1 hour ago, Breezy_Pete said:

I wonder if I should just replace belt kit and waterpump, now I'm this far in...?

 

I would if you've got the front end off anyway. 

Nice photos given the lack of access

 

When you remove the locking plate have a look to see if the pulley timing mark lines up with the right hand pointer thing on the bracket thing behind it and if there are any similar reference points on the camshaft pulley.

 

It would be nice if there were something that could be used for others to establish whether their cam belt has been replaced one tooth out.

 

A tip for replacing the cam belt, valid for any engine, no locking or timing tools needed:

 

Cut the old belt along its length through the middle with a Stanley knife (engine will need to be rotated) and pull off the outer part, loosen the tensioner slightly and lock off, slide the new belt on till it butts up against the old, then cut through and remove the old belt, slide the new one fully back while rotating the engine if necessary, retension the belt using the correct procedure.

 

And in your case with the PD engine check the torsion value and adjust if necessary.

2 minutes ago, J.R. said:

see if the pulley timing mark lines up with the right hand pointer thing on the bracket thing behind it

I don't see any pointers on the bracket behind the pulley? Can you mark up the pic?

 

I've seen such a tip for belt replacement before, but the kit of locking tools was £10 delivered, so there's really no grounds for avoiding their use.

Marking up pictures is beyond my skill set!

 

On the photo without the locking tool there is a rounded bit sticking down from the bracket behind where the tool would go, to the left and right of it there are triangular nibs that are more pointed, its hard to tell but the right hand one might be aligned with the pointer on the crank pulley but I cant see because the locking tool hides it.

 

I too have a locking tool set which I still ahve yet to use, sods law says it wont be compatible with my CR engine.

44 minutes ago, Lee01 said:

 

I would if you've got the front end off anyway. 

Might take the Fabia for a spin down to GSF in the morning, to see what they have in stock. 

Service book says belt was done in 2020, and that was very few miles ago, but I don't know if WP or tensioner/idler were done then: tensioner looks pretty shiny and newish I reckon.

9 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Might take the Fabia for a spin down to GSF in the morning, to see what they have in stock. 

Service book says belt was done in 2020, and that was very few miles ago, but I don't know if WP or tensioner/idler were done then: tensioner looks pretty shiny and newish I reckon.

 

I've never used GSF but can you order the parts ready to collect?

Always worth being preemptive if you're unsure of the history IMHO. 

On 22/12/2024 at 20:38, J.R. said:

I too have a locking tool set which I still ahve yet to use, sods law says it wont be compatible with my CR engine.

I would say you need the newer set, mine is the Euro 6 and it has a different style of crank locking tool. The kit comes with a tool to counter-hold the HPFP pulley but not the cam pulley which is strange as to do the job as per VW you need to loosen both.

 

That said, many 'How-to videos' on youtube never include that step, in fact I have yet to see one that loosens the cam or HPFP pulleys

 

I would put a kit on it @Breezy_Pete, they might not have changed the water pump. If you were feeling frugal you could just buy a belt and a waterpump if the tensioner has been recently replaced

Edited 23 December, 20241 yr by SuperbTWM

Thanks to those of you who said 'change it all'.

WP appears to have been on the way out.

 

8 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

WP appears to have been on the way out.

 

Nah, 'They all look like that sir' 

 

It's got ample time left in it 👍 - minutes at least!  

26 minutes ago, Breezy_Pete said:

Thanks to those of you who said 'change it all'.

WP appears to have been on the way out.

 

Makes sense to do WP at the same time as the CB, if it's the same engine as in the Passats and Superbs, it is recommended to do together.

Was that or would that have been visible during a belt inspection Pete?

 

I might have to rethink my stance on preventative replacement 😔

32 minutes ago, J.R. said:

Was that or would that have been visible during a belt inspection Pete?

 

I might have to rethink my stance on preventative replacement 😔

I think if I'd thought of looking specifically for such a leak, I would've been able to see it via camera phone pics.

I hadn't noticed any obvious wetness or staining below the pump, although some was evident looking from above once the old pump was out of the way.

 

Finished for the day with new kit all on, and torqued up, with the 2 rotations of crank completed happily, both locking tools reinsertable afterwards. 

First attempt at getting new belt on went wrong somehow; luckily it was obviously wrong cos the three screws in the cam pulley were right at one end of their slots, and the tensioner had seemed too easy to set.

 

Thanks for the interest and support everyone. Won't get back to it until Friday now, to put enough back on to try running it, then everything else, if it works. 

 

1 hour ago, Breezy_Pete said:

First attempt at getting new belt on went wrong somehow; luckily it was obviously wrong cos the three screws in the cam pulley were right at one end of their slots, and the tensioner had seemed too easy to set.

 

Yeah that can happen despite being very patient and cautious but you were knowledgable enough to recognise it.

