[Vwdiesel] Timing belt

[Shawn Wright]

> i would suggest against that, or any changing of the
> timing belt without changing the tensioner. you might
> get away with it a time or two. i didn't even have it
> work once for me. the tensioner went out on me after
> putting the new belt on. i guess the bearing couldn't
> take the new strain. it froze up on the highway and
> took out the timing belt. engine locked up and i had
> to have the head rebuilt, of course.
> 
> so i ALWAYS change the tensioner now. yes, it's a bit
> of extra work and money, but even if only 1 in 10 were
> to fail if i didn't do it i would still consider
> myself ahead of the game!

I agree, although I now have a a box of perfectly fine looking tensioners that I've pulled 
off...
The only TB failure I've personally had was due to a seized tensioner, and the total cost 
was over $1000 in the end, not including my own labour. (not a VW - a Renault 1.7 with 
overpriced sodium-filled exhaust valves - *all* of the valves were bent!)
You can still get a lot of tensioners for the cost of a head/valve job....

--
Shawn Wright
http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright
~This message sent by Pegasus Mail, the safe E-Mail alternative~
"Friends don't let friends use Outlook"