Re: Audi TB change and idler pulley bolt fix

[Joel Skousen <jskousen@enol.com>]

Got the Timing Belt changed this weekend.  The 2084 tool worked well.   
The only problem I had was removing the idler pulley.  It was a bear to
pull, first off, with my improvized puller, and after relubing it, was
nearly impossible to get back in.  I finally had to use the small bolt
(despite all previous list warnings) to add pressure, in combination
with tapping it in with what little leverage I could get with a heavy
rod.  I really didn't have any choice since with the engine in place,
there was virtually no way to tap this thing into place with sufficient
pressure to seat the idler pulley. I succeeded in getting it all the way
in, but, alas, my last tweek of pressure as the bolt bottomed out,
snapped the bolt off--my worst nightmare come true. 
   But the fix was even more interesting.  The broken bolt was so small,
and the drill angle not being perfect, I couldn't get an extractor in to
twist it out.  So I raised the engine angle a bit more by removing the
front rubber mount, and using a C clamp to bring to front mount clear up
to the top of its frame containment bracket, to allow for a more
straight drilling with grill and intercooler removed.  I then drilled
the broken bolt out to the size of the larger existing hole already in
the idler pulley bearing center (just fits a 5/16 x 18 hardened bolt). 
I threaded this base material so as to put in a decent sized fastener. 
Got a new pulley and got ready to install it, only to discover that the
hole in the housing behind the pulley is not concentric with pressed-in
pulley.  Why on earth would Audi drill a off-center hole (5/16") like
that behind the pulley and then use a small 10mm bolt inserted to one
side of the hole?
	Bay the way, I also found that the new pulleys do not take any effort
to put into the hole--they slip right in with little effort.  Why didn't
they design them like this in the first place?  I finally had to ream
out the off center hole to the right to get it lined up with pulley
center, fill the excess space on the left with epoxy and then rethread. 
Now it works fine.  I guess the moral of this is, don't ever try and put
back in the original idler pulley--always buy the new and improved
version so you don't have to use the bolt to press it in.  
       Best,   Joel