Hi,

I have just bought an octavia 1 and will be changing the cambelt as there is no record of it being changed. I have the vag service software so I can see the 'official' way of doing it but past experience of doing cambelts etc leads me to believe that there will be some 'wrinkles' that others have found. I have searched on hear but have been unable to find any guides, I know at least one exists as I read it some time ago before I had the octavia. Has any one got a link to it?

Thanks in advance.

D ick

Edited 21 August, 201213 yr by jotec

Hi,

I have just bought an octavia 1 and will be changing the cambelt as there is no record of it being changed. I have the vag service software so I can see the 'official' way of doing it but past experience of doing cambelts etc leads me to believe that there will be some 'wrinkles' that others have found. I have searched on hear but have been unable to find any guides, I know at least one exists as I read it some time ago before I had the octavia. Has any one got a link to it?

Thanks in advance.

****

See you have the service software from VAG.

Could you give any details of how to obtain this, as I would very much like to have a copy for so many reasons.

Thanks for any reply.

Hi Ramonford

It was from the bay. It is Elas Win I have had it for a while it does not go on line but has all the service routines etc. It runs to almost 2000 pages and is very useful but as I posted above it is often the case, in my experience, that there are work arounds for some of the processes that make the job easier for the non professional mechanic. An example is in the use of alternatives to the main agent service tools.

D ick

Edited 21 August, 201213 yr by jotec

TDI or petrol belt change?

For the TDI, I use this guide, coupled up with the odd hint from Mr Haynes:

http://www.matthewam...belt_change.pdf

Plus I am sure I have written a few posts on changing the belts in the past as well.

Edited 21 August, 201213 yr by mbames

just google it...you'll find want you need

if is RS this will help

Thanks for the replies.

The car is a 110 tdi.

I assume I will need to make the tool for tensioning the belt? Has anyone got the dimensions?

This is for the 110TDi .Yes you'll need the tool .

I made my own tool for the tensioner.

fwiw on my 110, I have never been able to remove the engine mount (totally), so when it comes to changing the belt, I have to get the belt past the engine mount by using the water pump hole (I change the water pump on every belt change).

The pdf guide I linked to above should be help you out well...

You can easily remove the mount but it is very difficult to remove the bracket that bolts onto the engine without dropping the engine out. Make sure you have a deep 16mm socket to undo the 'hidden' bracket to engine bolt.

If you are just replacing the belt you will need a new tensioner lock nut, new IP spocket bolts (3) as well as new engine mount bolts. If you use a full cambelt kit (recommended - new tensioner, relay roller and idlers) it includes everything but the engine mount bolts.

It's a good idea to replace the vacuum pump gasket and if the four bolts on the vibration damper look a bit chewed up, replace these too.

The 'special' tools you will need are...

Tensioner wrench: 2 1/8" pins 0.7" apart

IP rig pin: 6mm

Camshaft Sprocket Puller

Camshaft locking bar

VCDS to adjust the basic mode timing

TDI or petrol belt change?

For the TDI, I use this guide, coupled up with the odd hint from Mr Haynes:

http://www.matthewam...belt_change.pdf

Plus I am sure I have written a few posts on changing the belts in the past as well.

I notice that the guide above does not mention loosening the cam and pump sprockets. Have you had or heard of any problems that have arisen from using this method.

I find it hard to accept the vag reasoning that it evens out the belt tension, surely after a couple of rotations by hand the tension is even and the tensioner can be inspected to ensure it is still correctly aligned?

D ick

I notice that the guide above does not mention loosening the cam and pump sprockets. Have you had or heard of any problems that have arisen from using this method.

I find it hard to accept the vag reasoning that it evens out the belt tension, surely after a couple of rotations by hand the tension is even and the tensioner can be inspected to ensure it is still correctly aligned?

D ick

It's essential to have only one fixed belt sprocket - the crankshaft sprocket.

The tensioner is between the crankshaft and camshaft sprockets. As you tension the belt you will see the camshaft sprocket and injection pump sprocket move. This means that at the correct tension, the belt teeth are sitting exactly between the sprocket teeth. If you don't do this, the belt teeth will wear unevenly and more quickly.

You need to remember that the pull from the tensioner is equivalent to hanging a 55kg weight on it.

I hear what you say if the cam and pump are locked when the tension is applied but if the belt is in the correct position and the locks removed then they are free to move slightly, still not convinced I'm afraid. The timing can be checked with the locks after a few rotations to ensure it is still correct, doubly so if the pump is timed later with vag com.

I hear what you say if the cam and pump are locked when the tension is applied but if the belt is in the correct position and the locks removed then they are free to move slightly, still not convinced I'm afraid. The timing can be checked with the locks after a few rotations to ensure it is still correct, doubly so if the pump is timed later with vag com.

The timing can only be checked with the engine running in basic mode (ECU SOI corrections disabled). The actual adjustment is made by loosening the IP sprocket bolts and nudging the pump hub relative to the sprocket.

