DIY: Motor work, Timing tensioner or anything with the motor and front end

[LS1K5]

I used febi chains on my project and the balance shaft chain was a little confusing but there are 15 links between all of the markers used on the B8, ignore the copper colored marker and the two right next to each other.

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[Snakeman]

This is great post, ordering parts today, I’m little scared


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[Kolbenringe]

This is great post, ordering parts today, I’m little scared


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I was when I did mine, too, mostly due to fear of breaking the fragile parts. It proved mostly unfounded, though. I did all my work with a mirror. My suggestion is to go over and over the two-part video series from Edge Motors on youtube regarding the timing chain until everything in your head sticks. There's a thread I started that you can search for that has some pitfalls in it that I put out there, but it all worked out in the end.

[Kolbenringe]

I used febi chains on my project and the balance shaft chain was a little confusing but there are 15 links between all of the markers used on the B8, ignore the copper colored marker and the two right next to each other.

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The balance shaft timing chain orientation also threw me off, then I decided to just follow the way Edge Motors oriented everything in their video since the place is solid and can mostly be trusted, I think. Car is back together and runs just fine, no additional harshness, nothing.

[LS1K5]

So I got the car all back together again and it still has the p0016 code and the p2293 code, I'm guessing the intake cam timing actuator is stuck or something but the fuel pressure regulator two performance code doesn't make any sense. Mine is an A4 B8, has anyone run into this?

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[Kolbenringe]

Did you check if your camshaft bridge screen was intact?

[NYDCB]

^
Is it ever? lol!

[Kolbenringe]

^
Is it ever? lol!

The screen in my factory bridge actually was intact, but I replaced the bridge anyhow. Some remove the screen, but that scares me seeing that the stupid check valve inside is also a failure point and breaks off.

[LS1K5]

Did you check if your camshaft bridge screen was intact?

It was not intact but I found the other half in the exhaust cam oil passage and removed it, I also put new seals in the vacuum pump and there was some burnt oil in that screen but not too bad. Here is the timeline with this car: a couple months ago my friend stops by and asked me to check out the check engine light, read and cleared p0016 and the code came back within a few miles of driving. At that time the timing chain made horrible noise on start up but went away once oil pressure built up, he had been driving it for five thousand miles that way and other than the code it seemed to drive fine. A couple weeks ago he said the car made a loud noise on a long start up and had no power, I checked and cleared the codes again p0016 and p0299. I drove it up and down the driveway and the codes came back this time with the addition of p2293, I checked the cam tensioner and timing. It had jumped at least one tooth but still idled fine and the tensioner was at the limit of its travel but still working. I replaced the balance shaft chain, timing chain, tensioner, guides and now the car starts up normally, idles fine and has good power but the p0016 and p2293 codes persist.

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[LS1K5]

I used a dial indicator to verify TDC and this is where the cam timing is now, somebody has been in here before and I think they may have screwed up the timing chain drive gear so that it's no longer oriented to the crankshaft correctly.

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[LS1K5]

My suspicions were correct, if you have the p0016 code take the timing chain drive gear off and inspect it! Don't learn the hard way like I did and assume that it's installed correctly, I should have verified the timing mark on the crank pulley and TDC before taking it apart. I was wondering why the crank pulley was a little wobbly before I disassembled it, now I know.

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[Charles.waite]

Oh jeeze. You’d think one would double check that the notch was lined up before cranking it down. Evidently not...

[mtroxel]

I used a dial indicator to verify TDC and this is where the cam timing is now, somebody has been in here before and I think they may have screwed up the timing chain drive gear so that it's no longer oriented to the crankshaft correctly.

I see your note about the chewed up timing gear so you're right, someone really didn't know what they're doing. But you also can't tell much from the timing links lining up on the cam sprockets. They only line up about once every 20 RPMs.

[Theiceman]

Oh jeeze. You’d think one would double check that the notch was lined up before cranking it down. Evidently not...

