[Tortelious]

I thought I was going to replace some leaking camshaft seals this weekend, but no! Another domino fell and I noticed that the timing belt is getting chewed up by something.

Lots of shavings down around the crankshaft & a good-sized piece missing along the back edge.
Now to track down what the Hell is causing this.

And yeah, it looks like both seals that I can see are leaking.

Plus, all the oil leaking down onto the hose from the t-stat housing to the auxiliary(?) cooling pump has caused it to swell to the point that I think it is now leaking.

Frickin' dominoes!

 

[AndreasPassat]

That's a bummer. Yeah that back edge of the timing belt is rubbing something.

 

[Wahobbert]

You should be able to spot where that rub is pretty easily once you remove the belt. I have worked on many cars and found stuff settled into the bottom of where the timing belt lives that would make it wear like that on the edge. Check all of the grooves on your pulleys too, you might find the remains of a small rodent or other things squished and roasted and flattened into those grooves making it jump up enough to hit something else.

 

[Tortelious]

Mystery solved.

...after and before.

Little bastard made it's way to the crank sprocket. I got very lucky, but it did cut the teeth down. I just hope it doesn't cause the new belt to want to walk inward, but I think the idlers will keep it where it needs to be.

 

[Wahobbert]

I would replace that pulley considering the amount of work it takes to do that job and get that deep into it...to remove the possibility of having to do it all over again if it makes your timing belt wander around, and the potential for it to do that and cause the belt to fail and cause carnage to your valves and such.

 

[AndreasPassat]

I would replace that pulley considering the amount of work it takes to do that job and get that deep into it...to remove the possibility of having to do it all over again if it makes your timing belt wander around, and the potential for it to do that and cause the belt to fail and cause carnage to your valves and such.

Yeah easier said than done. That bolt that holds the crankshaft timing sprocket is stupid tight. It might be too difficult to get off without some serious wrenching power.
I had cut mine off. I was hitting it with over 600 ft lbs twin hammer impact wrench and it wouldn't budge.
As long as there are no sharp edges on the sprocket you should be ok.

 

[PZ]

Good thing you decided to check those seals!

 

[Tortelious]

I was just researching how to remove that sprocket and I read that sometimes doing so can damage the keyway on the crankshaft to the point that the sprocket can't be secured back on. But if just getting that bolt out is gonna be damn near impossible, I think I'm gonna leave it alone.
And yes, I'm glad I didn't put this oil leak off any longer.

 

[AndreasPassat]

I was just researching how to remove that sprocket and I read that sometimes doing so can damage the keyway on the crankshaft to the point that the sprocket can't be secured back on. But if just getting that bolt out is gonna be damn near impossible, I think I'm gonna leave it alone.
And yes, I'm glad I didn't put this oil leak off any longer.

I forgot to mention that also broke my 1/2 breaker bar trying to get that bolt out.
I really don't know how you would hold on to the rotating crank assembly without shoving something up into the starter ring gear. Even then, that better be secure so you don't rip those teeth off.
Using an impact wrench to hammer off that nut isn't a good idea really. It's not a god idea to use a hammer action such as pneumatic tools on crank bearings.
I did on mine because it was getting all the bearings replaced anyways.

As long as the nut didn't chew up any of the timing belt teeth on the crank sprocket you'll be ok.

 

[Hirnbeiss]

The first question is whether the just caused the belt damage, or did the sprocket do it?

If you think it was the nut, and you want to keep the damaged sprocket on, I would do two things: 1. Sand down any spiky spots as best you can, and 2. Check the belt frequently over the next 10 to 20K miles to see if the inside remains undamaged. It is damage to the inside which causes most belt failures, since it allows access to the fibers underneath.

 

[ylwagon]

A neighbor was frazzled trying to get that bolt off of his Golf. Having heard that you can set the end of your breaker bar on the garage floor and use the starter to break the bolt loose, and it not being my car, I suggested he try it. One little blip of the starter, and the bolt was loose.

 

[AndreasPassat]

A neighbor was frazzled trying to get that bolt off of his Golf. Having heard that you can set the end of your breaker bar on the garage floor and use the starter to break the bolt loose, and it not being my car, I suggested he try it. One little blip of the starter, and the bolt was loose.

A bit unorthodox maybe but hey if it worked.