 

On my MK1 Octavia I showed my neighbour (even more of a Mr Maghoo than me!) where the TDC marks were on the flywheel and left him to guide me to that point while I turned the crank and watched the cam pulley timing marks, even though I had tippexed the pointer he was looking at something else so I got the cam timing wrong and it wouldn't start, we checked it several times, eventually I used some easi-start to prove that it was close, there was no valve damage and that the injection system was working albeit mistimed.

 

When I then did what I should have done straight away, checked the flywheel marks after he had confirmed TDC it was obvious it was not at TDC, to this day I don't know how he got it wrong.

 

When I do the belt on mine I'm going to use the belt cutting procedure as I am pretty much all on my own here, no support around me.

 

Coming back to my saying there must be a TDC mark on the crank pulley, relating this has made me recall that of course it is on the flywheel and much more accurate at that radius more accurate than the locking pin if you are in the situation of having the cam timing falling between 2 pulley teeth and you have to judge which is the closest.

On 24/12/2024 at 18:15, J.R. said:

Coming back to my saying there must be a TDC mark on the crank pulley, relating this has made me recall that of course it is on the flywheel.

 

Yes, didn't even think of that, mainly because I've only ever used that mark on the 1.8T engine as there isn't a locking tool for the crank on that engine so that really is a 'mark and prey' kind of timing job. Trying to get to this on a longitudinal engine must be pretty much impossible though? unless the inspection hole is somewhere else and they have moved the mark relative to the hole. I'm still a firm believer in using the correct tools for the job though, do it by the book, use the locking tools provided and you can't go far wrong.

 

Looks like you have made good progress @Breezy_Pete I always find bleeding the coolant system the worst, I was adding coolant to mine for weeks afterwards on this newer engine. Next timing job I do I'm going to buy one of those vacuum fillers that uses compressed air and the Venturi principle, I'm sure you will of seen them before, you can get them for less than £30. (I am a bit of a sucker for new tools though but if it saves even a small amount of hassle I'm sold)

13 minutes ago, SuperbTWM said:

Trying to get to this on a longitudinal engine must be pretty much impossible though? unless the inspection hole is somewhere else and they have moved the mark relative to the hole.

 

My memory is hazy but either there was an inspection plate or the starter had to be removed, it was a 2001 engine so probably not relevant to what most of us are driving these days.

There is a rubber bung on the top of the bell housing you can remove - is what I can picture in my mind.

@J.R. you were right, there is a TDC alignment guide at the bottom end.

Didn't spot it when disassembling, and struggled to take a clear pic once it was back on, but there's a notch on the rear edge of the aux pulley and a line on the lower toothed belt cover.

Might be easier to see with torch and mirror than to take a photo, to be honest.

 

Minimal progress today, no energy. Refilled coolant, eased condenser forward a bit to clean out quite a bit of crud from between it and the radiator. 

Refitted lower belt covers and popped the pulley back on loosely.

Got some new boost hose seals in the post today, ordered @5.30pm Monday from deutscheparts on ebay, good effort by them.

 

Edited 27 December, 20241 yr by Breezy_Pete

Finished it off Saturday morning. I have to be honest. I was very nervous when firing it up.

All was well though. Logging suggests that the torsion value is now mostly +1, flicking to +0.5 at times.

 

Running waaay better, I think. No smoke even when booting it, no stinky exhaust smell at idle. 

 

Temperature is strange though. I changed the green dual thermistor (what a mission that was!), and removed and refitted the stat while coolant was drained. End result, VCDS of engine coolant sensor, and dash indication both lower than they were!

Disconnected the fan for my way home just in case that was spinning spuriously; no better.

Oil temp showed higher though, but topping out at about 80 while coolant barely got above 60 according to G62 and dash gauge.

Makes me think latest allegedly genuine CTS may be dodgy. Or stat is not working at all for reasons unknown. Baffling. 

 

I must dig out my IR thermometer for an independent measure of engine/coolant temp.

 

Did you buy your stat and CTS from a reputable source? I've had no luck with thermostats in the past and given the hassle of changing them I won't fit on unless I get it from the dealer although I sometimes don't follow my own advice and regret it.

 

Same with sensors and electronic parts, I payed a bit more for a Febi glow plug controller recently rather than a generic one and it came in a Febi box but with all the markings scrubbed off which made me a bit suspect. It works but I felt a little bit scammed.

I'll have to look back and check. Not over a parts counter at Audi, so possibly both suspect.

 

Stat and green dual sender both ordered from ebay seller sasauto, a couple of weeks apart, without me noticing it was same seller.

To be fair, looks like a reputable and professional seller

Green coolant temperature sensors on my MK1 are the only time that I have ever found pattern parts to be lacking.

That ^ water pump had hardly leaked at all compared with this one, on my Polo (this week's cambelt job!)

 

Seemed to be the face seal to block that failed there, rather than the pump itself.

Only 10 years old too.