Here's why you want EPDM belts
01-19-2012, 03:59 PM
#31
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I ordered and installed Blau's Enhanced timing belt kit on my 2000 2.7t. My reasoning was as others said; good reputation, fair price and tool rental option.
I bought and installed the kit in April, 2011. All of the parts looked visually high quality and I had not heard of any of the issues discussed here at the time or I would have paid more attention to what brands of belts and water pump came in the kit.
Does anyone know if the problems came in kits sold during a certain period? Have people who've recently bought kits seen suspect components?
This is just great- if I have to take it all apart again in a year to avoid the possibility of either getting stranded or wrecking my engine. I will not be happy.
I bought and installed the kit in April, 2011. All of the parts looked visually high quality and I had not heard of any of the issues discussed here at the time or I would have paid more attention to what brands of belts and water pump came in the kit.
Does anyone know if the problems came in kits sold during a certain period? Have people who've recently bought kits seen suspect components?
This is just great- if I have to take it all apart again in a year to avoid the possibility of either getting stranded or wrecking my engine. I will not be happy.
01-19-2012, 05:19 PM
#32
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I ordered and installed Blau's Enhanced timing belt kit on my 2000 2.7t. My reasoning was as others said; good reputation, fair price and tool rental option.
I bought and installed the kit in April, 2011. All of the parts looked visually high quality and I had not heard of any of the issues discussed here at the time or I would have paid more attention to what brands of belts and water pump came in the kit.
Does anyone know if the problems came in kits sold during a certain period? Have people who've recently bought kits seen suspect components?
This is just great- if I have to take it all apart again in a year to avoid the possibility of either getting stranded or wrecking my engine. I will not be happy.
I bought and installed the kit in April, 2011. All of the parts looked visually high quality and I had not heard of any of the issues discussed here at the time or I would have paid more attention to what brands of belts and water pump came in the kit.
Does anyone know if the problems came in kits sold during a certain period? Have people who've recently bought kits seen suspect components?
This is just great- if I have to take it all apart again in a year to avoid the possibility of either getting stranded or wrecking my engine. I will not be happy.
did you put on the free serp belt? if so, just check and replace when needed, I know of ZERO issues with the actual timing belt/waterpump part of the ENHANCED kit
01-19-2012, 05:50 PM
#33
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If you replace the belt, or all the supposedly "free" stuff, and pay the tool rental, you're probably 60-100% of the way to the cost of the cam bar and crank locking pin--the two really unique tools in the kit. (Yes, others, especially the fan "chopsticks" are handy, but those two are the must-haves.) I didn't compare to other kits recently, but you'd probably have to put it together piecemeal to control the brand of each part.
Wasn't my first timing belt, but it was my first Audi timing belt, and Blau's instructions were quite good and complimentary to Bentley in a few cases. Plus, of course, a couple posts on here!
Wasn't my first timing belt, but it was my first Audi timing belt, and Blau's instructions were quite good and complimentary to Bentley in a few cases. Plus, of course, a couple posts on here!
01-19-2012, 06:25 PM
#34
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I installed everything that came in the kit and don't remember if the serpentine belt was a freebie or not. That wasn't a selling point for me as I was drive more by their reputation, etc. If they always advertise a free serp belt in their ENHANCED kit, then I installed it.
As far as tools, I also consider the cam tensioner compression tool as a must have, but I think you can buy it from Blau for about $20.
I sent Blau an email this afternoon and asked for the manufacturer names of all of the components put in their kits at the time I bought mine. I don't know if they have this info or if they will tell me, but it will at least tell me what I'm dealing with.
Good to hear timing belts have not been a common problem in their kits, but I've read about failing Blau water pumps and idler pulleys in their kits too - which could be isolated instances that could happen with any manufacturer.
As far as tools, I also consider the cam tensioner compression tool as a must have, but I think you can buy it from Blau for about $20.
I sent Blau an email this afternoon and asked for the manufacturer names of all of the components put in their kits at the time I bought mine. I don't know if they have this info or if they will tell me, but it will at least tell me what I'm dealing with.
Good to hear timing belts have not been a common problem in their kits, but I've read about failing Blau water pumps and idler pulleys in their kits too - which could be isolated instances that could happen with any manufacturer.
01-19-2012, 06:46 PM
#35
1 3201 ALIGNMENT GAUGE $15.57
2 3212 SPANNER WRENCH $31.81
3 3411 SUPPORT TOOL $21.06
4 T10060A LOCKING PIN $5.49
5 T40005 CAMSHAFT ADJUSTMENT $52.42
6 T40009 TIGHTENER PULLEY WRENCH $9.86
7 T40011 LOCKING PIN $4.59
8 T40039 IGNITION COIL PULLER $17.58
9 T40237 Locking Pin for Crankshaft $9.52
01-20-2012, 10:53 AM
#37
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Update:
I feel better after the folks at Blau Parts called me this morning. They do maintain traceability on parts that were supplied with kits, and the belts that were included in my kit were not from the same manufacturer that supplied the bad (non EPDM) belts. Blau has discontinued using that manufacturer.
The belts they now put in their kits are made by Fenner (timing and serpentine). The water pumps are made by Saleri and idlers/ tensioner by NTN.
