Skyrex

Trying to pull the timing belt cam sprocket off the camshaft (cam is in place). Using a 3", 2 jaw, light duty gear puller with 1 ton capacity and a half inch ratchet. No luck and getting close to snapping a jaw.
1. Does the sprocket come off using a gear puller? I'm not using the VAG puller Bentley shows to remove the sprocket on the 2.7 & 2.8. Of course, Bentley doesn't mention much of anything about the 4.2's.
2. I'm assuming it can be removed.
3. Any tricks to getting it off, such as, heating it up with a torch, or spray with lubricant?

Any help much appreciated.

4Driver4

I just loosen the bolt a few turns, then whack the bolt on the head with a hammer like I'm trying to drive it back it. Sprocket pops right off. Or use the right puller. Lube and heat are not necessary and will potentially cause other issues.

Skyrex

Nice trick Boss. It's off.
Tx,
Skyrex

SloopJohnB@mac.com

You need to inspect that sprocket very closely for cracks since you've flexed it so much with your gear puller….

Skyrex

Thanks for the tip. The sprocket looks OK. I locked on at the top of the spoke at the hub, but put as much pull on it as I could with a 1/2" ratchet.

On another note, I pulled the left bank cam chain tensioner to change out the guide rail pads. The tensioner looks good, but I'm wondering about it's operation. The bottom piston with rail and spring telescopes out and retracts under pressure. It appears normal.

The top piston and rail only telescopes out about 1/8". It's travel appears slight to stationary. Do you know if that's normal? When it was in place, and I was turning the crank, I recall it traveling about 1/2" plus and then it would colaspe. I was thinking the two pistons were traveling an equal distance.

So, it seems that the bottom rail does the tensioning. Please let me know what you think.

Tx,
Skyrex

Would you know how it works.

Thanks,
Skyrex

4Driver4

Don't worry about the tensioner. If you had no codes prior to taking it apart, you have no issue.

The movement when cranking over by hand is the valve springs acting on the cams to pull on the chain. When running, oil pressure is supplied to both top and bottom, but the solenoid can limit pressure to one side to allow the other side to push out further, thus changing intake cam timing. (think VTEC, yo)

Skyrex

Well, I do have a code. It is DTC P1340 (crankshaft and camshaft position sensor signals out of sequence). Long story short, the car went into the transmission shop for a transmission rebuild. When it left the shop it had 7 DTC's. A reliable, independent Audi shop cleared all the codes except P1340. Their diagnosis was replace the camshaft tensioner. They found the bottom guide rail pad broken on the tensioner.

I'm doing the repair, and thinking, could the tensioner, internally, be bad as well. I was going to replace the guide rail pads first, and see if that clears the code. It's the original tensioner with 103K on the motor.

Do you think that will fix it?

Thanks,
Skyrex

4Driver4

Are you absolutely sure that the pin is inserted correctly? Sounds like it might be off and that the mark on the balancer might be right....unless the front key is damaged. I'd probably check that too.

Skyrex

4Driver4 - Was your last thread for me? I'd not following. Little help please.
Tx,
Skyrex

4Driver4

Yes. Given your comments about the codes, I'm concerned that you might not have the crank pinned correctly. Are you sure the pin was/is in the right spot? If you are still seeing the code, I'd double check the timing. Try aligning the mark and checking.