VW 1.8T Timing belt change - Need advice

[wavinwayne]

My '00 VW GTI 1.8T currently has 88k miles on it. I've decided to change the timing belt, tensioners, water pump, thermostat, replace coolant, etc. I ordered all the parts last night. I have a Bentley service manual, a decent set of tools (have access to more if I need them), and a healthy dose of common sense. With that said, I have not done a timing belt job before. I am going to take my time & let the job take as long as it takes. I will walk away if I become frustrated, and come back only after I cool off.

I am looking for advice from anyone & everyone who has changed a '99-05 VW 1.8T timing belt before. Please let me know any tips and tricks that will make this job easier and/or simpler/safer. Since I am doing all the work myself, this will either be one of the best automotive maintenance learning experiences I've ever had, or it will be a colossal disaster, if I do it wrong. It's a chance I'm just going to have to take.

Thanks in advance for any & all help.

 

[moribundman]

Read also these tech articles:

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng35.shtml
http://www.audiworld.com/tech/eng31.shtml

 

[wavinwayne]

Thanks! I'll give those a read.

 

[moribundman]

The one thing about doing the TB job is of course that, if it goes wrong, you get stuck with a 3-$5k repair. If a shop screws it up, you're covered.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

In case the belt packaging doesn't tell you this, make sure you don't kink the belt in any small diameter shapes during the install...I think this is what caused the untimely demise of the new belt (Gates, by the way) on my Eclipse. It went 20K and broke 3 days after I traded it in.

 

[moribundman]

Speaking of the belt, I'd take a close look at the manufacturing date. Also, sometimes the TB kits don't come with the best belts, thermostats (Behr and Wahler are very good), tension rollers and water pumps.

 

[The Critic]

Who did you order the kit from? ECS?

 

[moribundman]

I didn't order a kit.

 

[wavinwayne]

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Who did you order the kit from? ECS?

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MJM Autohaus

The kit comes with the following:

- OEM timing belt
- OEM tensioner roller
- Serpentine accessory belt
- OEM thermostat with o-ring
- OEM belt tensioner (with idler roller)
- German water pump with metal impeller
- NOW INCLUDING OEM 4-PIECE STRETCH BOLT KIT!
- Since I ordered before Friday, they threw in a free bottle of G12 coolant.

 

[RH+G]

If I recall corectly you need a special tool for the tensioner. Also I would get VW parts only.

 

[wavinwayne]

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If I recall corectly you need a special tool for the tensioner.

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Only if you're not replacing it. The new tensioner comes compressed, & when you get everything in place, you pull a pin, which extends a small diameter rod, thereby putting tension on the belt. Hard to explain, but if you saw a picture, it would all make sense.

The kit lists most of the parts as "OEM". I'm not sure what that means exactly. I don't expect them to have VW printed on them. I'll find out soon enough I guess.

 

[moribundman]

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"OEM". I'm not sure what that means exactly.

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I'm not sure what the legal meaning of "OEM" is in the US. Does an OEM part only have to "meet" specs or is it also approved? Hopefully it means the same as parts in "Erstausstatterqualität" (literally "original outfit quality"). That means factory parts used by the carmaker when the car is assembled.

Obviously a carmaker does not make all the parts that go into a car. For example, the water pump in your kit could be made by HEPU, GEBA or Valeo etc. The battery could be a Moll, Varta or Bosch. At the factory the arts you get may well depend on what day of the week the part is installed. For example, Monday could be Goodyear day, Tuesday might be Michelin day and Wednesday is Continental day.

 

[Hootbro]

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In the automotive industry, status as an OEM is a legal identification. OEM status (in the United States) signifies that the company's automotive products have been tested and validated according to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) and Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.

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[wavinwayne]

FWIW, I found out the "OEM" timing belt is a Continental. According to MJM Autohaus, Continental is a supplier of belts to VW. I guess that's why they call it an "OEM" belt. I'm going to check with MJM Autohaus to see how ofen they recommend that I replace this belt.

 

[Sparkman]

I usually do cam and crank seals as well while I'm in there.

 

[wavinwayne]

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I usually do cam and crank seals as well while I'm in there.

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I don't have the necessary tools for that job. If & when I need to replace those, my local VW mechanic will handle it.

 

[Sparkman]

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I usually do cam and crank seals as well while I'm in there.

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I don't have the necessary tools for that job. If & when I need to replace those, my local VW mechanic will handle it.

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It's not that difficult on most engines, though I don't know the 1.8 at all, and you're already there.......

 

[wavinwayne]

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I usually do cam and crank seals as well while I'm in there.

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I don't have the necessary tools for that job. If & when I need to replace those, my local VW mechanic will handle it.

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It's not that difficult on most engines, though I don't know the 1.8 at all, and you're already there.......

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The procedure looks overly complicated in the Bentley manual. I will pay someone to do that job for me. The timing belt job is surprisingly straight-forward. There's no "uh-oh" room on the TB job, but as long as you follow the instructions to the letter, it does not seem complicated, just time consuming.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

I was talking to my local indy mechanic about my Honda when he brought up labor rates/times for VW Passat's and Jetta's, especially the W-series and V-6's. He says that the TB goes for between 12-16 hours labor on those particular engines. Looks like you have a 4-banger so hopefully not that bad. He said the reason for the long hours is you have to basically dismantle the entire front end to get at the belt.

 

[Shaman]

I don’t know if it’s the same for the 1.8t, but the TDI’s got better timing belt parts in 2003. Have you heard anything about that? Might be something to look into.