worse design ever....help...

[bart_dood]

06 beetle TDI, PD motor. Got my new timing belt on, water pump, tensioner and idler bearing.

Trying to get this aluminum bracket back in place and it seem completely *impossible* the only way I got it out in the first place is because I took the old cam belt off first and the idler/tensioner, then removed one of the turbo hoses, then removed it from the bottom of the engine after lowering it.

Now the new parts are in place it seems completely impossible to get it back on. I've tried underneath, on top, jacking the engine up, lowering the engine down. It always hits something or gets jammed.

How is this thing supposed to go on??

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[Vince Waldon]

On the BEWs I find it easiest to re-insert the mount from the bottom, with the engine lowered quite a bit on the passenger side. keeping it parallel to the way it will eventually bolt to the block. A bit of a pain, but it came out, so it has to go back.

That said, I no longer remove them on either ALH or BEW timing belt jobs... just push them out of the way and work the new timing belt around them eventually. If you get really stuck you could undo the timing belt, get the mount back in place more or less, and then snake the timing belt back thru.

 

[Nuje]

I remember watching @oldpoopie doing a ALH timing belt and he just dropped and caught the bracket on the way out and then single-handedly (bracket in one hand, working jack on the engine with the other arm) put it back once everything was in place.

Having seen that, on my first TB, I figured....I can do this. And fought with it for at least half an hour before deciding to work around it, and then at one point, it just dropped out the bottom. Then it was easily an hour (and I think removing at least 2-3 components) getting it back in.

I'm in the same camp as @Vince Waldon now - I just leave it there and work around it. Saves me much time and aggravation.

 

[Vince Waldon]

I took a video when I did my last removal, to remind myself how to put it back. Will see if I can find it. From the bottom, engine lowered, for sure.

 

[Vince Waldon]

removing BEW engine mount

quick video, shot from underneath the car, passenger side, of removing and then re-installing the passenger motor mount while doing the timing belt.Engine is...

youtube.com

 

[jimbote]

I've never completely removed the mount. Just let it rest slightly down and back, thread the belt through the gap, and work around it to get the rollers and tensioner in place.

 

[Tdijarhead]

Like Vince, jimbote and Nuje I don’t remove it I just keep pushing it aside. Of course sometimes it just falls out the bottom and then I have to put it back in. Which as you have discovered is a trick. I regard it as one of those puzzles where you separate different metal pieces by maneuvering them in a certain way. It will go back in there, keep trying.

 

[oilhammer]

I never remove it, just leave it hang loose and work around it.

BUT... to get it out, drop it out the bottom, hand the engine down way low (remove the lower roll mount on the transmission...easy, and it lets it hang down lower more freely).

 

[bart_dood]

I never remove it, just leave it hang loose and work around it.

BUT... to get it out, drop it out the bottom, hand the engine down way low (remove the lower roll mount on the transmission...easy, and it lets it hang down lower more freely).

Thanks guys I appreciate it. I have to get this car running asap or my wife's gonna kill me..

Next time I do this I'll leave the mount in there and work around it.
Good advice on removing the lower mount, I've dropped the engine pretty far down but I'm afraid of damaging something if I go too far, I'll take the lower engine mount out and see if I can get the AL part back in

 

[bart_dood]

Well I got it back in! I got my son to help and jacked the engine up, had him pull it forward and then use some tools to help lever it past the AC tubing, it got a little hung up but after some messing around it went back!

My car didn't start first time after the first crank, turns out a rodent had chewed through the crankshaft position sensor wiring. I replaced the sensor and boom... First time it's run in 3 years and started right up !

Thanks again for the help...

 

[Nuje]

removing BEW engine mount

quick video, shot from underneath the car, passenger side, of removing and then re-installing the passenger motor mount while doing the timing belt.Engine is...

youtube.com

Thanks for the video. The problem with the ALH (in comparison), though, is that the big (with 16mm bolt) roller is right in the way of that "channel" through which you drop it on the BEW.

 

[Vince Waldon]

Yup. For some reason I always found the ALH bracket kinda came out pretty easy, from above. Things seemed tighter on the BEW...hence me taking a video to remind myself for later.

 

[oilhammer]

BEW is tighter because the timing belt is thicker, so everything is just a wee bit more tight against the body on that side.

 

[Ovrhill]

I always take the thing out and I'm not sure why. Maybe I can just see better with it out of the way.

And, I always have to use some mechanic language to get it back in, but it always goes somehow.