Lower chain and chain tensioner replacements for the TDI

Here are the renewable fixings I have identified:

4 x Vibration damper retaining screws
1 x Toothed belt sprocket to crankshaft bolt
1 x Chain sprocket to oil pump bolt
1 x Counter weight to shaft bolt
1 x Idler sprocket to retaining frame bolt
3 x Chain tensioner to engine block screws

Again please only posted for comments at this stage. Will post part numbers for items used later.

£19.00

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Edit: See how to thread for updated info / advice https://www.a2oc.net/community/inde...-chain-and-chain-tensioner-replacement.35539/
 
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Bump. T10061. Removes bolt from end of balance shaft. Looks like a std spline drive bit. Anybody know the size?

I do, It's a 14 spline and I haven't got one :-(

Thread is M14; bit on order, £5.00 delivered.
 
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Fully tooled up now and good to go:

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Unfortunately Audi are supplying their dealers with RH rear brake cables without a connecting link. I decided to fix the handbrake while waiting for the timing tools and components and removed the corroded handbrake cables. Until I receive a link and repair the handbrake can't safely get the car on or hold it on a ramp. Creweaudi are on the case, thank you. until then I need to do something with this:

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If you have a few rusty parts to clean, how about this - https://www.bilthamber.com/corrosion-protection-and-rust-treatments/deox-c

Cheers Spike

Good idea Spike, probably an acid based product, they work very well. Unfortunately these products remove zinc plating just as effectively as they remove rust. It's useful if you have a DIY zinc plating kit. Here is my bracket and connector after acid rust removal. The bracket is zinc plated and finished with clear passivate:

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Hi Phil.W
I've not used it but the Bilt Hamber rust remover sounds like it's not acid based so may be less aggressive.
This is an extract from their sales brochure -

Rust Removal Bath
deox-C is a crystalline, 100% active corrosion removal product formulated for the removal of corrosion products from steel, stainless steel and most ferrous materials. This product when dissolved in tap water, produces a bath of powerful rust removing liquid.
deox-C is extremely economical, for example just 1 kilogram of deox-C makes up to 20 litres of powerful rust removing bath. It will remove very heavy corrosion, but is safe to use on even the most delicate items. It is suitable for any object that can be completely immersed.
deox-C is harmless, non-toxic and biodegradable.

Cheers Spike
 
harmless, non-toxic and biodegradable.

My money is on it being food grade citric acid, which is a powerful rust remover. However it could be some form of molasses which ticks all the same environmental boxes but is much gentler than acid.

If anybody buys some perhaps they could advise?
 
My money is on it being food grade citric acid, which is a powerful rust remover. However it could be some form of molasses which ticks all the same environmental boxes but is much gentler than acid.

If anybody buys some perhaps they could advise?

I've got some in the garage which I've used to clean up various bits of workshop equipment (see below), will have a look at the bottle to see if it states the composition.

Simon.
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One more essential tool for this job; big sheets of card freely available from your local bike shop. I use them for comfort and to avoid my tools getting marked on the concrete garage floor. Drained the cooling system and sump overnight and still created this mess yesterday:

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Details of how I got on in a few minutes.
 
Yesterday morning decided to go for it. Auxiliary belts and tensioner are off, I refitted the vibration damping pulley for smooth running and have the car on ramps held there by its new handbrake:

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Decided to use my engine support bar, the job can be done without but I'm sure it will be less hassle with it in place:

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Made job no1 removing the sump. This was because I couldn't be sure the gap in the DMF would align with the two screws at the rear of the sum once the timing is locked. It doesn't so this was the correct starting point. With the gap well positioned both screws can be accessed without moving the engine further. The long 5mm key was essential for removing the screws along with the 10mm socket to get them moving:

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Got a view of my target:

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Back to the front of the engine and engine mounting removed:

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Decided to loosen (not remove) the crank bolt next. Primarily because I thought it would be a two man job and my mate was available. It did turn out to be a two man job. The locking tool is a whopper and the breaker bar on the other end was the same length:

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Then I set and locked the timing. Not an easy job, the locating hole in the head was burred and wouldn't take the 6mm cam locking tool. A 5.5mm drill went in easily and I could feel the burr. Had to run a 6mm drill in there and clean things out.

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Fit my new water pump and it dumped at least a litre of coolant on my tools. Have a bucket ready.

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Decided at this point to call it a day.

Had a couple of disasters. Of the 4 sump screws in the front crank seal casting one snapped, 2 stripped out the threads and the 4th on the LH side of the engine came out cleanly. The casting is £110 new:

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M7 Helicoil kit on order.

Also broke the dipstick tube, about £30 to replace. Not sure if there any tips for others on how to avoid having your sump dangling from a dipstick tube?

Edit: See how to thread for updated info / advice https://www.a2oc.net/community/inde...-chain-and-chain-tensioner-replacement.35539/
 
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Time for a coffee and some thinking:

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Had to advance the crank a fraction to remove the crank timing pulley but look at the chain timing marks! Who designed this so that all the timing marks and screw access on the DMF were not all correctly aligned at TDC????
 
Verdict; at 150k the old chain does not look like its is about to die. There is wear to the chain as it is fractionally longer than the new chain. Wear can be seen, but only just, on all the sprockets. The tensioner was working correctly but the pad is approximately 2/3 worn through.

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Car has been owned from new, used mainly on fast A roads and received twice the required number of oil changes. May explain why ts worn but not falling to pieces? Hopefully it will sound tighter when re-assembled.

Learnings; I bought a low profile puller that would fit in the space between the engine and the inner wing. Completely overwhelmed it; lowered the engine and got my big rough Chinese puller on the job.

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Time to clean up and scrape sealer of the sump and engine block etc.
 
Been stopped for a few days waiting on parts and tools.

Of the 4 screws securing the sump to the front seal flange, one broke:

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2 came out with seal flange thread still attached:

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Had to drill out the broken screw:

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Then Helicoil the three damaged threads:

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The threads have been test torqued but the reason for failure can be seen; drilled through threads with steel screws into aluminium collecting salty water and causing corrosion. Those screw ends will be sealed once fitted to the engine.

Still waiting on a seal. AutoDoc sold me a camshaft seal for my crank. Had a job on convincing them they had made an error and that it probably resulted from a database inaccuracy. If you buy from them use chat to verify you have the correct parts and keep a copy of the chat. They were convinced I was incorrect, I had to quote the chat several times and had to send them this:

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They then don't send the correct part, they give you a refund. Had to source the seal in the UK, hopefully should be delivered today.
 
Keep at it Phil - this is a useful pictorial record you are putting together!

Simon.
 
Keep at it Phil - this is a useful pictorial record you are putting together!

Simon.

Will do; wasn't sure with the expertise on this forum it was a bit granny suck eggs. Pleased it's useful.

Decided to make use of time while the kettle boiled this morning and fit the new front crank seal. I didn't need one but thought if I didn't put one in I could be faced with another major strip down if it failed in a few years time. Surprising amount of force required to shift the old one:

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Gaffer tape protects the seal from the thread while I pull in the new seal:

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Good job the gaffer tape was there thought I'd finished on three occasions but the seal was not quite square in the hole:

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Fitted:

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Should make some progress after breakfast.

EDIT 30/03/2018: DO NOT FIT YOUR SEAL AS ABOVE, I'AM CURRENTLY WAITING ON A FITTING TOOL.

Edit: See how to thread for updated info / advice https://www.a2oc.net/community/inde...-chain-and-chain-tensioner-replacement.35539/
 
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