 

[diesel1024]

I was just researching how to remove that sprocket and I read that sometimes doing so can damage the keyway on the crankshaft to the point that the sprocket can't be secured back on. But if just getting that bolt out is gonna be damn near impossible, I think I'm gonna leave it alone.
And yes, I'm glad I didn't put this oil leak off any longer.

I've removed the crank bolt and timing belt sprocket 3 times on the 2.8. First time I had a 18" 1/2" breaker bar and a 3ft metal pole with 3 people and broke it free pretty easily, just had to make sure the crank lock pin is in and the cam lock bar is on. I can't remember the 2nd time, but the 3rd time I just took a Milwaukee 2767-20 impact and it broke it free like it was an electric ratchet on a 10mm, effortless. Only downside to using the impact is that you definitely have to have the front end at least 8 inches out.

Despite doing all that, I never broke a crank lock pin. The tension with the timing belt, cam lock, and crank lock pin kept enough force to prevent moving the crank when removing the bolt.

 

[Tortelious]

Yes, the leaking oil did a number on both aux. cooling pump hoses.

...And my (bad) luck continues.
After removing that 8mm allen plug in the block where the crank locking pin goes, while I was retrieving it the damned thing fell off the socket and managed to fall down thru this hole...

in the subframe. Probably 1 in a million chance, but today must be my lucky day.
I can't get a good angle with my magnet to fish it out, so does anyone know what part # this is. I couldn't find it in ETKA.

Thanks

 

[AndreasPassat]

I gotcha beat their buddy. I lost a small 1/8 drive socket (wife's GLX) and a 1/8 drive mini extension (my 2004 GLX which I sold) the same way.
It's not funny I know.

ETKA # 4B0 399 313

 

[Tortelious]

I gotcha beat their buddy. I lost a small 1/8 drive socket (wife's GLX) and a 1/8 drive mini extension (my 2004 GLX which I sold) the same way.
It's not funny I know.

ETKA # 4B0 399 313

Thanks, but I need the # for that crank plug, not the subframe ! (EDIT : although I did entertain the notion of cutting a hole in that black-hole bastard to get my plug back !)
It looks like this : https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/crank-plug-kit/n0160293kt/

I think the thread size is M22x1.5. I'm gonna see if the hardware store has something I can use.

 

[diesel1024]

Thanks, but I need the # for that crank plug, not the subframe ! (EDIT : although I did entertain the notion of cutting a hole in that black-hole bastard to get my plug back !)
It looks like this : https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/crank-plug-kit/n0160293kt/

I think the thread size is M22x1.5. I'm gonna see if the hardware store has something I can use.

Oh yeah. that's an interesting plug. My 2001.5 ATQ has a plastic plug with a 10mm that holds it in (if I remember correctly), but a short block I picked up from a 2002, has that metal plug that is an allen key hole. It looks like it is N 016 029 2 (#39 on ETKA in attached photos, M18x1.5). I may be able to confirm thread size if I can find mine later today.

 

[diesel1024]

Assuming I am thinking right, this was the plug on 01.5 block: 078103113D, just a plastic plug with an o-ring and a 10mm that holds it in. So there is a couple options, depending on availability.

 

[Tortelious]

Well, a little friendly persuasion with my rubber mallet bounced the plug into a visible spot and I fished it out.
Most ( if not all ) of the timing belt procedures I see have the plug as @diesel1024 posted above, but mine looks like this :

And about that crank pulley bolt. I see that the torque spec says 148 ft. lbs. If that's the case, how in the hell does it take so much force to loosen it ?

And another gremlin reared it's ugly head : now my thermostat housing is leaking.

 

[diesel1024]

And another gremlin reared it's ugly head : now my thermostat housing is leaking.

At least that is only an o-ring and you noticed it while you were in there and not after you put everything back together!

Glad you got that plug out!
I have no idea what model years come with either plugs, it's quite odd, but it seems like they are interchangeable, I mean as long as there is a small threaded hole next to where the crank lock pin goes.

I mean really, the crank pulley bolt isn't that hard to loosen if it's fresh, but after all those years I'm sure it can rust a bit along with some dirt and grime that make it a bit harder. Honestly not a super difficult job with the right tool. I know it isn't agreed upon here, but I'd honestly just impact the bolt off if I was doing it myself, but I'd use a pry bar with an 3' extension if I had help from others along with having the motor on the frame