BEW timing belt change, the 2 parts I found very difficult

pruzink

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2004
Location
Granbury, Texas
TDI
GLS, 2004, silver
Just had a few comments & questions on changing a 2004 BEW PD timing belt. Thanks to those that prepared the PDF file on doing same it was a great help. I have done a few other timing belts, the one thing that made this one so difficult for myself was the portion of the motor mount bracket that bolts to the side of the engine right in the middle of the timing belt. One other thing that I would welcome people’s input on is the initial setup for the TB tensioner pulley.
The top portion of the motor mount bracket comes off without any problems. Unbolting the bottom portion that bolts to the side of the engine wasn’t a problem either, it is what to do with it once it is unbolted. It seemed like everything that I wanted to do it was right in the way. I had chose to support the engine from the bottom side so I had the ability to raise or lower the engine on the TB side without any problem. I had read that this mount could be removed if you raised or lowered the engine. At 1st I tried to raise it, but I just couldn’t see how it would ever squeeze past the air conditioning line where it would have to come out. This AC line is a metal one so there is no bending it or moving it to the side. Next I tried lowering the engine & this did work as I was able to get this mount out of my way. Once this mount is unbolted, there is only about ¼” clearance between the feet where it bolts to the engine & the motor area where the timing belt goes so I wasn’t even sure if I would have enough room to squeeze the timing belt in back of it as the one leg sits in the middle of the belt. With this mount out of the way, I found it much easier to install the timing belt & adjust the tensioner. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed to find that I could not get this motor mount bracket back up into place with the timing belt on so I ended up taking it off to get the motor mount back up into position. FWIW, even though it is quite a pain trying to work around this plan on doing so because I just could not find a way to get it back into position after I installed the new belt.
I purchased the Deiselgeek deluxe kit for this job & was very pleased with everything. One thing that I would be very curious to see a good explanation on however is how to properly set up a brand new TB tensioner right out of the box. I have seen many posts from people in here on difficulties getting the tensioner set right, I certainly shared some of that frustration. The “how to” .pdf file describes pinning the old tensioner, then loosening it to remove the belt. A lot of people are installing new tensioners & it can be tricky getting a new one out of the box set up right so it tensions properly once installed. The center mounting hole is able to rotate off of center closer to or farther away from the timing belt. If you look at the metal tab that locks into the holding indent & prevents the spring mechanism from turning & get the orientation of how you want the hole to be away from the belt in order to be able to get the belt on it helps. Unfortunately, sometimes that doesn’t work out for setting up the spring tensioner for proper adjustment. Once the belt was on, I was able to stumble on to setting that produced the correct tension by adjusting in the clockwise position but it was more by trial & error (at times adjusting the center clockwise was tensioning the belt). Any comments would be appreciated.
 

paramedick

TDIClub Enthusiast, Vendor
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Location
Versailles, Kentucky
TDI
2015 Audi Q5 TDI
1) Mount comes out by lowering the engine, and removing the mount rearward toward the turbo. Easier to do if you have removed the tension from the belt.

2) Belt goes in place over ALL the gears with the lower roller left out. Cam sprocket should be slightly off center clockwise at this point. Pull tensioner pin, then slide mount into place with middle bolt in mount. It takes a bit of finagling to do, so don't get frustrated. Easy does it. Then put the lower roller in place and tension nut for roller. Lower mount bolts in place and snugged. Tension belt using pin tensioner wrench and torque securing nut.
 

Growler

Got Soot Vendor
Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Location
Millersport, Ohio
TDI
Schmutz, 2015 Golf Sportwagen DSG & Schnurren, 2001 Golf GL 2 door 5M
I Install the Belt with the lower roller installed unlike what bruce says (I follow the PDF & it works for me.. pick one, both ways will work..)

slide tensioner over stud. make sure tab is in slot on back tb cover. leave nut loose but not sloppy loose

turn tensioner counter clockwise until you can get the pin in the tensioner.

turn tensioner with pin in hole fully clockwise until it stops. tighten nut snug so it doesnt turn back.

install belt over all pulleys and waterpump.

loosen nut on tensioner, pull the pin, be sure the tab is in the slot on the back TB cover. set tensioner with pointer on notch then tighten to 15 ft-lb plus 45 degrees.

That help?
 

MOGolf

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 27, 2001
Location
underneath something
TDI
2001 Golf GLS TDI Reflex silver, rough road suspension and steel skid plate, 2004 Passat Variant, Candy White, rough road suspension and geared balanced shaft module, and much, much more. 2016 LR RR HSE TD6, 2019 Jaguar I-PACE
Growler said:
...
loosen nut on tensioner, turn the tensioner counterclockwise to relieve the pin, pull the pin, be sure the tab is in the slot on the back TB cover. set tensioner with pointer on notch then tighten to 15 ft-lb plus 45 degrees....
See bold addition.
 

Dimitri16V

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Location
DE
TDI
01 Golf, 04 Golf
reinserting the bracket back is a pain , removing the turbo hose helps
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
I had the experience of replacing the belt on an ALH before I tackled my BEW this summer. I learned not to fight that engine mount. On the ALH I tried repeatedly to remove the mount. Big mistake. I have no idea how to remove it if you have to because of stripped threads.

On the PD I simply removed all of the mount's bolts so it was free to move about. The engine was supported from above by an adjustable brace. For clearance to get the belt off and the new one on, I removed the water pump (it was getting replaced anyway) and then centered the leg of the engine mount over the hole in the block where the water pump installs into and this gave me about a 2-inch gap to slide the old belt out. Sweet!

I did not have much difficulty with the tensioner and its setting (once I figured out how to install the triangle pin to lock it), but did have fits with the part of the instructions stating to rotate the cam pulley fully left (CC) in its slots before installing the new belt. I followed that and this caused me to get the belt installed two teeth off on the cam. Then I redid it and was one tooth off (I did not know this at the time) and I was able to time the engine, but I was right at the end of the cam adjustment slots. I ended up completely reinstalling the belt (after I torqued the engine mount bolts down, of course) and I simply completely removed the cam pulley from its hub, installed the belt on all other pulleys and the roller, and reinstalled the cam pulley and it was so easy to do it this way.

--Nate
 
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