Testing the timing on a 2.7T without starting the car

[emking522]

Doing a ton of work with the engine out, and some of it involved removing the timing belt. I've done the TB change in the past and didn't have any timing issues - this is without the locking bar. I marked some teeth on the belt and their corresponding teeth on the cams. In the process, my cams jumped a few times, but I have the belt back in. I manually turned them a few times to keep them aligned. The marks on the belt are one step back from the marks on the cams (on every single mark) which suggests to me that the belt is on fine. I turned the harmonic balancer a few times and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

What would happen if my timing was fucked and I turned it? Would there be a noticeable clank from the piston hitting the valve or anything like that? Basically, I'm just trying to make sure my engine doesn't grenade once I get it back in. Manually giving it a few turns would be enough to verify the timing, right?

[walky_talky20]

Well, you aren't going to "verify" it that way. You can be a few teeth off and still turn the engine over repeatedly without hitting valves. There is some room for error before valve/piston contact. Usually with your marks you want to be dead-on where it was - the paint marks on the belt lining up directly with their corresponding marks on the pulleys. It is just easiest that way. But if you are 1 tooth back on all of them, that's fine.

If you are doubting your marks, just rolling the engine won't verify. You'd have to take the valve covers off to check it on the cams. Or, use the special cam/crank tools.

If you have the timing off far enough to hit valves, you'll know it. It is doubtful that you could bend a valve by hand rolling it without some major effort. Starter motor is another story, though.

[salts]

If you want the car to run right and you want to be postitve that your not going to ruin your engine and cost yourself thousands of dollars and down time.... go buy a cam lock bar and a crank lock pin. I have had timing belts off of these cars more times than I care to remeber. There are too many variables without the cam lock bar. You could be off 2,3,4,5,6 shit 10 degrees and you would never know it until you got in the car hooked up VAG com only to find out that your phase position measuring block (093 i believe) is nowhere close to 0 on either bank,. Dont waste your time or anybody elses with this marking gears sh1t. This is not a honda

Baum Tools Cam Lock Bar Part Number #3391~$115
Baum Tools Crank Lock Pin Part Number #3242 ~ $40
Google: Baum Tools + part number to find the best prices.
Or if you would like me to do ALL of the work for you
http://www.toolsource.com/camshaft-a...t-p-96454.html
http://www.toolsource.com/locking-audi-p-91445.html

Im trying to help you, but if you dont have the spare $150 bucks layin around.... you probably should think about getting a different car.

[Dimcorner]

Well, I did my timing belt using the marks method on the crank and as well as the cams and everything lined up (making marks as well on the old timing belt then copying to new one). It's fine if you go this route thou, but be careful because once you take off the belt the cam might jump.

It happened to me when doing the thermostat and I didn't have the marks. Basically I lined up everything back up and hand cranked it quite a few times and didn't hit. Started the car up and everything was good (vag is clear as well) car pulls just as good with no CF's. Maybe I got lucky, but I was sweating bullets! Don't take this last comment as advice thou, just as my experience. I should have marked my belt and cam again but couldn't find the white-out.