The Octy is going to need a new cambelt soon and in the 4 years since it was last done I have done quite a lot of work on the car and changed quite a few bits like the alternator, brakes and rear suspension, as well as the regular servicing. So I was wondering about doing the cambelt myself this time.

I have a trolley jack and axle stands and a good collection of tools now. I was planning reading through Mr Haynes book of lies again for the cambelt and water pump but I was after advice/experience from anyone who has tried it themselves. Is there anything vital missing from the Haynes manual ("fitting is the reverse of removal" my arse!) Are their any special tools that are worth getting rather than bodging something etc.

I was planning on setting a weekend aside and taking it slowly.

Also where is the best place to get the kit and water pump?

You need a tool to tension the cambelt tensioner. Mr Haynes suggest circlip pliers, but that is unlikely to work. I struggled on my first change, the second time around, my father fabricated a tool.

An extra hair of hands is a bonus for putting in the locking pin on the aux belt tensioner (and removing it again later).

A deep socket to get one of the engine to bracket bolts out. Thinking about it a good dog leg (is that the proper name?) spanner might help too. A set of racket spanners is also handy. Some socket mounted allen keys are good for removing the pulley off the PAS pump.

I used a 5(.5?)mm drill bit as my "locking tool" the first time around, the second time I made a locking pin in on my fathers lathe :-)

I removed the wheel arch trim and then the side under-engine trim - that requires you to undo some of those horrible push-on star like washer things, plus remove the pancake pipe between the turbo and the intercooler.

I tip-ex the existing belt twice on each pulley and then transfer those marks (triple checking) to the new belt - it works as a final sanity check that everything is still in line.

Oh, it is well worth drawing the route of both belts before you remove them....

On both occasions I have failed to totally remove the engine mount - I think I wasn't jacking the engine up enough? so in order to get the old belt out I had to use the water pump hole to pass the engine mount over (if that makes sense).

Take pictures of securing bolts, as some look too long when put back (especially for the PAS pump)

Steps from memory for removing bits are:

- headlight & indicator

- hose to EGR

- rigid hose to intercooler

- lock aux tensioner

- pas pulley

- pas pump

- aux tensioner

- find timing mark

- cambelt cover (upper and lower)

- tipex mark everything

- release tensioner from the tensioner

- engine mount (and coolant & PAS tanks)

- water pump

I have a guide from a car magazine which covers a mk4 golf.... - link

Oh, those large clips on the intercooler / EGR pipework can be a right PITA. Mine took me a whole weekend, but I was doing it slowly and carefully.

Don't forget some G12++ coolant too.

I got my last kit from Vee W Spares in Bristol, the first time I got it from GSF / Eurocar Parts. This time I also got some replacement engine mount stretch bolts.... My old girl has rattled up to 193k now :-)

Edited 18 January, 201214 yr by mbames

Excellent, thanks for that.

I have had all of the bits associated with the aux belt off already. I found I could get the pipe from the intercooler to EGR off without removing the headlight, I took the cover off the back of the headlight and unfastened the fuel filter and with a bit of fertling got the pipe out.

Definately feeling a bit more confident about it now.

Removing the headlight gives you move access later - or certainly that is what I found. Granted the first time I changed my cambelt I did it without removing the headlight (as the release clip on the loom was broken on the headlight connector).

I normally take the headlamp out to make life easier.

Don't forget if it's the older non PD engine that it's best to dynamically check commencement of injection with VCDS and adjust pump timing as appropriate.

I normally take the headlamp out to make life easier.

Don't forget if it's the older non PD engine that it's best to dynamically check commencement of injection with VCDS and adjust pump timing as appropriate.

I think I will take the headlight out then. I was also thinking about registering my copy of VCDS lite to allow me to check the pump timing. The cost of doing that and buying the kit and pump will still be quite a bit cheaper than paying someone to change it for me.

I have done it before - not at all difficult just time consuming.

I am due to do it again soon so have bought some of the tools to do it properly - pump and camshaft locking tools and cambelt tensioner tool in one kit like this one..

eBay link

I would also recommend the tool to hold the camshaft sprocket. It is possible to do the job without taking the cam sprocket off but for the sake of completeness it is worth it.

This is the kind of tool you need....

eBay link

I didn't take the headlight out.

Did one today at work which is quite odd as its been a while since I did one last.

Remember to replace the engine mounting bolts, the 2 18mm and 2 16mm in the mounting itself you should really replace the camshaft pulley bolt after that's been done, the new one gets torqued to 45nm.

The cam cover has to come off and then the vacuum pump and a metal plate locks the camshaft in place, the timing pin goes in the pump to lock that, you can then undo the three 13mm bolts on the pulley to allow you to fit the belt. With the pump pulley undone and the camshaft pulley free wheeling fitting the belt is so much easier, all the slack goes around to the tensioner and the crank then doesn't move of its mark.

Thanks to you all for the very useful information. I think I will get prices together for everything and then pick a weekend to do it.

Today the service indicator popped up asking for a service in 1,000 miles, something else to do...

Hi

Hoping someone can answer some questions.

I'm about to do the belt on my 12year old 126k Octavia 1, engine AGR. Planning to avoid loosening any pully bolts since want to avoid dynamic timing check, so was going to do the tip-ex old/new belts and change over.

- why would you need to check timing if you've not disturbed pullies and cam/pump/crank are all stationary?

- I see VCDS seems to be the one, and you need the registered version at $250 to check timing (do you get the interface for that?)

- Fleabay have interface cable and CD for your laptop for about a tenner, for OBD2 409.1 KKL whatever that is. None of the descriptions mention TDi timing. Are these any good?

Cheers in advance hopefully.

Edited 11 April, 201214 yr by topbanana

I don't think you can lock the injection pump pulley so there will be the risk that you move it.

You either need the full blown version of VCDS or register the lite version to get access to the pump timing stuff.

The camshaft locking tool (you have to loosen the cam pulley to get the belt on) and the pin to lock the injection pump are a must have when doing these belts. The £10 scanners don't let you set timing but there are some about (i think called VAG109 or similar) that go for around £40, it's a chinese copy of the lead and it's an older copy of VCDS that cannot be updated. I have one of these and it works fine, can access everything and do the TDI timing no problem.

Edited 13 April, 201214 yr by YHNW