2.7t #1 piston?

[Tom Leppke-Hennig]

Tom B. asked:

<<Fellow audifans,
I'm doing a t-belt replacement on my father's 2000 a6
2.7t and am a bit confused.  Which piston is #1?
According to the crank pulley, I'm on TDC, but the
front right (passenger's side) piston on the engine is
not at TDC.  According a website I encountered, the
front right piston is #1.  Shouldn't that be at TDC
when my mark lines up on the crank pulley?  Any help
would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

Tom B.
'91 v8 5spd
'00 a6 2.7t (father's)>>

Tom,

I concur with the others who responded, with these additions:

The Audi V6s are "timing-belted" by threading a crankshaft lock tool into a special hole
machined into one of the crankshaft porkchops, after threading out the crank position
sensor. As stated by someone, this can still yield a CAMSHAFT that is 180º out of phase. The
way Audi gets around this using the factory method and tools is a special bar that spans one
of the camshafts on each head. It connects to the cam using D shaped holes, so that the tool
will only slip on when the correct cylinder is at TDC.  Once th crank and cam tools are in
place, the belt can be sliped on and off at will. They have designed the thought out of it.

(I have left out many of details)

If you are trying to free-ball this procedure, it is a bit tricky because there are no
notches and dots and lines to help you in all of your lining-up. You just have to get the
old belt off and get the new one on and hope nothing moved in the process. I am not
comfortable with it, but I hear of people doing it all the time. At 30 valves in a confirmed
interference motor...buy the tools.

Tom LH