mountainsurfer77

I've read mixed reviews on whether to change the tensioner via the instructions linked below. Decided enough people have accomplished it without doing the complete timing belt job for me to try it. Does anyone have any experience and maybe want to lend a hand/supervise in the up coming weeks? Also if anyone has the Cam Tensioner Tool I could borrow that would be great. I can provide food and all the beers you can drink.<ul><li><a href="http://ca-va.org/tech/camtensioner/index4.html">http://ca-va.org/tech/camtensioner/index4.html</a</li></ul>

MrHydeA4

That being said, there is very little overlap in the two procedures. You can do one without the other.

I would offer to help, but without OldManTan's help, I wouldn't have survived!

mountainsurfer77

agreed, problem is I did my timing belt job 10,000 miles ago

absolutcq20v

And you don't need to <i>remove</i> the tensioner...just pick it up, wiggle the old half-moon and gasket out, clean up the old glue, and reinstall the new ones.
I'm assuming the 1.8T head is very similar to the 2.7T head(s)...YMMV.

MrHydeA4

The only part of the cam tensioner job that involves the timing belt is when you set the cams into the service position. You don't even have to untension it.

mountainsurfer77

my cam adjuster is completely shot, I have terrible rattle on the back side of the valve cover from the cam timing chain hitting the top of the valve cover. I was told removing the intake cam and not removing the exhaust cam is bad for your engine. If I remove the exhaust cam it will loosen the timing belt. The tech write-up I posted in my first post involves changing the cam tensioner by only removing the intake cam.

mountainsurfer77

the adjuster itself is shot, so it has to come out.

Roger @ CA

one already attached to the new part. :-)

MrHydeA4

I missed the part about only removing one of the cams. I think removing one and not the other isn't the problem, it's just making sure they're in proper position once they go back in. But anyway, back to the job...

Yes, the way we did it, we moved both cams, but only "tilted" them forward just enough to remove the tensioner. The front ends barely move from their resting spots. This way requires two people to do. We each worked a cam free, then I held them in place while OMT got the tensioner out. Doing it this way yourself would require the dexterity of a...uhh...well I don't know, but a lot!

To keep the timing belt in sync, we put a couple of zip ties to secure it to the sprocket. But just tilting the cams forward, it won't put enough slack on the timing belt to move it on the lower end, and your zip ties keep in place on the sprocket.

Hope that helps.

arob

absolutcq20v replaced mine while Tomasz did the TB, so not sure.