[DeliveryValve]

I see on one of your pics the seal came with a sleeve, sometimes you can use those. Again I am not familiar with your application, but your bolt and socket idea could work. I've fabricated seal tools from pipes and caps before. Regarding the seal placement, if there is no seal stop as Tom mentioned, you should have some leeway. It wouldn't take much to have the lip not riding on the old path. Regarding the seal being perpendicular, if you are using the seal tool, it will drive it in straight. But if you were to hammer it in, then you have a potential to not drive it in straight.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

I see on one of your pics the seal came with a sleeve, sometimes you can use those. Again I am not familiar with your application, but your bolt and socket idea could work. I've fabricated seal tools from pipes and caps before. Regarding the seal placement, if there is no seal stop as Tom mentioned, you should have some leeway. It wouldn't take much to have the lip not riding on the old path. Regarding the seal being perpendicular, if you are using the seal tool, it will drive it in straight. But if you were to hammer it in, then you have a potential to not drive it in straight.

Well, I’ll just be my usual OCD careful home mechanic and I should be ok. Afterall, I squuz 50 extra horsepower from a blue Gates timing belt... and @AndreasPassat wants me to redo his sorry engine with a blue timing belt to fix his problems, so maybe I’ll be ok.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

Ok, some may be familiar with this view. Just about ready to start the camshaft gasket game... pretty much everything is organized.

I was happy to see the great improvement in sludge removal after just 3 oil changes! it helps if you actually change the oil in your car:

tomorrow I’ll start taking it apart

 

[AndreasPassat]

When was the last time you ran the engine?
The upper end looks a bit dry. There should be residual oil visible. At the very least in the screw caps where the Torx bit fits in.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

When was the last time you ran the engine?
The upper end looks a bit dry. There should be residual oil visible. At the very least in the screw caps where the Torx bit fits in.

It’s been about a month or more since running. When it did last run, it was pretty much pouring oil on the exhaust manifold. I’ll drain it (change it) in the end and find out how much oil was actually lost.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

... yeah.

but I don’t get this. The design seems wrong. I was on bank 2 to start, thinking it would be easier with the most access. Now, that green arrow points to a ‘shoulder’ on the plastic part that sits on the CCT body before the chain is loose. So I let it sit there to think about it, wondering why the chain wasn’t loose yet AND the tool already ‘sitting’ on the CCT?? While I was watching it and thinking, the T part snapped off!

I’ll need to order another but what did I do wrong? Why did it seat so quickly and the chain not be loose at all?

The circled part below is where the tool ‘shoulder’ pointed to above sat and the tool wouldn’t go further. I’m more confused than angry

this is the brand sent by FCP - based in Taiwan

 

[AndreasPassat]

Holy man, I should've started making these compression tools out of aluminum about 10-12 years ago. I'd be hell-o rich right now.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

Holy man, I should've started making these compression tools out of aluminum about 10-12 years ago. I'd be hell-o rich right now.

View attachment 102902

Why stop there? Forged steal alloy?

 

[Rob.Achmann]

Holy man, I should've started making these compression tools out of aluminum about 10-12 years ago. I'd be hell-o rich right now.

View attachment 102902

But any hints as to my issue? Just a bum tool? Using it wrong?

 

[AndreasPassat]

It's hard to say cause I can't see what you're doing, but there are some cheapo compression tools out there.

 

[Iowegian]

I might be off base here but I thought that the tool was meant only to hold the CCT down and it shouldn't be used to compress the CCT, since it often breaks when doing that.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

I might be off base here but I thought that the tool was meant only to hold the CCT down and it shouldn't be used to compress the CCT, since it often breaks when doing that.

No! Please explain! Hold it down - so once ‘installed’ I can continue to remove the CCT and it will be ok? And then if you want to remove the cams, the CCT will be in a ready state to do so? It just keeps it from expanding?

 

[cchief22]

lowegian is correct, the tool is meant to slightly (note ,slightly) compress and hold the CCT for removal. I am by no means an expert but following advice on CCT removal/tons of info , it is sorta a wriggle here ,wriggle there thing. Only the intake cam needs to be removed if doing a CCT R&R. I will post a pic of CCT top shoe piston and spring tomorrow night when I get home. Over compressing with the thought "the more I compress the easier it will be" is a path that should be not taken, no need to ,just wriggle, and if chain count is wrong ,mark it with some white paint and redo to correct count. Two things, over compressing can do, it possibly/will distort spring, and there is an internal plastic pin "stop" that you can feel/should stop the compression . Over compressing bends and wedges pin into the spring interfering with the top piston's shoe movement. I have a few CCTs around so will also try to get O.A.L. measurement for you for verification.

 

[PZ]

I've snapped several of them over the years. The bottom shoulder should not sit on the body of the CCT. Try shifting the tool closer to the ears to clear that. Are you replacing the plastic shoes on the CCT? If not, how deep are the grooves in them?
As AP pointed out, dry cams are bad. I would add a couple of drops of oil to each cam and bearing surface.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

I've snapped several of them over the years. The bottom shoulder should not sit on the body of the CCT. Try shifting the tool closer to the ears to clear that. Are you replacing the plastic shoes on the CCT? If not, how deep are the grooves in them?
As AP pointed out, dry cams are bad. I would add a couple of drops of oil to each cam and bearing surface.

The design says it can’t shift farther to the ears - it barely fit between the chain and the ears and there was no way the lower body would bend out to get over the CCT with the bolt keeping it straight down. When I get the new one (from a Canadian source at 3x the cost, I’m hoping it’s of sturdier stuff, but I’ll take a picture of it installed.

But, the tool may actually be designed to break off if doing so would prevent the damage that @cchief22 mentioned was possible?

 

[Rob.Achmann]

The guys from FCP euro came through they’re sending me this:

Audi VW Camshaft Chain Tensioner Locking Tool - 034Motorsport 034113Z013

Audi VW Camshaft Chain Tensioner Locking Tool - 034Motorsport 034113Z013

www.fcpeuro.com

@AndreasPassat there’s your billet aluminum version! 😃

 

[Rob.Achmann]

I've snapped several of them over the years. The bottom shoulder should not sit on the body of the CCT. Try shifting the tool closer to the ears to clear that. Are you replacing the plastic shoes on the CCT? If not, how deep are the grooves in them?
As AP pointed out, dry cams are bad. I would add a couple of drops of oil to each cam and bearing surface.

Yes, I’m replacing the shoes as well. I’ll add the oil to protect the parts

 

[Iowegian]

I'm sure oil is fine for this application but your FLAPS should have 'assembly lube' which is tailor made for this specific purpose.

 

[Rob.Achmann]

I'm sure oil is fine for this application but your FLAPS should have 'assembly lube' which is tailor made for this specific purpose.

Umm... what are flaps? I’ve seen assembly lube before and can get some

 

[Iowegian]

Friendly Local Auto Parts Store. It was probably more of a thing before Amazon...