Yup this is an install problem. Always verify everything on install. You put it back wrong.
You don’t get to blame the last guy. Uou own this


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[LS1K5]

Yup this is an install problem. Always verify everything on install. You put it back wrong.
You don’t get to blame the last guy. Uou own this


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Yes, I said I own this! Read the post, I do get to blame the last guy for screwing up the timing gear. It shouldn't go on more than one way, wtf is wrong with a key way Audi?

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[LS1K5]

So car is done and drives great now, no more p0016, p2293 or p0299 yay!

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[Snakeman]

I didn’t order parts yet, i have a6 2014 2.0t 65k miles, only p0016 code at the moment, engine run smooth, everything seems fine, hoping for best,


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[Snakeman]

4 weeks ago i replace pcv, i had p2187 and whistle sound, bought new one from dealer (so I thought)and after replacing i get those IMG_0267.JPGIMG_0268.JPGIMG_0269.JPGIMG_0270.JPGIMG_0271.JPGIMG_0272.JPG
IMG_0273.JPG




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[Snakeman]

I had very long talk with guy in parts department when i try to replace a part, took me 40 minutes to convince him that the part he sold me was bad, than after receiving new one I inspected old very closely and discovered pry tool marks on digraph part


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[Snakeman]

Looks like guys in audi exchange in chicago refurbish parts and sell them as new


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[Snakeman]

I informed AudiUsa about this, and they send me thank you card and free first aid kit( so I believe i will need this one after my next visit to this dealer)


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[Snakeman]

So long story short do You guys thing that very bad oil separator can contribute to p0016


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[Spawne32]

I see your note about the chewed up timing gear so you're right, someone really didn't know what they're doing. But you also can't tell much from the timing links lining up on the cam sprockets. They only line up about once every 20 RPMs.

lol let me tell you something, ive built dozens of engines in my lifetime, but this is my first time working on german cars specifically this indepth. I made the same mistake and I can tell you that this is litterally the first time I have ever encountered a crank sprocket that is not keyed directly to the crankshaft. Most people would never speculate that the sprocket was not keyed in such a way that it would not come out of time with the crank itself if you loosened up on the bolt. I was fortunate in that my car wouldnt start after I put it all back together, and was lucky enough to discover the issue. German's have some really intuitive designs for things, and there are other things that you ask yourself, why would you change the way this works, when it has worked a certain way well for 100 years.

[Kolbenringe]

lol let me tell you something, ive built dozens of engines in my lifetime, but this is my first time working on german cars specifically this indepth. I made the same mistake and I can tell you that this is litterally the first time I have ever encountered a crank sprocket that is not keyed directly to the crankshaft. Most people would never speculate that the sprocket was not keyed in such a way that it would not come out of time with the crank itself if you loosened up on the bolt. I was fortunate in that my car wouldnt start after I put it all back together, and was lucky enough to discover the issue. German's have some really intuitive designs for things, and there are other things that you ask yourself, why would you change the way this works, when it has worked a certain way well for 100 years.

They threw sense out the door in trying to save as much material as possible and make the engines as short as possible. They weren't just thinking of the interface, they were thinking of how to remove mass from the front of the car, particularly in front of the axle. They did this without common sense to reign them back in and the result is the EA888, where doing pretty much anything requires breaking down other regions of the engine or just rebuilding it (ie: changing a water pump belt risks having to remove the front of the car and performing a timing set job) or if the upper oil pan starts leaking, then it's engine or transmission out. The list goes on and on. The risk is high, even for dealers who performed stage 1 oil consumption repairs. Mine had it and I can totally see where and how they could have placed the gear wrong, but luckily mine was all good. The front crank seal was crooked, though.

Overall, this company is as bad a shitshow as it was in the 80s, just fumbling around and accumulating the bad engineering and combining these philosophies in every new product.

[cyclonebax]

Thanks for the write up and information.

