Barty

1. Do you have to loosen the cam sprockets as shown in Betley? What is the purpose of pulling them off with a puller? Why is this step necessary?

2. Do you have to remove the harmonic damper?

3. Bentley says that you first loosen the timing belt tensioner, then remove belt, then loosen the cam sprockets and then install the lock bar? This does not sound right to me. Wouldn't you risk moving the cams a bit doing that? Shouldn't installing the cam lock bar be the first step?

TIA as always.

Mr.D-'97 A4q 12v

1. The purpose is to realign the sprockets with the belt and crank in case they have moved at all. I didn't do this step during my first TB change with no ill affects.

2. Yes, 8 bolts hold it onto the crank.

3. You cannot remove the belt with the cam bar in place. What I did was turn the engine to TDC, installed the crank lock and cam bar (to make sure everything is aligned), loosen the tensioner, and then remove the cam bar and the timing belt. If the engine is at TDC, the cams should not move.

Barty

I bet it will become a lot clearer to me once I see everything during teardown. Just out of curiosity: what was your time from start to finish? I am planning to change W/P and thermostat but I hope that this will not add too much time to the job.

Mr.D-'97 A4q 12v

First time, probably about 12 hours. Last time, maybe 5.

MikTip

<center><img src="http://home.ec.rr.com/miktip/tbelt.jpg"></center><p>-

Bryans12v

to replace those 8 pulley bolts. My third TB job the stripped to crap.

Maybe a good tip for Barty to have them on hand.

Mr.D-'97 A4q 12v

However, I have done 3 or 4 other timing belt jobs in between so I've had some good experience with this stuff. ;-)

Thanks for the advice, I'll have to remember that for next time.

jbrentd

then i'm glad i had my mechanic do it. i don't have 12 hours to devote to such an undertaking.