Why we change everything in the TB path

[whitedog]

This isn't a TDI - it's a 96 Mazda 3.0 - but the theory holds the same. Replace everything that the timing belt touches. This timing belt was done a few years ago at the dealer where they replaced the belt and tensioner roller and nothing else. I don't have mileage on when it was done, sorry. They got lucky though. They thought it was just a Vbelt idler that was making noise but when I saw the idler and the belt had worn holes in the plastic cover, my TDI experience took over and I knew what was going on. Fortunately, the cams were off less than half a tooth, but it could have ended bad. OK, it's in an MPV, so it wouldn't be a huge loss to the world, but it would be to the owner.

BTW, Very easy TB to do. The water pump doesn't touch the belt, but the bearings felt a little loose and it was cheap and easy to do right then. Without the water pump a first timer could knock it out in two hours.The water pump may add half an hour with cleaning the old gasket off.

 

[Tdijarhead]

Amazing how some people do just enough to get by. Thinking of the dealer here, or maybe just the guy that actually did the work.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Sage advice. My pal had a 1998 too slow ABA gasser that was way overdue for a T/B, so I told him Mike, you need to replace the T/B before it fails.

He takes it to a shop were they only change all the belts and send him on his way.

Fast forward about 30K miles later and the T/B tensioner bearing fails causing jumped timing and severe damage to some valves/lifters. What is amazing is that the ABA is suppose to be a non interference engine. Pure nonsense..............

The lesson here is that T/B's rarely fail. It's almost always something else in the timing path that fails.

 

[Thermo1223]

I even asked when I got my first TDI about the a T/B change at the selling dealer.

"We only change the belt & possibly the tensioner if it is bad."

Yikes...didn't take long browsing here to know better.

 

[jhax]

Ol'Rattler, the only non-interference VW motors that I know of for sure are the old 1.8 gassers from the mk2s possibly mk1s.

 

[Ol'Rattler]

Ol'Rattler, the only non-interference VW motors that I know of for sure are the old 1.8 gassers from the mk2s possibly mk1s.

Sure. Folks have claimed that the ABA engines are non interference, pure nonsense.