[Vwdiesel] changing the timing belt

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

  First you do need to fix the intermediate pulley slop.  Haven't seen 
that before so it's not normal.  In the process you may want to renew 
the shaft seal and the thin, green o-ring behind/around the seal holder.
Wouldn't want those to start leaking along with the cam or even crank 
seal after all this.  (Just common oil leak places along with the oil 
sender and valve cover gasket.)
  Here's how I do it.  Find your TDC mark on the flywheel.  Pin the 
pump, pop the cam gear and set the cam to parallel/TDC and have 
the tensioner loose.  Pull the belt up snug, rotate the pump, top toward 
the cam/ counter clockwise from the front of the pulley, a half a tooth 
(the pin will slip in/out with even drag on top and bottom of the inner 
hole.)  Slip the belt on the pump pulley, be sure it's over the lip of the 
int. and tensioners.  Set the cam pulley in the belt then lift and slip it 
on the cam.  The taper makes this the easy way without fighting the 
belt on.  :-)  Run the bolt up about a half thread short of finger tight. 
Recheck TDC and pump.  Run up the tensioner clockwise plenty 
tight a couple times then back off to proper tension.  Recheck TDC 
and pump.  Snug up cam bolt lightly with a wrench.  Recheck tension.
WHACK a long wrench to tighten the cam bolt.  Be sure any cam lock 
is removed beforehand!!!!  (All should now be fine and if tension is correct 
and timing was correct before, your timing will even be in spec!)  Check 
timing, loosen and rotate pump as needed.  Be sure timing advance knob 
is not only in but that the lever on the back of the pump is fully seated on 
its stop.
     Loren