So I've reached a bit of a stall/snag during my timing belt replacement on my 98 Jetta AHU.. I just got the car a month ago and have already spent way more than I had planned on maintenance, but oh well. So I just gone done changing the clutch and went to test drive but I noticed a **** ton of white smoke with a horrendous smell coming from the engine bay.. so I took a good 5 minutes of pondering and found out it was coming from the timing belt area. I peel the cover back and after letting all the smoke billow out, I noticed that the tensioner was halfway ripped apart, and the timing belt was literally melting onto the pulleys. Thankfully I caught it soon enough before the belt actually snapped. I shut it down as soon as I noticed what was going on and pushed it into the shop.
So I pulled it all apart, and tried turning the crank to find TDC on the flywheel. I got about 1/2 of a full revolution and then it stopped. And I don't think it was the compression I was fighting, I think the valves were hitting pistons.. I had a long ass pipe on a 1/2" ratchet and if I had pulled any harder I probably would have stripped the ratchet out.. But that just didn't make any sense to me.. the car ran perfectly fine before I stripped her all down.. could there have been interference, but not enough to cause significant damage? And then me being an idiot cut the belt thinking maybe it was the tensioner getting caught up, (the plastic part that the belt rode on had been completely ripped off and wedged into the belt). so now I have no idea how to get TDC on the crank and the camshaft without the belt there.. I didn't think to make any markings.. and I also didn't think to check if my new flywheel had a TDC notch before installing, so I have no idea if it even does. I tried to find the notch but again whenever I turn the crank far enough it stops when it runs into the valves.. Also the intermediate shaft pulley seemed to somehow be siezed..? I pushed and pulled both directions on the bolt while the belt was off and it wouldn't budge.. is it supposed to be like that? I pulled off the valve cover and turned the cam until #1 was in the "v shape".. that's supposed to be TDC no?
My head is just spinning right now and I don't know what to do.. This is only the 2nd TB job I've ever done and the 1st one I did was on a Hyundai which was super easy.. I would think if I could replace a clutch I could replace a timing belt but apparently not..
So I pulled it all apart, and tried turning the crank to find TDC on the flywheel. I got about 1/2 of a full revolution and then it stopped. And I don't think it was the compression I was fighting, I think the valves were hitting pistons.. I had a long ass pipe on a 1/2" ratchet and if I had pulled any harder I probably would have stripped the ratchet out.. But that just didn't make any sense to me.. the car ran perfectly fine before I stripped her all down.. could there have been interference, but not enough to cause significant damage? And then me being an idiot cut the belt thinking maybe it was the tensioner getting caught up, (the plastic part that the belt rode on had been completely ripped off and wedged into the belt). so now I have no idea how to get TDC on the crank and the camshaft without the belt there.. I didn't think to make any markings.. and I also didn't think to check if my new flywheel had a TDC notch before installing, so I have no idea if it even does. I tried to find the notch but again whenever I turn the crank far enough it stops when it runs into the valves.. Also the intermediate shaft pulley seemed to somehow be siezed..? I pushed and pulled both directions on the bolt while the belt was off and it wouldn't budge.. is it supposed to be like that? I pulled off the valve cover and turned the cam until #1 was in the "v shape".. that's supposed to be TDC no?
My head is just spinning right now and I don't know what to do.. This is only the 2nd TB job I've ever done and the 1st one I did was on a Hyundai which was super easy.. I would think if I could replace a clutch I could replace a timing belt but apparently not..