sidespar

Again, I'm a n00b at all this, but I have a feeling I'm messing my car up pretty good. I'm not even really sure what the cam lock bar is supposed to do, but I've left it on ever since I pulled the belt off. Well, I was trying to pull the belt back on and over the sprockets, and while pulling hard on the belt, it turned the crank a little bit (I already put the belt over around the crank). This surprised me, because I didn't think the crank could turn when the cam lock bar was on (I just remember when I turned the crank to TDC, it also turned the cams, so I just figured they were connected. I see now that it was the belt that was that connection).

Anyway, I've just been following the AW Tech article exactly, which tells you to get the belt back on by taking the cam lock bar off, turning a cam to get the belt on, then turning it back. How do you turn the cam? I tried moving it with my hand, but it wouldn't budge, which made me wonder what the point of the lock bar was. Furthermore, I don't see how turning the cam temporarily would help get the belt on. Even though I somehow pulled the belt off, I don't see anyway of getting it tight enough to slip it back on. How is this possible?

Anyways, back to the crank turning. I just tried to guess how much it turned when I pulled the belt and turned it back the opposite way. What do I need to do to (1) get my belt on, and (2) make sure my timing and everything is ok afterwards given this event?

Thanks for all your help. This has been a real adventure for someone who doesn't know what he's doing, but I really need to get this car back together, if for nothing else so I can get it to a dealer and let them re-do everything I've screwed up.

Mark@AutoSpeed

installed?

sidespar

Seemed like it was 'ok' to not pop the sprockets loose if you were reusing the same belt as long as you put it back on the same way.

I've just been following the AW Tech article, which says not to pop the sprockets, so I didn't, and tried to slip/pull the belt around and over the sprocket and failed (ended up turning the crank by pulling too hard).

So, am I doing something wrong or does this mean I need to pop the sprockets off?

I have the crank lock pin, I Just haven't put it in. If I can't get the crank lock pin in, does that mean I'm not at TDC and have moved my crank somewhere off? I.e., can I just turn my crank back until it allows me to install the crank lock pin to know that my crank setting is ok?

Santorin_OX

That would be your safest bet and it would allow you to get the timing perfectly set. When installing the crank pin, it takes quite a few turns to get all the way in. If you can not rotate the crank with the pin in, then you know you are at TDC.

You will have to pop the cams off, but it really isn't that hard and it makes putting the belt on 10x easier.

Just be sure to follow the instructions and properly tension the belt before you tighten the cam pulleys back on.

visintainer [vis]

mark the timing belt direction and make marks counting the teeth so you will know you put back on correctly?

sidespar

I didn't mark the belt direction, but I did take a picture beforehand which had marks on it. So you can see from the picture that the mark on the belt is exactly 9 teeth off from the mark on the sprocket. And there are marks only on one side of the belt. I figure if I put it back on so it exactly matches the picture I took of it before I took it off, then both the direction and tension will be right. This seems reasonable, no?

<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/12726/101_0436.jpg">

sidespar

gears. I don't know why my mechanic would have put it 9 teeth off instead of matching it directly. Is it possible that the belt could have jumped 9 teeth since he put this belt on 5 months ago (it was put on new).

davenew

B for having the ***** to tear into that critical job without a bentley manual!

sidespar

I've got the Bentley, but I don't understand it's instructions for popping the sprockets. I need an ultra dumbed-down step-by-step of what to do, what bolts to loosen, how much, etc. Anybody willing to help me out? I can get the gear puller no problem, just don't know where to go from there.

visintainer [vis]

cam gears. when and if you pop your gears off you have to make sure the cams don't rotate. i would get that crank pin in before attempting to anything with the cam gears