DIY Timing (cam) Belt Change Cupra TDI

[dirk1978]

Hello everyone.

My Cupra TDI has done 58k so it's time for the timing belt to be changed. I've got hold of a new timing belt + roller/tensioner etc. so I'm looking to do the job fairly soon.

Has anyone done their own belt change on the PD?

I've done a few timing belt changes myself before (various Vauxhalls, Passat 1.8T) so I'm OK at doing this kind of thing. Just not sure on the difficulty as there are some alarmist people out there who think that just touching your engine will cause it to fall apart.

I've never used a belt change locking kit before, just always lined marks up and away you go. The PD guides always seem to reference cam and crank locking tools. Do you really need them? Is the space really limited due to it being transversely mounted?

Cheers!

 

[cheshire cat]

Hello everyone.

My Cupra TDI has done 58k so it's time for the timing belt to be changed. I've got hold of a new timing belt + roller/tensioner etc. so I'm looking to do the job fairly soon.

Has anyone done their own belt change on the PD?

I've done a few timing belt changes myself before (various Vauxhalls, Passat 1.8T) so I'm OK at doing this kind of thing. Just not sure on the difficulty as there are some alarmist people out there who think that just touching your engine will cause it to fall apart.

I've never used a belt change locking kit before, just always lined marks up and away you go. The PD guides always seem to reference cam and crank locking tools. Do you really need them? Is the space really limited due to it being transversely mounted?

Cheers!

you will need the setting tools also a fair set of tools too, some new mounting bolts would be good and axle stands and jack as you have to jack the engine up and down to get the bolts out( it's tight in there) also I would get 4 new allen bolts for the bottom pulley as you will prob'ly wreck a couple even with the locking tools my timing was not perfect- in speck but not perfect ps it seems strange tensioning the belt then locking the cam best of luck

 

[dirk1978]

you will need the setting tools also a fair set of tools too, some new mounting bolts would be good and axle stands and jack as you have to jack the engine up and down to get the bolts out( it's tight in there) also I would get 4 new allen bolts for the bottom pulley as you will prob'ly wreck a couple even with the locking tools my timing was not perfect- in speck but not perfect ps it seems strange tensioning the belt then locking the cam best of luck

Cheers mate. Can you elaborate on the locking the cam bit? Is the cam sprocket adjustable?

 

[cheshire cat]

yes, you fit the belt-loosen the cam/sprocket bolt(s) THEN tension the belt - sprocket to cam position moves which is sort of counter-intuative -- then tighten them back up the cam locking pin is 5.5mm diam a Laser kit is good as the crank locking piece would be prob'ly more mither than it's worth to make( unless it's a foreigner at work ) Laser Kit no'3978 acording to Dieselgeek always replace 8mm locknut for belt tensioner-8mm LN for idle roller different to previous nut--and vertical motor mount bolts

 

[dirk1978]

Odd sounding way of doing it. Definitely getting the laser kit then thanks.

 

[Proff_CUPRA 180]

Hi mate, slighlty off subject but i think i saw you not so long ago in the Bartley Green area near Halesowen??

The only other Cupra i have seen since owning mine.

Just wondered if it was you? lol

Sorry for the HighJack

 

[dirk1978]

Is this set http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?item=3798 any better?

or do I just need this http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?code=3978

 

[dirk1978]

Hi mate, slighlty off subject but i think i saw you not so long ago in the Bartley Green area near Halesowen??

The only other Cupra i have seen since owning mine.

Just wondered if it was you? lol

Sorry for the HighJack

May well have been around there. Umm may have been driving fairly quick showing the car to a mate

I've never seen another Cupra outside a garage forecourt so obviously missed yours

Ah hold on. May have been Thursday 17th Sept?

 

[Proff_CUPRA 180]

Nah just crusied past me by the Crown Pub in Woodgate Valley. Lol.

 

[cheshire cat]

Is this set http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?item=3798 any better?

or do I just need this http://www.lasertools.co.uk/item.aspx?code=3978

sorry not sure which engine you have 1 cam or 2? 160-1 170-2? someone will enlighten us soon I guess

 

[Jim H]

I don't know how usefull it will be, but there is a very good DIY guide on Briskoda about timing belts on an early Fabia vRS, engine code ASZ.

Briskoda.net/fabia technical guides - fabia vrs timing belt change diy/

It will give an idea what tools and what is involved, even if it's the wrong engine.

HTH

 

[basssound]

I'm an experianced mechanic and TBH you don't need half the tools to do the job.
I rang seat to see if the mounting bracket bolts require changing, they said no, just use a little thread lock, so I did.
As for locking out the cam, I just used a 6mm drill and ground it down slowly on a bench grinder until it fitted very snuggly into the hole which is positioned at around the 7 to 8 o'clock position.

The crank is already marked up once the pulley is removed, the block has a corrosponding mark, I found that this was ever so slightly out when the cam lock was in place.

Removed the tensioner and belt, slackened the three bolts in the cam sprocket, turned the sprocket so that the bolts where half way in thier slots,
turned the crank so that it lined up perfectly.
Refit the new belt and tensioner, tightened the belt up on the tensioner marks.
The cam sprocket will turn ever so slightly but the locking tool stops the cam moving.
Tighten the three cam sprocket bolts, job done, remove the pin and turn the engine over via the crack bolt to check for any problems.

