I bought my timing belt kit from blauparts. This was my second order. They seem to have a good source for german parts. I do also like the idparts customer service. I would say probably about 6-8 hours of work for tb going through instruction and verifying steps by steps.
Timing belt replacement duration
I am attempting my first timing belt replacement and interested in what people think it will take me to complete the repair. It depends on loads of factors so here is a little info to help color your estimate. I am a marine engineer so I have worked on many diesel engines but usually with connecting rods as big as I am (6 ft), cylinders with 5ft diameters, and you can stand inside the crank case (I have a picture of that somewhere). I am doing this on my 2006 BRM engine, Blauparts parts kit and their special timing belt tools. I have read chittychittybangbang's articles twice for this repair too and it seems straight forward. I will be doing it at my friend's shop where I have access to a lift, air tools, torque wrenchs, engine lifting beam and a helping hand when I need it. I am not trying to race through this, I will be thorough and methodical in my work but I just am not sure if its going to take me three days or four hours. Oh, I guess i should say oil changes take me about 20-30 minuters and changing my brake pads is usually an hour from start to clean up.
Another reason I want to know is because I will be at my friends shop at 3 ish this afternoon and he said he wants to go home at 9 and I am not sure if I can finish it tonight in the 6 ish hours I have. I dont want it to go over into tomorrow morning but if it must I want to mentally prepare to ask my wife to come pick me up!
Thanks for your help with estimating.
Byron
Another reason I want to know is because I will be at my friends shop at 3 ish this afternoon and he said he wants to go home at 9 and I am not sure if I can finish it tonight in the 6 ish hours I have. I dont want it to go over into tomorrow morning but if it must I want to mentally prepare to ask my wife to come pick me up!
Thanks for your help with estimating.
Byron
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
The job took me just over 7 hrs from start to finished clean up and engine running.
"I also heard there is a bad track record for doing it correctly" means bad craftsmanship from the repair dept at the dealership. engines making it another 5-20K and the timing belt coming loose or breaking after the job is done or supposedly done. Have you ever asked to see the old parts when they are done repairing your car? some places, no problem, they are in the trash but they can pull them out. other places hem and haw about why you would want to see the old parts leading me to believe they may or maynot have even done the job. The repair places make the most money on parts mark up. not to mentions if they charge you for a part that doesnt even have a wholesale cost (not even purchased). for example. I recently had tires put on and the guy told me I needed front pads and rotors for $400. I bought the parts for $90 and the rotors were beautiful, with enough meet for tons more miles, he just wanted to throw parts in so he could charge me the mark up. I replaced the pads for $30 and returned the rotos!
"I also heard there is a bad track record for doing it correctly" means bad craftsmanship from the repair dept at the dealership. engines making it another 5-20K and the timing belt coming loose or breaking after the job is done or supposedly done. Have you ever asked to see the old parts when they are done repairing your car? some places, no problem, they are in the trash but they can pull them out. other places hem and haw about why you would want to see the old parts leading me to believe they may or maynot have even done the job. The repair places make the most money on parts mark up. not to mentions if they charge you for a part that doesnt even have a wholesale cost (not even purchased). for example. I recently had tires put on and the guy told me I needed front pads and rotors for $400. I bought the parts for $90 and the rotors were beautiful, with enough meet for tons more miles, he just wanted to throw parts in so he could charge me the mark up. I replaced the pads for $30 and returned the rotos!
I'm ordering parts tonight and hoping to do the job this weekend. Could some of the post-service failures be because they didn't replace the tensioner, roller, and pump? Some people on Fred's were saying that the belts generally look new after 100k, but another chimed-in that the aforementioned components were the real reason for the maintenance. I guess VW can't make bearings that can last beyond 100k?
From what I understand the failures are either from not replacing on the auxiliary components as you mentioned, but also using the "mark and pray" method vs. locking down the engine while changing the belt.
its always a good idea to do front seals and water pump just get every thing on top dead center first . hope this helps bwood
Water pump, for sure... ditto for the idlers... As for the front seals: the consensus appears to be that if they're not displaying any sign of seepage, leave them alone!!! That goes double for the new-style so-called Teflon seals... they can last a very long time (400,000 miles or more) and are easily damaged during replacement.its always a good idea to do front seals and water pump
Yuri
Has anybody around Tucumcari, NM done this, and be interested in assisting another?
thanks.
thanks.
21 - 27 of 27 Posts
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