Another thing I mentioned in my e-mail to Blau is that my valve cover gaskets began leaking from the lower rear corners 3 months after installing them while doing the whole timing belt/ cam chain tensioner gasket/ valve cover gasket job, and I followed Blau and Bentley’s instructions exactly. I mentioned this to them in my e-mail, and that it doesn’t help my confidence in the other parts very much either. They are sending out a new VC gasket kit with RTV. The VC gasket brand they provide in the kits is Elwis.
Anyhow, I feel better about things now. Blau Parts took my concerns seriously, made an effort to personally talk to me to address my concerns and told me they were going to send out a replacement valve cover gasket set without me having to ask.
They said that they have been putting out a few fires and trying to correct some customer’s issues since the bad lot of belts was included in their kits for a short period of time in the Spring of 2011, but they have only been made aware of a handful of complaints about this compared to the hundreds of kits that they sell every year.
Hopefully things will smooth out and this will turn out to be a few isolated instances.
I feel better after the folks at Blau Parts called me this morning. They do maintain traceability on parts that were supplied with kits, and the belts that were included in my kit were not from the same manufacturer that supplied the bad (non EPDM) belts. Blau has discontinued using that manufacturer.
The belts they now put in their kits are made by Fenner (timing and serpentine). The water pumps are made by Saleri and idlers/ tensioner by NTN.
Another thing I mentioned in my e-mail to Blau is that my valve cover gaskets began leaking from the lower rear corners 3 months after installing them while doing the whole timing belt/ cam chain tensioner gasket/ valve cover gasket job, and I followed Blau and Bentley’s instructions exactly. I mentioned this to them in my e-mail, and that it doesn’t help my confidence in the other parts very much either. They are sending out a new VC gasket kit with RTV. The VC gasket brand they provide in the kits is Elwis.
Anyhow, I feel better about things now. Blau Parts took my concerns seriously, made an effort to personally talk to me to address my concerns and told me they were going to send out a replacement valve cover gasket set without me having to ask.
They said that they have been putting out a few fires and trying to correct some customer’s issues since the bad lot of belts was included in their kits for a short period of time in the Spring of 2011, but they have only been made aware of a handful of complaints about this compared to the hundreds of kits that they sell every year.
Hopefully things will smooth out and this will turn out to be a few isolated instances.
01-20-2012, 11:14 AM
#38
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Update:
I feel better after the folks at Blau Parts called me this morning. They do maintain traceability on parts that were supplied with kits, and the belts that were included in my kit were not from the same manufacturer that supplied the bad (non EPDM) belts. Blau has discontinued using that manufacturer.
The belts they now put in their kits are made by Fenner (timing and serpentine). The water pumps are made by Saleri and idlers/ tensioner by NTN.
Another thing I mentioned in my e-mail to Blau is that my valve cover gaskets began leaking from the lower rear corners 3 months after installing them while doing the whole timing belt/ cam chain tensioner gasket/ valve cover gasket job, and I followed Blau and Bentley’s instructions exactly. I mentioned this to them in my e-mail, and that it doesn’t help my confidence in the other parts very much either. They are sending out a new VC gasket kit with RTV. The VC gasket brand they provide in the kits is Elwis.
Anyhow, I feel better about things now. Blau Parts took my concerns seriously, made an effort to personally talk to me to address my concerns and told me they were going to send out a replacement valve cover gasket set without me having to ask.
They said that they have been putting out a few fires and trying to correct some customer’s issues since the bad lot of belts was included in their kits for a short period of time in the Spring of 2011, but they have only been made aware of a handful of complaints about this compared to the hundreds of kits that they sell every year.
Hopefully things will smooth out and this will turn out to be a few isolated instances.
I feel better after the folks at Blau Parts called me this morning. They do maintain traceability on parts that were supplied with kits, and the belts that were included in my kit were not from the same manufacturer that supplied the bad (non EPDM) belts. Blau has discontinued using that manufacturer.
The belts they now put in their kits are made by Fenner (timing and serpentine). The water pumps are made by Saleri and idlers/ tensioner by NTN.
Another thing I mentioned in my e-mail to Blau is that my valve cover gaskets began leaking from the lower rear corners 3 months after installing them while doing the whole timing belt/ cam chain tensioner gasket/ valve cover gasket job, and I followed Blau and Bentley’s instructions exactly. I mentioned this to them in my e-mail, and that it doesn’t help my confidence in the other parts very much either. They are sending out a new VC gasket kit with RTV. The VC gasket brand they provide in the kits is Elwis.
Anyhow, I feel better about things now. Blau Parts took my concerns seriously, made an effort to personally talk to me to address my concerns and told me they were going to send out a replacement valve cover gasket set without me having to ask.
They said that they have been putting out a few fires and trying to correct some customer’s issues since the bad lot of belts was included in their kits for a short period of time in the Spring of 2011, but they have only been made aware of a handful of complaints about this compared to the hundreds of kits that they sell every year.
Hopefully things will smooth out and this will turn out to be a few isolated instances.
01-20-2012, 08:22 PM
#40
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I received a Tensioner Damper, Timing Belt Idler, Timing Belt Tensioner and Thermostat for my A4 made by TEILEQUALITÄT from Blauparts. Has any one ever received parts of this brand and if so how is the quality?