What you can't adjust later is the relative positions of the crankshaft and camshaft. It's not uncommon to see a free camshaft sprocket move 3-4 degrees as the tension is set. All the instructions I've seen, stress the importance on locking the camshaft in the reference position and having the crankshaft at TDC. After tensioning and doing a free rotation test, you should still be able to insert the rig pin/locking bar and have the crankshaft at TDC.

The timing can only be checked with the engine running in basic mode (ECU SOI corrections disabled). The actual adjustment is made by loosening the IP sprocket bolts and nudging the pump hub relative to the sprocket.

What you can't adjust later is the relative positions of the crankshaft and camshaft. It's not uncommon to see a free camshaft sprocket move 3-4 degrees as the tension is set. All the instructions I've seen, stress the importance on locking the camshaft in the reference position and having the crankshaft at TDC. After tensioning and doing a free rotation test, you should still be able to insert the rig pin/locking bar and have the crankshaft at TDC.

Yeh, what he said.

Interesting. If the cam sprocket moves by 3 degrees that must imply the sprocket moved by that amount on releasing the bolt. If the bolt had not been released then it would not move (holder out) after the crank has been rotated to equalise the belt.. There surely can not be that amount of difference in the belts but if there was it would show when trying to line up after rotating by hand.

Not trying to be difficult here just trying to get my head around the reason for the need to loosen the cam sprocket.

I think I will have to try it both ways to convince myself.

The tensioner sits between the crank and camshafts. If they were both fixed then you aren't going to tension the other side of the belt (i.e. by the injection pump) so when you then turn the engine over the tension is going to be all over the place.

The tensioner rotates and moves towards the front of the engine so it moves the belt a fair bit.

Interesting. If the cam sprocket moves by 3 degrees that must imply the sprocket moved by that amount on releasing the bolt. If the bolt had not been released then it would not move (holder out) after the crank has been rotated to equalise the belt.. There surely can not be that amount of difference in the belts but if there was it would show when trying to line up after rotating by hand.

Not trying to be difficult here just trying to get my head around the reason for the need to loosen the cam sprocket.

I think I will have to try it both ways to convince myself.

The biggest shift seems to be going from Gates kits to the OEM kit we of course use.

When there was a suspected problem with a batch of Litens tensioners (turned out there wasn't a problem), we made a jig for testing tensioners and belts. It gave us a good insight into the differences between belts and tensioners.

Even between 'identical' OEM kits there are differences due to tolerances in the tensioners and to a lesser extent the belts.

If you want to convince yourself, do a couple of rotations back to TDC and try and put the locking bar back in.

If you want to convince yourself, do a couple of rotations back to TDC and try and put the locking bar back in.

That was what I was thinking. I have made the necessary tools and will do the job on Saturday and give it a go to see.

Thanks

D ick

Well Saturday has come and gone.

I have it striped down, except the engine mount, ready to remove and fit the belt tomorrow. Every bolt seemed to resist me, had to remove the egr valve to get at the end cam cover bolt they were all very tight and went with a bang no chance with an Allen key had to use a hex socket wrench. The bottom pulley bolts were similarly tight and striped the heads with a perfect fit hex socket and took a lot of force with easy out. Add a call out, a request to press a wheel bearing in and out on a neibours car and torrential rain and it has not neen a very productive day.

Hope the rest of the bolts come out easier and it all goes back without grief.

D ick

Job done. All working dynamic timing fine.

Thanks for all the advice.

D ick

Here is a situation guys. The guy from which i'm going to buy mk1 vrs claims he's done the timing belt change but it doesn't show in the skoda records as it's been done elsewhere. ( this is pretty common thing in india because skoda service levels and costs are horrendous). How do i check if the timing belt is good to go for some more kms.

kms on the odo : 46k

Year : 2007

There is no hard and fast way to know if it's 100% especially on a 1.8T other than replacing it.

There is no hard and fast way to know if it's 100% especially on a 1.8T other than replacing it.

Umm... But how would you know that it needs a replacement apart from going by the manual. Cars that i have seen, Cam belts are changed between 40k to 70k.

Umm... But how would you know that it needs a replacement apart from going by the manual. Cars that i have seen, Cam belts are changed between 40k to 70k.

The whole point of the time/distance intervals is to ensure it is changed before the belt becomes worn/damaged, so you need to go by what is written in the manual.

All manufacturers will have done testing to work out the lifespan of components like belts and the intervals are based on this testing and how ciritcal the component is. If the aux belt snaps it's a pain, if the cam belt goes it's bye bye engine potentially.

Skoda recommended interval of an inspection at 60,000 miles and replace if required, re inspect every 20k after that it not replaced and replace at 110,000 miles if not been done, or four years.

However I'd never want to visually inspect a cambelt and guarantee its good, so replace at 60k.