Help! Anyone here changed their A3 8P BKD cam belt themselves?

[Nessy]

Hi,
In a bit of a pickle!
I’m changing the cam belt etc of my A3 and have hit a real snag.
In the process of removing the old belt I’ve just realised that when I come to do everything back up , I won’t be able to access the nut on the belt tensioner to torque it up properly!
Due to the stupid design of the engine mount , the far right idler pulley has an engine mount bolt going straight through it , so tensioning the belt and torquing up that problem nut can only be done AFTER the engine mount has been bolted back in place .
Impossible to get a small torque wrench in there at all.
The belt was last done 4 years /75K miles ago at an independent Audi garage and I suspect that they have “guesstimated” the torque on that nut ,and just used a ring spanner on it , see pic, this is exactly how it is now.
The pointer on the tensioner is only about half way to where it should be, as it should be between the ‘U’ shaped cutout when the tensioner is properly tensioned against the belt
Anyone have any ideas how I can proceed?
The torque on that tensioner nut is critical.
Thanks for any help.

 

[LEE69]

Mines due soon, last time they removed the mount and renewed all the stretch bolts

 

[Troubs12]

Hi,
In a bit of a pickle!
I’m changing the cam belt etc of my A3 and have hit a real snag.
In the process of removing the old belt I’ve just realised that when I come to do everything back up , I won’t be able to access the nut on the belt tensioner to torque it up properly!
Due to the stupid design of the engine mount , the far right idler pulley has an engine mount bolt going straight through it , so tensioning the belt and torquing up that problem nut can only be done AFTER the engine mount has been bolted back in place .
Impossible to get a small torque wrench in there at all.
The belt was last done 4 years /75K miles ago at an independent Audi garage and I suspect that they have “guesstimated” the torque on that nut ,and just used a ring spanner on it , see pic, this is exactly how it is now.
The pointer on the tensioner is only about half way to where it should be, as it should be between the ‘U’ shaped cutout when the tensioner is properly tensioned against the belt
Anyone have any ideas how I can proceed?
The torque on that tensioner nut is critical.
Thanks for any help.

Hiya that mount 100% has to come out or you’ll not be able to change that tensioner let alone tighten it properly. It also has to come off for another reason that you’ll see as you go. You’ll find the previous garage didn’t guess the tightness they’d have done it with the mount removed or at least moved to the side.

Support the engine on a jack obviously place a piece of wood on it to save damaging the sump. Then get that mount out of the way which will allow you to change the required tensioner and idlers. Always use new bolts and ensure your torque wrench is in calibration before reassembling.

Edit:

I forgot to say once that mounts out you’ll see the right hand side boot for the mount goes through the idler bolt so the idler can be tightened and then the mount reinstalled.

As for the tensioner the arrow and the “U” shaped section are there for installation and move over time. In fact they start moving after the first couple of turns when you check the pins go back in. As long as you tension the nut to 25nm + 1/4 turn then make sure the 3 bolts for each cam are done to 20nm (I think) and the cam pins and crank locking tool go in after turning it by hand twice you should be fine.

Here’s a pic of the idler/mount bolt, the black arrow is the one holding the idler in.

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[NHN]

Nice post Neil, very helpful.

 

[Troubs12]

Nice post Neil, very helpful.

I try man


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[Nessy]

Thanks all, I was being a spanner .
Once I got that far right bolt outI realised that it didn’t go through the pulley .
The only problem I have now as I’m putting it all back together is that the hole in the centre of the big idler pulley in my kit is smaller than the one I’ve just taken off .
Grrr.
The kit is an INA one listed as BKD up to 1/07.
My car was made 11/06 so it should fit.
But defo wrong one , not happy .

 

[Troubs12]

Thanks all, I was being a spanner .
Once I got that far right bolt outI realised that it didn’t go through the pulley .
The only problem I have now as I’m putting it all back together is that the hole in the centre of the big idler pulley in my kit is smaller than the one I’ve just taken off .
Grrr.
The kit is an INA one listed as BKD up to 1/07.
My car was made 11/06 so it should fit.
But defo wrong one , not happy .

Ive had that trouble in the past and I swore I’d only fit genuine kits from either Audi, VW or TPS after that. There’s two types mate one with the small mount and and one with the big mount. Yours is the big mount. It should be just that bolt you need though. Is the idler the same? Pretty sure it is. Audi should stock that bolt you need if it gets you out of the trouble and saves taking everything off to return a kit then I’d just get to Audi and buy the bolt you need in stock


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[Nessy]

Ive had that trouble in the past and I swore I’d only fit genuine kits from either Audi, VW or TPS after that. There’s two types mate one with the small mount and and one with the big mount. Yours is the big mount. It should be just that bolt you need though. Is the idler the same? Pretty sure it is. Audi should stock that bolt you need if it gets you out of the trouble and saves taking everything off to return a kit then I’d just get to Audi and buy the bolt you need in stock


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Cheers .
Yes I take your point about Genuine parts but I thought I’d be OK with INA, the last cam belt was done with Genuine parts and all the pulleys coming off are marked INA....
Did my TT with a Gates kit last Spring and that job was a breeze.
I’ve taken a pic of the 2 idlers , mines the type with the larger hole , with part number 03G 109 244A .
The kit I bought was the INA 530040530 which according to the Shaeffler Automotive online catalogue fits BKD up to 01/07.
Fair play , the catalogue does give a pic of the idler pulley , but when it’s all on the car it’s not apparent which one the car has!
I’ve now doubled checked and can see from the online catalogue pics that the INA kit listed from 01/07 onwards (530046330) has the right pulley for me .
The only difference between the pre and post 01/07 kits is that pulley , I’m guessing the pulley with the smaller hole is 03G 109 244 .
So I’ve ordered the later kit now and this wrong one will have to go back .

