Re: Timing belt

[Mark Eissler <tequila@interlog.com>]

AUDIDUDI@delphi.com wrote:

>
>> A good dial indicator will set anyone back more than a few bucks, so I 
>> wouldn't recommend the use (or purchase) of one to those other than 
>> reallllly serious shadetree mechanics.
>
>Nonsense ... just about every pawn shop in the known world will have several
>for sale at any given time (don't forget to negotiate the price!) and if you
>insist upon buying one new, Harbor Freight Salvage sells some decent & cheap
>ones that will work just fine.  For $20 to $50 (tops), you're in business.
> 

Jeffrey, maybe that's true for your part of the world, but not everyone 
on the list lives there or even near there. Remember, this is a global 
list. The point, however, is that I see no reason for anyone to spend $20 
or $50 for a tool they're likely to only use a couple of times. I'm 
talking about quattro subscribers that don't take their Audis apart on a 
regular basis: the kind of folks that may change the timing belt just 
this one time (for whatever reason, such as curiosity...) but don't 
intend to perform this procedure on future vehicles. Basically, if you 
can't do this without such a tool, why bother doing it yourself? Unless 
you plan to get a lot of future use out of a dial gauge, I still don't 
recommend buying one. 

>> To check the lobes on the number one cylinder does not require the
>> removal of the valve cover, just pull the oil cap off and use a
>> flashlight.
>
>If you simply want to check that the cam lobes are still there or the cam's
>at approximately TDC, this method will work fine.  If you want to make sure
>the cam's at TDC, you'll need to pull the valve cover, place a straightedge
>across the lobes and use either a machinist's rule (measures to 1/64") or a
>depth gauge to measure the height from the head on either side.  If the cam

Unless you're replacing the camshaft gear with something else that isn't 
keyed for your engine, this is a little pointless. Sure, if you're 
installing an adjustable gear you would have to go through this. But 
since the OE camshaft and camshaft gear are keyed, there's no point; at 
TDC the dot should end up at the appropriate place and the lobes should 
be in the right position. If this isn't what happens, then it's likely 
that your camshaft has become distorted. 

In the end, you're not likely to get absolutely perfect timing anyway 
because the timing belts don't tend to fit 100% perfectly (as you 
mentioned) and the only way to achieve near perfection is to install and 
adjustable cam gear (as you have done). 

Seeya,



Mark Eissler          | UNIX, DOS, oh and MacOS too.
tequila@interlog.com  | Why wouldn't a developer use 
                      | a Macintosh?
http://www.interlog.com/~tequila/  My new hURL!!!!!!