Timing Issues

**RigDotCom** · 01-03-2016 02:31 PM

I bought an A4 (2005) pretty cheap from a guy I was working with and drove it from Miami back home to Atlanta. When I got the time to change the oil I noticed the snub mount bracket was broken. I decided to pay someone to do it and change the timing belt while he was at it. I normally do all of my own work but I had no time to do it myself. He lost my tdc mark and did nothing right. I got the car back and now I have to try and correct it myself. I have already done a compression test and got 240psi on all 4 cylinders (wet compression test) so I think they are good. What do I do now?

**MacFady** · 01-04-2016 09:27 AM

So you've driven the car since the TB change, is that right?

**RigDotCom** · 01-04-2016 11:01 AM

Yes. I have it was reassembled and I assumed it was ok.

**MacFady** · 01-04-2016 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by RigDotCom

Yes. I have it was reassembled and I assumed it was ok.

What is making you think the timing is off? It's an interference engine, if the timing was off even a tooth I think you would know by now. I've just been assuming you have a 1.8T, do you have a 3.0?

I was assuming it was a 1.8T but since you said you got someone to do the timing belt because the snub mount bracket had to be replaced made me think otherwise, as it is a five minute under car job with 3 bolts to replace the mount on a 1.8T.

**RigDotCom** · 01-04-2016 12:26 PM

I was having the mount changed and I decided while it was in the shop to have the timing done as well. It is a 1.8t, it's running rough and after I asked him he told me that he lost the tdc mark (crank rotated on him) and got it back close. It's shaky until you get to 35 then it gets bad and flashes a misfire.

**kwilson** · 01-04-2016 05:49 PM

Stick a dowel down the spark plug hole for cylinder 1 (closest to radiator). Rotate crank clockwise with a socket while watching the dowel. When it is at the highest, your bottom end will be at TDC. Then, check the cam timing. You might have to rotate crank twice to get the cam timing to line up. As stated above, you must be pretty close if it runs.

**RigDotCom** · 01-05-2016 05:36 AM

I've heard different things about what to use for the cam timing. Is it the front mark or the mark at the rear of the head? Any tips for putting the belt back on? My only experience is with Infinity and GM

**redline380** · 01-05-2016 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by MacFady

What is making you think the timing is off? It's an interference engine, if the timing was off even a tooth I think you would know by now. I've just been assuming you have a 1.8T, do you have a 3.0?

Not true.

Originally Posted by kwilson

Stick a dowel down the spark plug hole for cylinder 1 (closest to radiator). Rotate crank clockwise with a socket while watching the dowel. When it is at the highest, your bottom end will be at TDC. Then, check the cam timing. You might have to rotate crank twice to get the cam timing to line up. As stated above, you must be pretty close if it runs.

Why do you want him to do it the hard way?

OP, all you need to do is rotate the engine with the crank bolt until the crank pulley timing mark lines up with the mark on the lower timing belt cover. Then, look at the timing mark on your cam gear. Does it line up with the timing mark on your valve cover? If you want to be 100% sure everything is timed perfect, pop the valve cover and look at the timing marks on the cams. The little notches in the cam need to line up with the arrows on the caps. True, these engines are certainly interference engines, but they can be off by a tooth or two here or there and will still run without bending valves, but it won't run the best.

Check my thread- http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...Hows-my-timing

Here are the relevant photos of the marks I described above. The last picture does not show the mark on the cam cap because of the flash glare, but rest assured it is there right where you would expect it to be.

**kwilson** · 01-05-2016 07:24 AM

Originally Posted by redline380

Why do you want him to do it the hard way?

Because he earlier implied that he and his mechanic can't find the mark on the crank pulley. Also, I've found that the crank pulley mark is often not exactly correct. What concerns me though, is that OP just implied that his timing belt is now removed. If this is the case, do not rotate the crank, or you will probably bend some valves.

My instructions would allow him to verify that his timing was correct or incorrect if the belt was still on, and he can't find the crank pulley mark. I'm not sure what he meant by "He lost my tdc mark" - not sure how that's possible.

Here's a good writeup on how to reinstall the timing belt:

http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...er-Pump-Change

**RigDotCom** · 01-05-2016 03:03 PM

Well he told me that it slipped while he was installing the belt and that the crank pulley was off. He didn't mark anything either from what I see.

**walky_talky20** · 01-05-2016 04:55 PM

TDC is easy to see visually, even with the front cover and crank damper pulley removed.

This is what TDC looks like on a B6 1.8T crank cog:

Notice the alignment bump for the harmonic balancer is between 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Also notice the "tooth" DIRECTLY over the 12 o'clock bolt hole lines up exactly with the "rib" or "gusset" on the aluminum front cover. That is TDC.

You can also easily find TDC by removing the #1 spark plug and putting a long screwdriver or dowel down the hole. You could even use the dipstick if you want. When it reaches the very peak of it's travel, that's TDC. The mark on the crank damper pulley can be wrong (due to the internal rubber twisting and such), so it's a good check, but there are more reliable ways.

**RigDotCom** · 01-07-2016 08:37 AM

Trying this now. Had a work from home day (not actually doing any work) so I have all the time in the world.

**RigDotCom** · 01-07-2016 08:38 AM

Any suggestions to getting the belt back on?

**redline380** · 01-07-2016 08:55 AM

Simply put the belt back on after the everything is lined up. But you probably have to compress the belt tensioner first to allow for some slack. It will have to go into a vice, compress the rod back in, and put a pin through the hole.

Better yet, buy a new tensioner. Once everything is back on, you should rotate the engine by hand a couple of revolutions and re-check the timing marks. If they are lined up still, you are good to go. If they are no longer lined up, you will need to remove the tensioner, compress it again, put the cam and crank back on the marks, and try the process again.

Note that the marks are not 100% exact, they can be off a degree or two and you are still good. If they are off by more than that, you didn't have the belt ribs on right.