Any VW Golf experts?

[jime17]

Hi guys,

just got a mk2 golf gti as a runaround and thought it best to change the cambelt before I go too many miles in it.

The haynes manual section covers removal of the sprockets and cambelt in one go and therefore necessitates removal of the rocker cover. Anyone know if I need to remove it to just change the timing belt or can I leave it in situ.

its a 1990 1.8 gti digifant (PB)

 

[jonnyfishing]

If the engine has a plastic upper timing belt cover,you need to remove the cover to set the camshaft timing marks located at the rear of the sprocket (ignore any marks on the front of the sprocket).

 

[jime17]

cheers jonny. It does have a plastic cover atthe top which unclips. It has a rear plastic cover behind the sprocket which the front part clips on to and is held on by the two rocker cover bolts nearest the sprocket end. However the the rear plastic civer is broken where it is secures by the rocker cover bolts and i can lift it lift out after I remove the front part and then I can see the timing mark atthe back of the sprocket. Is this enough to be able to do the job?

 

[^neo^]

Whip off the plastic covers and check the timing marks before you strip anything down.
Some of the 8v's have a mark on the front of the camshaft sprocket (which lines up with a mark on the back plastic cover) and some of them have the mark on the back of the pulley (which lines up with the flat surface of the head / rocker cover)
If you line up the crank mark, and then mark the camshaft sprocket and the dizzy driveshaft you cant go far wrong.
Make sure you change the tensioner as well as the belt as these are known for failing.
A special tool is advised for the tensioner (sort of like a grinder spanner), but you can get away with using a pair of circlip pliers (2 holes in the tensioner to grip on)
Pretty easy job really.
Genuine tensioners are recommended as gsf and ecp tensioners seem to have crap bearings in which whine after a while.
If you change the oil filter always use a genuine VW one to replace as these have a small pressure bypass valve in them. For the sake of £4 for a filter it's not worth using anything else!

 

[jime17]

thanks neo.

theres no mark on the front of the sprocket but a small hole in the rear (oo err) .... So I just line that up with the top flat surface of the head where it meets the rocker cover on the front of the engine (ie spark plug side)??

i shall investigate the tool you speak of as I dont have any circlip pliers anyway and I'll definitely get a vw filter. The belt I've got is contitech. Is that ok?

This may sound a silly Q, but as long as I line all the marks up correctly, I wont have to mess around with the timing will i?

Now i'll be on to you when I try and change the gearbox linkage bushes so that I dont keep slipping into reverse! That sounds like a complete pain in the butt!

cheers,

Jim.

 

[^neo^]

Never done the gearlink bushes, but supposed to be easy enough to do.
Shouldn't have to adjust the timing afterwards. If you do it's an easy enough job. I usual do them by ear........ just twist the dizzy til it sounds about right and try it!

You should be able to get the tensioner tool from most motor factors and probably halfords for under a tenner. Seen them on ebay too.

Here's some pics of the sprocket marks for front and back:

 

[Belle427]

i did the bushes on my 16 valver a few years ago,it was a fairly easy task but i couldnt get the adjustment right in the linkage afterwards and struggled to get fifth gear,made a big difference to the feel of the gears though

 

[^neo^]

i did the bushes on my 16 valver a few years ago,it was a fairly easy task but i couldnt get the adjustment right in the linkage afterwards and struggled to get fifth gear,made a big difference to the feel of the gears though

There's a special tool for that too.
Bit of steel plate that holds the gearstick in the right place while you tighten things up.
Always done it by eye myself and got lucky

 

[jime17]

cheers guys. Amazing - I went on a VW forum and strugglet to get anyreplies. came on this trusty old site and got loads!

So in effect taking the rocker cover off is just toi make viewing the timing mark easier and if I line up the camshaft timing notch on the back with the surface of the head and then mark the top centre of the front of the camshaft sprocket in line with the OT mark on the plastic back plate of the belt cover that would be easier to look at quickly?

 

[jime17]

Neo,
hope you can help here. I am having trouble gettingthe lower timing belt cover off. There seems to be a 10mm nut roughly in the middle that is is in the bottom of a recess. However, the external diameter of my 10mm socket is too wide to fit into the hole. The 9mm goes in, but obviously is no good.

I tried to get a 10mm box spanner, but when I offer it up against my socket its of simnilar size and is of no help. I also have a corroded nut oon the fixing nearest the alternator adjuster shich has worn flat but as a last resort I was going to just break the plastoc belt cover there if need be.

Any ideas regarding these probs?

 

[^neo^]

Lucky to have one still on there!

Just have to get a smaller (1/4 drive) socket on there mate.
If the nut wont come undone, keep turning it as its on a weird brass stud thing which screws into the block.......... usually this comes out before the nut comes off!
Keep at it........... if you break the cover it's not the end of the world.

Have you tried it with a ring spanner?

 

[jime17]

I got it out. it turned out to be a 6mm allen bolt.

However my epic journey came to an end when I realised there was 1 last bolt behind the water pump pulley and I think the allen bolts holding that on were done up by Geoff capes and I ended up rounding out 2 of the 3 bolt holes. I'm gonna get a fella to do it whos a mechanic as I'm not geared up for things which are difficult above the norm and I'm afraid most things on a 16 year old car with 107000 on the clock are more problematic than most.

I need to change the water pump too as I think the bearings knackered and so he can just chop the heads off the pulley bolts and replace the pump at the same time.

I can also keep the tops of my 7 undamaged knuckles now!

Can I get away with just buying the impeller or is the bearing part of the whole pump?

Thanks for all your help. I'm sure I'll be on at you soon for more help. You seem very knowledgable on the subject.

 

[Belle427]

pumps come whole and are inexpensive,most people opt to change them on a timing belt service as the water pump can decide to give up with a new belt fitted and then its a stripdown again

 

[jime17]

makes sense. cheers.

 

[^neo^]

New pump is around £20 from GSF
Easy to fit, half a dozen bolts, and one little M6 bolt hiding on the side.