Official Darwin Award Thread

BioChoppers

Vendor
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Location
Whittier, California
TDI
2003 jetta 5spd wagon
Throughout the years I have stumbled upon some real interesting "techniques" the dealers & others have used while working on TDI's.

I stumbled across one today that motivated me to start posting them.

Please feel free to post any pictures of half-a$$ed rig jobs...





I know there is a key way that is not used on the cam which may be elusive, but how could someone still put the pulley on without finding a key slot?:confused:
"Just shove it on Earl!"
 
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CTDieselHead

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2004
Location
Naugatuck Connecticut, USA
TDI
99.5 Jetta, Silver / 2010 Sportwagon, White
A VW dealer (New 1972 Beetle) who during an oil change filled but forgot to drain the old oil, or filled twice I don't know which, started my working on my own cars. Then the dealer who forgot to tighten the lug bolts on my girlfriends' (later wife) Super Beetle sealed the deal.
 

Keith_J

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Location
West
TDI
2000 Jetta MT
Did the keystock cause the notch to be cut into the sprocket hub? DAYM, that is football bat stupid,
 

Harvieux

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Aug 15, 1998
Location
Whittier,CA-USA
TDI
06 A5 Pkg.2 w/navi & ASEP
Keith_J said:
Did the keystock cause the notch to be cut into the sprocket hub? DAYM, that is football bat stupid,
Yup, is that a fricken hoot, or what? You all would of ROLYFAO if you saw the many other butchered stuff done to this vehicle. How about silicone globbed on the WP o-ring which oozed into cavity, a bolt holding in the small lower idler roller instead of the factory stud and 13mm shouldered nut (if you look closely at the pic with the woodruff key lodged in the cam slot, you will see that I installed the stud below), and trust me, it gets better. :rolleyes: Later!
 
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compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
Someone did that to my ECOdiesel, but they also ground a slot in the camshaft pulley for the key!

-Jason
 

grizzlydiesel

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Location
Virginia, USA
TDI
2000 Jetta 5 speed
ok, forgive me as im new to wrenching on vw's, but the cam pulley isnt keyed??? and there is a key slot on the cam???? i would be confused too. how do you ensure that the timing is correct if the pully isnt fixed to a certain spot on the cam???? maybe this is a job for the TDI101 forum.... time to do some reading.....
 

GoFaster

Moderator at Large
Joined
Jun 16, 1999
Location
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
TDI
2006 Jetta TDI
The cam pulley is held on solely by the tapered fit. There is a keyway in the shaft, but it's not used, and I have no idea why they even bother machining it. Every TDI since the beginning of TDI's has been like this. Once the pulley is on that tapered fit and held on by the properly-torqued center bolt, it will not move.

For the benefit of the above poster, who doesn't know these cars, during a timing belt job you lock the camshaft and (on rotary-pump cars) injection pump and (on P-D cars) crankshaft in place using locking tools then gently snug everything then set and torque down the belt tensioner then torque the center bolt on the cam pulley, then remove all the locking tools, rotate crankshaft two complete revolutions by hand, then check that all the locking tools can be re-inserted with everything in the correct place. A keyway cannot be used, because setting the timing using the locking tools sets it more accurately than a keyway could achieve.
 

Ski in NC

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Location
Wilmington, NC USA
TDI
2001 Jetta ALH 5sp stock
The key slot may be used somewhere in the manufacturing process to index the thing.

Speaking generally, a tapered fit is a wonderful thing. Done right the key is only needed for initial alignment or as a backup. In the tdi case, the alignment comes from the cam lock tool. Some may have wished for the keyed backup, but that would screw up the timing set up process. So no key.
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
Yup. If you think about it, it is the only way to allow the very fine adjustments if you are one of those a-r types who want everything exactly right. And if done right, you are rewarded with text book performance.
 

PDJetta

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Location
Northern Virginia
TDI
'04 Jetta GLS TDI Pumpe Duce Platinum Grey w/ Leather
BioChoppers said:
Throughout the years I have stumbled upon some real interesting "techniques" the dealers & others have used while working on TDI's.

I stumbled across one today that motivated me to start posting them.

Please feel free to post any pictures of half-a$$ed rig jobs...





I know there is a key way that is not used on the cam which may be elusive, but how could someone still put the pulley on without finding a key slot?:confused:
"Just shove it on Earl!"
At least you got a free woodruf key:eek: :rolleyes: :( . That is something. "Better put in a key because it is missing and will fail if its not installed. Don't worry about the pulley, it will make its own key slot when I bash it on with my BFH". If you do not know how to fix it, just stay away!

"The cam pulley is held on solely by the tapered fit. There is a keyway in the shaft, but it's not used, and I have no idea why they even bother machining it. Every TDI since the beginning of TDI's has been like this. Once the pulley is on that tapered fit and held on by the properly-torqued center bolt, it will not move."

My '85 Jetta Turbo diesel I had has an unused keyway on its cam pulley end of the camshaft as well. Same set up.

--Nate
 
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vwrobert51

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
Maui Hawaii
TDI
2004 Jetta Wagon
like i always said ,you pay cheap ,you get cheap and now you are paying more to fix the mistake ! their are real TDI techs and their are i can fix anything techs, if you find one .it pays to pay the right price and be done with it
 

Keith_J

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2007
Location
West
TDI
2000 Jetta MT
The keyway is the index for the grinding machine. The slot in the back for the vacuum pump and cam setting plate is also indexed off this keyway during the machining process.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
GoFaster said:
The cam pulley is held on solely by the tapered fit. There is a keyway in the shaft, but it's not used, and I have no idea why they even bother machining it. Every VW VE Pump diesel since the beginning of VW Diesels has been like this. Once the pulley is on that tapered fit and held on by the properly-torqued center bolt, it will not move.
All VW VE pump diesels cam pulles work this same way. I can't speak for the CR or PD engines. I believe the keyway is used to hold the cam as they're machining the lobes?

-Jason
 

coalminer16

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 11, 2008
Location
Central Wisconsin
TDI
Golf 2004
Well even my 81 vw rabbit diesels have this keyway so they may have just kept using it as the reference for the grinding process and never changed their ways. Why change if it works right.
 
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