S4gasm (LoTR)

Someone that has personally done this PLEASE chime in here...how on earth are you supposed to get this f'n gasket out?

YES the special tool is in, you just cant see it in this picture. (i took this pic after i had stopped for the night and layed the valve cover loosely over the valve's) anyways....

I put the special tool in, tightened it "snugly", didn't really seem to do much honestly, removed the 4 T-30 torx bolts that hold the tensioner on, then was able to lift up the tensioner about 3/4", which wasn't nearly enough.

I lifted as much as i could and that is all the clearance i could get, there is just no way you could pull the gasket out and the half moon gasket out....so someone please tell me how in the hell you change those 2 gaskets?

I read a similiar write up <a href="http://www.robsaudiworld.com/2.8camseal.htm">HERE</a> that mentioned removing all of the valve bearing caps to completely LIFT the cam up and out of its seat, this was however for the 2.8 AND seemed quite risky. I have read several others that claimed they never had to do this...so what gives?

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/78580/tnsrgasket.jpg">

aixgelo78

is what I had to do...to ge the whole tensioner out. passenger side rear is cake.

PSUEng

My local indy shop says to do it right, the cams need to come out. I would not mess with this.

davenew

You should get a small brush and shop vac to clean all that dirt before it falls into the sealing surfaces. Once you raise the switch, you have to pry the metal gasket upward, off a small dowel cylinder at one end. The dowel fits tightly into a triangular shaped hole in the gasket. Look at the new one. I used some electrical contact cleaner and a bunch of long Qtips to clean both sealing surfaces.

You can stick something like a sharp scribe into the old half moon to ****** it out.

The biggest thing is everything has to be clean. If any of that dirt gets in there you may have problems, not to mention it's that much more that you have to try and get out with Qtips or similar. A surgeon would never start cutting after you just came out of a mud hole..

S4gasm (LoTR)

there is just not enough space to lift the gasket out AND get the half-moon gasket out underneath that.

S4gasm (LoTR)

the rear part (towards the fender) will only lift about 1/16" off the tensioner..i've worked with alot of tight fitting gaskets, but something is just not right here, there is no way i can get those gaskets out with the space i have...

The tool didnt seem to do much, i assumed the tensioner would *pop* up more allowing me more space, but it seems the cam and chain are restricting this from happening. Which makes me believe removing the cam would be the only way to do so, which seems very risky.

S4gasm (LoTR)

thats what i'm afraid, but moving the cams sounds very risky..ugh

davenew

There's an inner metal timing belt cover with a bend at the top that goes over top of the cam switch. I had to remove the outer plastic timing cover, then (very carefully) remove the screws holding the inner metal one to the engine. You don't want to drop them inside the timing belt area.

With the screws loose you can move the inner cover around but you can't completely remove it because the timing belt and exhaust cam gear are keeping it on.

I was able to move the inner cover around just enough to allow the cam switch and chain to raise up just enough to replace the intake cam. This was all done without touching the timing belt or exhaust cam. Maybe that cover is preventing your cam switch from moving upward?

davenew

as he just said, the passenger side will be cake compared to the drivers

S4gasm (LoTR)

i just cant get the whole unit itself to lift up enough, it seems the chain and cam are restricing its movement, i'm afraid i may have to remove the cam on the intake side...which i really dont want to do.