removing the Passat Jetta TDI timing belt

Jetta Passat timing belt part 1 - removal - for 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 mk3 TDI
Back to the mk3 FAQ and "how to" index page
difficulty 3/5

Introduction

The timing belt change interval is 60,000 miles.

The timing belt (TB) connects the camshaft (opens the valves) to the crankshaft (moves the pistons). In the mk3 TDI it also moves the intermediate shaft and the injection pump. All TDI engines are interference engines. If the TB slips, the valves will almost certainly hit the pistons and cause head damage. There is no warning whatsoever when a TB is worn out and is ready to slip. If there is any question as to when the TB was done or if it was done correctly, replace it ASAP. Most maintenance items are as soon as practical, if the TB or tensioner/idler pulley breaks, you could even need a new engine under the worst case, so change it as soon as possible.

Suggested while you are in there: replace your old harmonic balancer (aka the crankshaft / serpentine belt pulley) with the updated part since it will be removed anyways. Over time, the rubber damper in the pulley dries out and causes a chirp-chirp noise on cold starts. See 1000q: chirping noise on cold start for more info on that repair. Suggested maintenance at your discretion: water pump, camshaft, and intermediate shaft oil seal. The intermediate shaft is the shaft inside the engine that drives the oil pump. It uses the same seal as the camshaft, also replace the o-ring under the intermediate shaft seal flange. I would not change the crankshaft front seal unless it is leaking oil.

Parts (click links to compare current prices)

timing belt kit OR the individual components. kits available at dieselgeek and worldimpex
timing belt 028 109 119 P from tdiparts from worldimpex, worldimpex (generic belt)
timing belt tensioner 028 109 243 F from tdiparts from worldimpex
timing belt idler pulley 028 109 244 from tdiparts from worldimpex, worldimpex (generic roller)
4x allen bolts (6mm) for harmonic balancer pulley (crankshaft pulley / serpentine belt pulley) VW# N-903-487-04

10, 13, 16, 18, 19 mm wrenches/sockets

timing belt tools (pictured below as thumbnails, click for a larger picture): available as a kit from metalnerd or dieselgeek
tensioner spanner wrench VW tool #T10020, or equivalent, available at worldimpex
camshaft setting bar/lock VW tool #2065a , or equivalent
injection pump locking pin VW tool #2064, or equivalent
sprocket counterholding bar, VW tool #3359 or equivalent (included with the metalnerd tools, metalnerd #MN3036)
pics and measurement of TB tools by Ray_G

Optional parts (click links to compare current prices)

lower crankcase vent (CCV) breather hose (in case yours is brittle, see note below) VW # 028 103 491 J, from tdiparts or worldimpex or generic part
new harmonic balancer pulley (crankshaft pulley / serpentine belt pulley) VW # 028 105 243T from tdiparts , from worldimpex
serpentine belt and v belt
valve cover gasket (included with some kits)
light strength locktite
water pump
intermediate shaft/camshaft gasket VW# 068 103 085E
intermediate shaft seal flange o-ring VW # N 903 535 01 or generic viton seal
PB Blaster, liquid wrench, etc., penetrating lubricant
EZ out - for removing stripped allen bolts (pictured below, can be deep or shallow)

Procedure

Raise the front of the car securely with jackstands and/or ramps or wood blocks as specified in your factory service manual. Never get under the car if it is being supported by a hydraulic jack. Secure all tires with wheel chocks, place the car in gear, and apply the parking brake.

Remove the plastic engine cover.

Remove the accordion air intake hose and (optional: remove air intake box, see 1000q: remove air intake box if you need tips). If you plan on replacing the water pump, definitely remove the air box.

Also remove crank case vent (CCV) - caution - the lower CCV breather hose (outlined above in yellow and pictured below) is bolted to the lower engine block. If the top part of the hose is not soft, the bottom part will be dried out and can shatter if you bend it! It is also a common place for oil leaks due to a cracked flange or dried out o-ring, the bottom part often cracks on it's own after high miles. If you choose to replace it, (2x 6mm allen) bolts hold it at the bottom, it is VW # 028 103 491 J , available from tdiparts and worldimpex, click both links to see current prices.

Remove the upper timing belt (TB) cover, held in place by 2 metal spring clips and a screw.

On the valve cover, remove the plastic thread protectors by prying them off. Underneath, there are (3x 10mm) nuts and washers that hold the valve cover. Under those, there is a metal cup and rubber gasket. Do not remove the bolt under them all. You can now remove the valve cover. If it's stuck, tap it at the flange with a piece of wood. Avoid prying with a screwdriver since this will scratch the sealing surfaces. You can reuse the valve gasket if it is in good shape.

Go underneath the car and remove the plastic belly pan shield.

Remove the power steering v-belt and alternator serpentine belts. I think it's best to do this before rotating the engine because it avoids turning the power steering/alt, etc., opposite of their normal wear and rotation. There are 2x 13mm bolts holding the power steering pump and 1x 16mm bolt holding it in the back. Loosen these and then push the power steering pump towards the rear of the car to slip off the v-belt.

