[karld]

I am doing the timing belt on my 1999 tdi Jetta. Before I took the old belt off, I Noticed that my cam timing was off by about a half of a tooth, I put the new belt on and It was still off by the same amount. I Have pulled the cam sprocket and know everything is lined up. I live in Boise Idaho and dont have a vag-com yet. should I just leave the IP timing @TDC as well for now??

 

[chittychittybangbang]

Define cam timing half a tooth off? If the cam sprocket was removed it spins 360o on the camshaft so it's not possible for it to be off.

 

[karld]

1/2 a tooth

I should have explained this better, but before I removed the old timing belt, With the crank at TDC the camshaft lock bar would not engage into the slot in the end of the cam. The cam was advanced with respect to the crank. I thought that it may have just been 1 tooth off- due to an old worn out belt maybe skipping a tooth?? (Dont really know) but I moved the camshaft sprocket back a tooth to see if this helped line things up, after tensioning everything the camshaft lock bar still would not engage at TDC This time it was retarded by about the same amount. So this tells me that either the cam sprocket/pully was put on in the wrong position or it has spun on the shaft.

Any way this is not a problem, now as I have pulled it off, realigned and Torqed to 40 ft-lbs as per 1000q Timing belt write up part 2 (Awesome Article Great Job!!)

The car runs fine, actually sounds better than it did before I did the Timing Belt. I just need to find a Vag-Com to Fine Tune It.

 

[stroud2010]

belt stretch?

I noticed that all the locking tools wouldn't go in at the same time with the old belt on mine as well.

you probably know now that just as long as they all go in when it goes back together is all that really matters

it is a fine article
whoever wrote it deserves kudos

 

[YMZ]

One of the long-time "gurus" over on the TDI-Club goes by the UserID "Drivbiwire"... lives in Boise... If you just need help with the final timing, contact him and see if he'll help you with the chore...

http://forums.tdiclub.com/member.php?u=1338 (You'll have to register in order to send him a message, I believe...)

All the best,

Yuri