Refit the engine mounting bracket bolts with thread lock

 

[Disco_Biscuit]

I'm an experianced mechanic

I've been a Technican for 17 years, the reason you have locking pins etc is to do the job properly.

A bottle of tipex and and a ground down drill is a joke.

Did you even bother to use the correct torque settings on the cam bolts?

I really hope that it was your own car and not a customers, if i was paying a professional for there services i would expect them to own the proper tools.

 

[basssound]

I've been a Technican for 17 years, the reason you have locking pins etc is to do the job properly.

A bottle of tipex and and a ground down drill is a joke.

Did you even bother to use the correct torque settings on the cam bolts?

I really hope that it was your own car and not a customers, if i was paying a professional for there services i would expect them to own the proper tools.

hahahahah lol yes my own car AND torque setting are always used.
I did the backround checks as to how to do it ect... all of them said it was a 6mm pin, turned out to be just under that and a ground down drill fitted in tight.

Chill your beans and do it how you do it, i'll do it my way, still yet to have any problems

Why spend on buying special locking tools to use them once?!?!?

 

[Disco_Biscuit]

hahahahah lol yes my own car AND torque setting are always used.
I did the backround checks as to how to do it ect... all of them said it was a 6mm pin, turned out to be just under that and a ground down drill fitted in tight.

Chill your beans and do it how you do it, i'll do it my way, still yet to have any problems

Why spend on buying special locking tools to use them once?!?!?

Your call but you really must be a tight ass if you can't cough up £18 for a set of pins.

You shouldn't really be advising people who don't know what there doing to be grinding down drill bits and using there "eye" to check timings marks.

 

[basssound]

Using your eye to check the timing marks, how else do you do it then when there's the marks you HAVE to line up.
The marks are massive, you must either have bad eye sight or just down right dumb to not be able to line the marks up.
TBH i'm a diesel technician so this kinda wokr is simple but I can honestly see where you are coming from.
If I was doing this for someone else then I WOULD buy the proper locking kit

 

[Viking]

There's a reason why the mounting bracket bolts need changing, and there's a reason why many people mistrust the dealers when they give out incorrect advice such as use thread lock. Doubtless you spoke to the service dept rather than the actual tech who would do the work.

The bolts are torque to yield bolts which means they stretch to a limit when tightened. re-using them (with or without thread lock) and retightening to the required torque means they're stretched beyond design and will fail at some point. Maybe not this week, maybe not next week, maybe beyond the time you own the vehicle, but they're weakened already so cross your fingers Basssound.

 

[basssound]

You know something my posts are going to get ****ing deleted in a min with all this stupid
rubbish about stretch bolts been weakened and using the correct locking tools.
Like I said i'm an experianced diesel technician, done more engine rebuilds ect... than you guys have had sunday dinners.
Some of you want to get into the real world TBH, stretch bolts have a tollerance in length, doing this as long as I have i've never once come across a stretch bolts that has required changing, even head bolts on 16 ltr truck engine, thats using a callipers to check them.

I've got an idea, take ou cam belts to a garage, seat if you may wish but I can tell you now, the bolts wont be changed and to save on time and increase profit, bang it off and bang it on is done!

 

[M1KEH]

Look on tdiclub.com there will most probably be a guide on the forums their.

 

[MJ]

Sorry for the lengthy bout of useless info.

With regards to this subject. The special tools you require will be the cam sprocket pin and the tensioner tool, i wouldnt advise buying the crank tool because belive it or not the aftermarket ones never seem to fit (there are 3 different types and getting the right one can be a right pain, i have all 3, all lazer-same problem, that or they fall out and allow movement on the crank). The crank timing can be checked on the other side of the engine, on most tdi's there is an inspection hole in the bell housing with an arrow and this can be lined up with the mark on the flywheel.

With regards to using tipex as timing marks - this is very silly, i've seen plenty of muppets mark the cam and crank, whip the belt off and then wonder why it wont run afterwards because they never adheared to the procedures required to set up the timing properly.
A better idea is the line all the timing marks up, use the locking tools then use a bright coloured paint to highlight the timing marks so they are clearly visable when you come to re-check the timing once its all fitted.

The cam pin is a must have because it locks the sprocket and allows you to adjust the belt and take up any free-play with ease and hey anyone use autodata? because on alot of timing belt replacement procedures is states "if no special tool is present i.e a locking pin, this can be substituted for a drill bit of equal size" - or something to that effect.
The tensioner tool might not be required as on some tensioners there was a hole where an allen key could be used.

With regards to the bolts on the engine mounting being replaced - as already mentioned you wont find alot of garages or even dealers doin it, we all know it should be but think about it this way - if you went to the dealers to buy a timing belt that was off the shelf and the car was already stripped and waiting for parts you wouldnt leave the car still stripped for several days or even weeks becuase those bolts you wanted were on back order, you'd just stick the old ones back in and hope for the best.
If it was critical that they were replaced then they would be supplied in the timing belt kits from either the dealer or from the likes of 'gates' or 'continental'.
The engine mount bolts should always be torqued to the specific setting, this is because most vag cars have been designed so that in the event of a head-on collision the bolt tops shear off and the engine drops and slots under the car, rather than crushing the legs of the vehicles occupants.