DIY Timing Belt Change Success!!

TimO'Brien · 07-07-2003, 09:46 AM

A big thanks to Andy_TN and Ben Hardt for their cook book style write-ups! Review:

I didn't have any plans this past weekend so it was about time that I got to my timing belt (62k miles). I was pretty nervous doing this myself but all in all, it was extremely (and surprisingly) easy. It just took a long time ~ 8hrs total for my father, a friend, and I to do it. (None of us had ever done it before either) I used the Bentley manual as reference as well as extremely well-done audiworld write-ups. The thing I was really nervous about was the actual timing belt exchange -- not messing up the timing but all I needed to do was hand crank the car to TDC and then mark the crank pulley. Neither of them moved so I had no problem. The whole thing went off without a snag except for one slight error but I found was very fixable. I ended up pulling the pin on the tensioner too soon because I realized that I needed to remove another pulley (that the timing belt went around) to get to my water pump/thermostat.

So I experimented on recompressing the old tensioner and re-installing the pin in a vice. Well, it worked so we took the new tensioner back out, compressed it, and then proceeded to the water pump/thermostat. So it IS possible to recompress the tensioner. I took a lot of digital pix just for my sake of putting things back together correctly. Everything went as expected. I did need to run out and get a universal joint for my socket wrench but that's the only extra tool I needed. Total: ~$400. Saved ~$700.

The list of what I replaced:

- Timing belt, tensioner, roller, tensioner pulley
- Water pump impeller
- Thermostat
- All "exterior" belts -- A/C belt, Serpentine belt, and water pump/power steering belt.
- Spark plugs
- G012 coolant
- K&N recharge
- pollen filter change
- APR Snub Mount

A few scarry Pics:

paul_858 · 07-07-2003, 09:49 AM

Andy_FL · 07-07-2003, 09:51 AM

Glad it went off without a hitch. First time I've heard my write-up likened to a cook book recipe ;-)

Andy

paul_858 · 07-07-2003, 09:53 AM

that's the stuff.

TimO'Brien · 07-07-2003, 09:57 AM

I ended up pulling the pin on the "granade" too early just to stir things up.

-- it was going too well.. hehe

BSCA4 · 07-07-2003, 10:16 AM

TimO'Brien · 07-07-2003, 10:55 AM

2tu®bos1mission · 07-07-2003, 11:00 AM

CC Rider · 07-07-2003, 11:26 AM

LaserRed_OC · 07-07-2003, 01:27 PM

Gonna be doing my T-belt sometime this week too. Taking it to a shop cause I suck. Unless someone wants to help in OC? Free beer and $$$.

07-07-2003, 09:46 AM	#1
TimO'Brien Audiworld Junior Member Account #: 21070 Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 287	DIY Timing Belt Change Success!! A big thanks to Andy_TN and Ben Hardt for their cook book style write-ups! Review: I didn't have any plans this past weekend so it was about time that I got to my timing belt (62k miles). I was pretty nervous doing this myself but all in all, it was extremely (and surprisingly) easy. It just took a long time ~ 8hrs total for my father, a friend, and I to do it. (None of us had ever done it before either) I used the Bentley manual as reference as well as extremely well-done audiworld write-ups. The thing I was really nervous about was the actual timing belt exchange -- not messing up the timing but all I needed to do was hand crank the car to TDC and then mark the crank pulley. Neither of them moved so I had no problem. The whole thing went off without a snag except for one slight error but I found was very fixable. I ended up pulling the pin on the tensioner too soon because I realized that I needed to remove another pulley (that the timing belt went around) to get to my water pump/thermostat. So I experimented on recompressing the old tensioner and re-installing the pin in a vice. Well, it worked so we took the new tensioner back out, compressed it, and then proceeded to the water pump/thermostat. So it IS possible to recompress the tensioner. I took a lot of digital pix just for my sake of putting things back together correctly. Everything went as expected. I did need to run out and get a universal joint for my socket wrench but that's the only extra tool I needed. Total: ~$400. Saved ~$700. The list of what I replaced: - Timing belt, tensioner, roller, tensioner pulley - Water pump impeller - Thermostat - All "exterior" belts -- A/C belt, Serpentine belt, and water pump/power steering belt. - Spark plugs - G012 coolant - K&N recharge - pollen filter change - APR Snub Mount A few scarry Pics: __________________ 99.5 A4 1.8t QM A few mods...

07-07-2003, 09:49 AM	#2
paul_858 Member Account #: 18752 Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 30,920	nice work man! :)

07-07-2003, 09:51 AM	#3
Andy_FL AudiWorld Super User Account #: 12690 Join Date: Nov 2000 Posts: 9,790	Cool Glad it went off without a hitch. First time I've heard my write-up likened to a cook book recipe ;-) Andy __________________

07-07-2003, 09:53 AM	#4
paul_858 Member Account #: 18752 Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 30,920	personally i hate cook books, i always fail to follow the directions properly... now... color by #, that's the stuff.

07-07-2003, 09:57 AM	#5
TimO'Brien Audiworld Junior Member Account #: 21070 Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 287	following directions is over-rated... I ended up pulling the pin on the "granade" too early just to stir things up. -- it was going too well.. hehe __________________ 99.5 A4 1.8t QM A few mods...

07-07-2003, 10:16 AM	#6
BSCA4 Senior Member Account #: 34916 Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 6,793	I though you would tempted on the KO-4. It is there. __________________ Cheer, Ryan 1.8TM traded!!! Future 1.8TAQMS (I WILL BE BACK)

07-07-2003, 10:55 AM	#7
TimO'Brien Audiworld Junior Member Account #: 21070 Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 287	it'd be nice to go stage III but it's too much $$$ right now. __________________ 99.5 A4 1.8t QM A few mods...

07-07-2003, 11:00 AM	#8
2tu®bos1mission Elder Member Account #: 40304 Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 14,543	nice work!! __________________ 2002 Subaru WRX 2002 A4 3.0 6spd 2004 Allroad Tip

07-07-2003, 11:26 AM	#9
CC Rider AudiWorld Super User Account #: 2093 Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 18,516	You'd better stick to connect the dots. __________________ 2009 VW CC

07-07-2003, 01:27 PM	#10
LaserRed_OC Audiworld Junior Member Account #: 38587 Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 824	I must say, that is one spotless.......garage? Gonna be doing my T-belt sometime this week too. Taking it to a shop cause I suck. Unless someone wants to help in OC? Free beer and $$$. __________________ 1999.5 1.8TQMS Laser Red 2007 S4 Light Silver Metallic

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