the Pulley is a long good quality Square Shanked Screwdriver that lays on one of the Water Pump Bolt Heads nicely for leverage.

-Back off ALLTHREAD TOOL a few Turns thus letting the Tensioner FULLY Tension the T/Belt - but you can leave ALLTHREAD TOOL in place.

- Check Belt Timing Marks - This is where you may see that you have to regroup on initial Timing Belt installation & Bias the Belt as I said at First - Note that of course only every OTHER time Crank Timing Marks line up wil Cam Sprocket Dowels be Up.

- Spin Crank 6 Turns so Timing Belt can take it's initial SEAT in Sprocket Grooves.

- Check Tension setting by trying to reinsert Grenade Pin in Tensioner & / or check gap size with Drill Bit.

- If gap is too large you have UNDER TENSIONED BELT, run ALLTHREAD Tool back in to FULLY depress Tensioner and put MORE PRE-LOAD under Tensioner Pulley with long Screwdriver & SIMULTANEOUSLY loosen Pulley Bolt putting more Tension on Belt, & then Snug up Pulley Bolt while applying Load.

-Back off ALLTHREAD TOOL a few Turns thus letting the Tensioner FULLY Tension the T/Belt - but you can leave ALLTHREAD TOOL in place backed off & not touching Tensioner.

- Check Tension setting by trying to reinsert Grenade Pin in Tensioner & / or check gap size with Drill Bit.

- If Grenade Pin checks Sat apply Final Torque to Tension Pulley Bolt & RECHECK TENSION SETTING .

- If Gap is too small you have OVER-TENSIONED Belt - Back off Tension Pulley Pre-Load a little & RECHECK TENSION SETTING.

- Install just enuff Belts & Pulleys to run Water Pump - attach Battery charger & run Motor with NO Timing Covers & no Alternator - you can leave ALLTHREAD TOOL backed off & of course not touching Tensioner while you do this.

- Immediately when you get it running Check Oil Pressure & then Check for Coolant & Oil Leaks - Check your new Water Pump & Water Pump O Ring, etc, etc... Be ready to Reset Base Timing & Base Idle as it comes up to Full Running Temp - Start off with CAS at middle of adjustment if you don't know where it was.

- After a good long idle or 2 re-check Tension with Grenade Pin, Remove ALLTHREAD tool & Button up Covers if all is SAT - Expect to see one good stretch as Belt heats up & "sets" in the Pulleys & hence TB may need one good re-setting after initial idle.

Word to the wise. Measure any drillbit you use as I had 2 - 5/32"
drillbits and they varied in thickness by almost a millimeter. When
your working with a gap tolerance that is only 0.7mm wide a 1mm error is unacceptable. I picked the one that was closest and used that one.

 

[Splitpi]

I bought this from parts dinosaur:
http://www.store.partsdinosaur.com/product266.html

It just barely fits on our DOHC. The only issue I had was that you have to turn the exhaust cam clockwise about 1/2 a tooth and the exhaust cam counter-clockwise about 1/2 tooth when putting the belt on. Then when you release the cams, the spring into alignment due to slack in the belt and just tooth alignment. I hope that makes sense. I still needed someone to align the cams so I could put the sprocket locking tool on. I am sure if I spent some extra time I could have done it myself though.

I would say though this made it easier to install than when I did my timing belt without it. I would also recommend getting the tensioner pulley adjusting tool.

 

[BUCK]

YUP, that's it - I find it handy at Head Installation only, & a few healthy Tie Wraps could do that - It's not helpful to me at Timing Belt installation, I end up with a wrench wedged on the Cam Hex to hold it for T/Belt install - But it looks good in my Tool Box....

 

[lookin4dsm]

I have always just used the bulldog clips as shown in the vfaq. Look at figures 14, 15, & 16 at the below link (server seems to be working now):

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/timingbelt-2G.html

Mike

 

[luv2rallye]

couple wrenches:

 

[bling5tatus]

You can also use vice grips and a shop rag (so you don't damage anything)... to hold the tbelt on the cam. Is this the way the book tells you to do it, no, does it work, yes.