 

[Troubs12]

Please don’t get me wrong mate I’m not knocking non gen kits to what I hear the ina and gates ones are pretty good it’s just personal preference and I was at a vw then a Audi garage so it was easy to get them cheep lol. Yeah I’ll be the bolt that’ll be the only difference man. I only suggested going to get the bolt from Audi as it would potentially get you out of trouble today.


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[Nessy]

I couldn’t have used the new pulley from the kit today as the hole in the middle is too small ,lol.
I wasn’t about to use that old pulley again , so it’s just a case of sit and wait until the correct kit arrives .
Like I said earlier , the only difference between the kits is this problematic idler , small hole early version or larger hole later one.
But I’ve learned my lesson , though annoyed at the catalogue being so wrong .

 

[Troubs12]

I couldn’t have used the new pulley from the kit today as the hole in the middle is too small ,lol.
I wasn’t about to use that old pulley again , so it’s just a case of sit and wait until the correct kit arrives .
Like I said earlier , the only difference between the kits is this problematic idler , small hole early version or larger hole later one.
But I’ve learned my lesson , though annoyed at the catalogue being so wrong .

Oh balls yup sorry man it’s been a while. Too be fair man when I used to got these parts used to give me both kits and I’d bring back the one I didn’t use


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[Nessy]

Oh balls yup sorry man it’s been a while. Too be fair man when I used to got these parts used to give me both kits and I’d bring back the one I didn’t use


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No need to apologise, really appreciate your help today!
Hopefully this thread may help someone in the future with a BKD and doing the same job!
Cheers

 

[Troubs12]

No need to apologise, really appreciate your help today!
Hopefully this thread may help someone in the future with a BKD and doing the same job!
Cheers

It’s my pleasure mate I left the motor trade a couple of years ago and helping people with advice is a good way of getting my fix haha.


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[Nessy]

As an update, I’ve checked on www.oemepc.com , and it looks as if even had I gone the Genuine route I’d have come unstuck!
As can be seen , my car has idler 03G 109 244A for item 20, it’s the original engine for the car and the car was built early Nov 2006, registered here in the UK later that month .
How it can have the 15/1/07 onwards idler according to VW/Audi escapes me .

 

[samisnake]

As an update, I’ve checked on www.oemepc.com , and it looks as if even had I gone the Genuine route I’d have come unstuck!
As can be seen , my car has idler 03G 109 244A for item 20, it’s the original engine for the car and the car was built early Nov 2006, registered here in the UK later that month .
How it can have the 15/1/07 onwards idler according to VW/Audi escapes me .

just for my own amusement, looked up the price of that genuine idler. costs almost the same as the entire ina kit

 

[Nessy]

It’s insane!

 

[aqibi2000]

Make 100% certain you use a torque wrench on the tensioner.
Seen and delt with cars where this was not the case...

the most important fastener on the entire car

 

[Troubs12]

Make 100% certain you use a torque wrench on the tensioner.
Seen and delt with cars where this was not the case...

the most important fastener on the entire car

This can’t be hammered home enough. Also it’s not a stupidly high torque it’s only 25nm plus a quarter of a turn if memory serves. Equally all the others need to be torqued too ie 3 bolts on each cam, idlers, engine mounts etc. If you need any torque settings just shout


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[aqibi2000]

20Nm + 45 degree

 

[Troubs12]

20Nm + 45 degree


View attachment 214885

Nice I couldn’t remember if it was 20 or 25


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[NHN]

Snapon atechs are my flavour

 

[Troubs12]

Snapon atechs are my flavour

Mate they are awesome and not to mention one of the only things you could use on dsg mechatronics units with those new bolts


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[DJ_26]

Mines due soon, last time they removed the mount and renewed all the stretch bolts

So important to fit new stretch bolts and torque correctly! The fool I gave my car too, didn't renew these and/or didn't torque these up correctly. Over time the bolt loosened and one day the engine fell to one side. One bolt had damaged the threads and another one bent within the block. Ruined a perfectly good engine. So important to get the timing done correctly on these engines. Check the torsion values and fuel consumption blocks in VCDS BEFORE AND AFTER the cam-belt change. Make the adjustments to the cam pulleys after the new belt is on. The correct cam and crank locking tools will ensure that these values are 90% correct to begin with. When properly timed up and the values are in spec, the car will have great fuel economy and performance. The torsion values impact the fuel economy/performance to a noticeable degree. Boy I'm happy I sold my A3, too much stress over this!

 

[Nessy]

Thanks all , yes did everything up to the correct torque and checked torsion after!
Am well aware about the stretch bolts for the drivers side engine mount as the Bentley manual covering the TT has the incorrect figure (too high) and stripped threads are quite common!