Remove the serpentine belt by relieving the pressure off the belt. You can use a wrench to move the tensioning lever arm while you slip off the belt. Although the service manual says to use the idler pulley's bolt, I don't do this because it can strip the bolt. The below picture is from another writeup, ignore the red arrows, you don't have to loosen those. Just put a wrench on the lever on the other side of the red arrows.

Remove the harmonic balancer and the v-pulley sitting on top of it. The (4x 6mm) allen bolts may get stripped so I suggest soaking in PB Blaster beforehand. Do not use the center crankshaft bolt to counterhold because the crankshaft bolt is a one use only stretch bolt. Make sure the allen bit is all the way in. You may need to have a helper put the car in gear and step on the brakes. If they do get stripped, a sharp EZ-out should remove them easily. Some suggest using the camshaft lock to counterhold the harmonic balancer with the camshaft lock, I do not suggest this due to the amount of force involved. I had to have someone step on the brakes with the car in gear to get them loose, you don't want that amount of force torquing on the camshaft lock.

You can now remove the lower TB cover. Caution - the TB cover is held by 2x 10mm bolts and 1x 10mm nut. The bolt holding in the nut shouldn't fall out but mine was missing, it's indicated w/the red arrow in the below picture. When you remove the timing belt cover, take care to not knock loose that bolt since it's very difficult to insert a new one. If you have a magnet, it will help pull the bolt and hold it in place. The reason I removed the airbox was so that I could stuff gasket maker around the bolt. This will prevent it from backing out when you put the cover back on and can be easily removed later if you choose. More tips on this in 1000q: timing belt part 2 - installation.

With the transmission in neutral, use the sprocket counterholder tool on the camshaft sprocket to turn the camshaft clockwise until the camshaft's alignment slot is horizontal. Only do this if the v-belt and serpentine belt are removed because they provide resistance. You can also turn the engine over by the crankshaft bolt but use a light pressure only, the bolt is a 1 use only stretch bolt and you do not want to apply a lot of pressure to it. The idea is that you want to insert the camshaft lock later so it's useful to get a general reference now. (pictured below, the reason why it doesn't look like the ones pictured above is that it's a metalnerd tool instead of a VW tool)

Although the below picture is from a later TDI, the camshaft looks the same. Both of the camshaft #1 lobes (closest to passenger side on a North American left hand drive car) should be pointing up. The reason why the camshaft lobes should be pointing up is because this indicates that they are not pushing open the valves. The camshaft lock should fit in the machined slot at the other end of the camshaft. If the camshaft lock is in and the #1 lobes are pointing up, the TDC mark on the flywheel should be close to the viewing window on the transmission.

Remove the top dead center (TDC) plug. It is located at the center-top of where the transmission meets the engine. Rotate the engine to get the TDC mark on the flywheel to align with the TDC pointer mark on the transmission bellhousing. Sometimes the pointer on the transmission bellhousing is worn like mine, the TDC mark should be at the center of the window.

You can mark it with paint or chalk for faster identification later.

Counterhold the camshaft sprocket while you loosen it's 19mm bolt. You can put the camshaft lock in place but be very careful not to put torque on the lock or else it could crack the camshaft. If you're not sure of the amount of force involved, I suggest test fitting it and putting it back after loosening the camshaft bolt. Since the camshaft sprocket is a tapered fit onto the camshaft, loosening the bolt will not release the sprocket yet. (note - this picture was taken during camshaft tightening, don't use a torque wrench for loosening)

After loosening the bolt, turn the 19mm bolt out halfway to catch the sprocket when you pop it off in a later step.

Recheck TDC and insert the camshaft lock plate. You should be able to insert the injection pump sprocket lock (indicated below w/red arrow). For best results, put a business card or feeler gauge under each arm of the camshaft lock so that it's as even as possible.

Loosen the 13mm bolt holding the TB tensioner and rotate it counterclockwise with a spanner wrench or VW tool #T10020, (avail at worldimpex or metalnerd or you can use an adjustable spanner wrench) to loosen. Always loosen counterclockwise and always tighten clockwise. Note - if you later want to check the tension of the tensioner, do it on a cold engine and don't be alarmed if it's a hair off. If you want to tighten it, make sure the timing belt won't move around and then loosen the tensioner counterclockwise all the way before retightening it to the marks. Not loosening it before retightening it can cause damage.

Use a punch through the hole pictured below to tap off the camshaft sprocket.

Remove the camshaft sprocket, TB, TB tensioner (13mm nut) and idler pulley (13mm bolt). Leave the injection pump lock and camshaft lock in place.

If you need to replace the water pump , intermediate shaft oil seal, camshaft seal, or injection pump, do so now. See: 1000q: timing belt part 2 -installation , 1000q: water pump, 1000q: intermediate shaft oil seal , and 1000q: injection pump removal or mk4 ALH pump swap as needed.

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Disclaimer: This page provides only tips to doing the timing belt and any or all tips here are superceded by and are not a substitute for the services of a professional mechanic or the official procedure listed in the factory service manual. This procedure is rated at 3/5 difficulty, most people with any mechanical experience can successfully do this procedure by following their official factory service manual. By following any or all of these tips, myturbodiesel.com is not responsible for a messed up timing belt job or any damages resulting from it. See the full terms of use and legal disclaimer here: legal disclaimer.