jseklund

4Driver4,
Thanks for checking in on my other thread. Not sure why you couldn't see anything...but here's my last post on the other thread...I could use your input.

"Ok guys, need some further help here...sorry.

I put the harmonic balancer back on the crankshaft and lined everything back up as I was instructed to do in order to get the timing back in order. I found the locking pin hole, put the locking pin in, and took the camshaft sproket off with the harmonic balancer - that worked like charm, thanks so much. I replaced the crankshaft seal while I was there.

Now, I am trying to put the cams back in. I thought it would be good to get the cams sitting correctly in the head before putting the chain on and trying to fiddle with everything. My thought is, based on what I think I have been taught here, that if I put the bolt and bracket on the end of the camshaft, while it's sitting in the head, I should be able to get the bracket to line up pretty close to where it should be for the locking bar?

Well, it doesn't. Depending on how I sit the bar in the head, it is WAY off still. 90 degrees is my best bet. It looks like the valves in the cylinder at the front of the engine (working on the passenger's side) are too high and the valve in the middle is maybe too low? How do I get the valves to move back into position????

Also, could I not be TDC on the crankshaft if I was more than one revolution off? I don't think I was that far off, but I'm wondering since I screwed up so badly already...wondering if this is why the valves aren't lined up correctly?

Hopefully you understand what I'm getting at...any help is appreciated. Thanks! "

4Driver4

It's a limitation of vB software that has gone unaddressed by AW. A pet peeve of mine.

Yes.

You are on the right track.
With the cam in the TDC position, some valves may be open. The valves are opened by the cam lobes. This means that installing the cam in the TDC position may mean that it doesn't sit flat on the journals. You have to use the cam caps to *carefully* pull it into place.
...or you can cheat (see my other post on the cheat).

TDC is TDC. No worries there.

jseklund

Ok,
So, I need to just be sure that the crankshaft pulley arrows line up? It's not like when I originally took everything apart and if I was one revelution off that the cams wouldn't be TDC? I'm thinking that what I may have done, is knock the timing out by moving the crank clockwise, and then I turned it clockwise to get it back to the TDC marks...I just don't want to be off one revolution.

What you're saying is that the crankshaft is TDC period when the arrows are lined up, it's the camshafts that are only TDC every other revolution? So I need to just be very slow and careful in tightening down the caps so that I push the lifters back into place?

Thanks again for all the help!!

4Driver4

Yes, yes, and yes.
Balance the tension on the bolts as you tighten. If you try to pull the shaft into place with one or two caps, you will break them.

jseklund

Sweet Jesus I think I've got it!!! I am off to get this fixed...thanks again for all the help...you and the others on this board have been invaluable.

jseklund

Ok, so I did what you said. I got the cams to sit down by slowly (and I mean slowly) screwing down the caps, starting with 2 and 4, then doing 3, 1, 5 - until everything was seated down, and the timing marks were lined up. I did this without the adjuster in place just so I didn't have to fiddle with it.

I then took the cams out to install the chain/adjuster - and they were bound up in the head. I had to turn them slightly to get them to pop out. This concerned me a little. Will this situation correct itself once everything is back together? Or did I screw something up? I am just concerned that the cams will not be able to turn, or I'll have a collision. I think it'll be alright, but just thought I'd ask. Somehow it seems like the lifters are not really compressing the way I thought they would....but maybe this is just how they sit. You mentioned they wouldn't just lay in there for me.

I need to take it apart one more time tomorrow night and put it back together. The timing marks were off a little. I'm not sure what I did. I'm dealing with the passenger side, and it looks more like 14.5 links between the marks than 16. I saw somewhere that this is common - but I thought it was on the driver's side that this happens, not the passenger side. I took it apart and spun the cams 1 tooth over and put it all back and the timing marks were way off. Is 14.5 correct?

Thanks again for the help...I should be an expert at this by the time I'm done.....I'm getting pretty quick with the cams

4Driver4

Sounds good. For the chain timing between the cams, you can't rely on Bentley. IIRC, it's about 14.5 for bank 2, 16 for bank 1.

Yep - just searched it.
This was a good thread. Too bad the photos are gone...
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/sho...php?p=23960746

jseklund

OK,
So I THINK I am probably good, but just wanted some opinions on the passenger side before I put the valve cover back on. I have about 14.5-15 links between the two marks on the camshafts. My issue is that the intake (the upper of the two shafts - I believe that's intake?) shaft is slightly off the mark - it's toward the inside of the arrow. This is how it was before I took it apart on Sunday and moved it over 1 tooth. Moving it 1 tooth put it WAY of the mark.

At any rate, I think this is correct, but what are your thoughts??

I don't know how to upload pics to the forum, or if I can - so you can look at my photos here:

http://www.wereallyshine.com/audi

You will also find some photos of the cam damage on the driver's side below the two timing photos (from the pass. side). I know you asked to see that a while back...

Sorry for the blurry photos, I had to use my mom's camera and I couldn't get it to focus at all...hopefully you can see what you need to.

Finally, the only other point I wanted to ask on for the pass side cam is that the mark is off a little on the intake shaft - and I tried to roll it back just a little to see if I could get it to line up. I can move the exhaust cam with the bar tool on the end of it, but even if I take a socket to the end of the intake cam where the bolt under the cam sensor is, I cannot budge it even a little. It won't move. Is this normal? The exhaust moves just a little, but it moves that little distance pretty easily...am I just being paranoid, or is something wrong?

Thanks!!

jseklund

Any thoughts on this?

4Driver4

I don't really look at the marks anymore. I just count the links. The cam adjuster can change the location of the marks relative to each other (that's have the ECU adjusts intake cam timing). If you counted the links right, you are good.