[200q20v] Distributor timing

[Derek Pulvino]

Hey all,

What's the deal in the Bentley with the listed Audi special tool for timing the distributor?  My guess is with the crank and cam at TDC, the dist. should also be lined up with the TDC tick mark on the rotor body, and the tool is just used to insure/facilitate this happening.  That all makes sense as relating to the the tool, but then the Bentley says that it is necessary to "pre-tension" the dist body in a clockwise direction before tightening the hold down bolt.  So I wonder if there is any slack in the tool the would then wind up aligning the rotor with a slightly retarded or slightly advanced position (don't know which way the motor turns when running) as the proper timing position on the dist.  The other reason I ask, is it looked like the rotor on my old dist was slightly off the TDC mark when the crank and cam were both at TDC, and that slightly off position would correspond with a clockwise "pre-tensioning."

Any btdt's out there? 

Thanks
Derek Pulvino