I'm in process of pulling the motor on my 2011 A4. Bought it cheap due to oil consumption. Planning to pull engine and change pistons, rods and rings. Timing chain needs replaced, but didn't want to put that money into it if there was a possibility of damaged cylinder walls.

[Theiceman]

Thanks for the write up and information.

I'm in process of pulling the motor on my 2011 A4. Bought it cheap due to oil consumption. Planning to pull engine and change pistons, rods and rings. Timing chain needs replaced, but didn't want to put that money into it if there was a possibility of damaged cylinder walls.

Read over my refresh thread. If you have any questions just reach out


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[EP9395]

My screen is shot on the back of the cam bridge, dealer says they only sell whole bridge for $300. Can I get just the screen somewhere, or put it back together commando style? I already spent a mint on OE parts but this seems like im being taken for a ride, I have a pack of those screens for my pipe.....

[Charles.waite]

You can just remove the screen. You lose that bit of protection but I’d question how useful it is.

Mine was blown out, luckily I was able to recover the piece whole. But it was pretty clean and clear. No signs of blockage. So as long as you’re good about oil change intervals and use good synthetic and a good filter you shouldn’t really have much to worry about I would think.

[Theiceman]

My screen is shot on the back of the cam bridge, dealer says they only sell whole bridge for $300. Can I get just the screen somewhere, or put it back together commando style? I already spent a mint on OE parts but this seems like im being taken for a ride, I have a pack of those screens for my pipe.....

you can get screens on ebay i believe along with the check valve .. you can even get a chineesium cam bridge for cheap. I just ripped out the screen and moved on.

[Kolbenringe]

My screen is shot on the back of the cam bridge, dealer says they only sell whole bridge for $300. Can I get just the screen somewhere, or put it back together commando style? I already spent a mint on OE parts but this seems like im being taken for a ride, I have a pack of those screens for my pipe.....

Don't bother with the screen, pop it out, and hopefully the check valve doesn't blow out. Last I checked, replacement screens were discontinued by Audi, but Ebay has Chinese reproduction ones and I definitely wouldn't trust them. You can also order a Valeo cam bridge, which is the original. They even ground off the Audi-VW logos quite poorly on mine.

Audi also has a recommendation somewhere to remove the screen and reinstall the bridge. Don't know where the document is.

[Charles.waite]

Previous 2.0t (FSI ones) had a similar inlet screen on the timing chain housing on the back that did the same thing, it was a last ditch filter for the oil going to the timing adjuster, tensioner, HPFP, and vacuum pump. It’s a basket style one, similar to a fuel injector screen filter but same basic purpose.

It could also get really funded up and blow out, in fact I bought a timing housing off eBay to scavenge parts from and resell and the screen was blown out. Couldn’t find a replacement screen anywhere of course so I just popped it out. And I’m rebuilding a 2.0t on the side to swap into my b7 since the engine is sickly, and I also popped the screen out as it seemed kinda occluded. I would hesitate to say they’re unnecessary, however given they’re not available separately, and the components they’re a part of are over $300 new, I said screw it and will run without one on my b7. I ended up replacing the whole cam bridge on my q5 though, mostly out of an abundance of caution. And I hadn’t seen posts about being able to just pop it out.

[Kolbenringe]

I don't have the reference bulletin from Audi anymore, but here is one that refers to the bulletin:

http://www.engineprofessional.com/TB/TB091917-1.pdf

[Chillaxin]

Mine was the same. An Audi service shop manager told me that they remove the screen when they see them broken. Just remove it and move on.

[mtroxel]

Mine was gone at 85,000 miles too. I assume it was gone when the dealer did Stage 2 oil consumption at 65,000 miles. I just put it back on, I now have 110,000 miles on it.

[EP9395]

Thanks for the input, I’m discarding the screen, having a fearful moment here setting the lower timing chain, my other two marks lines up on the left tensioner and the crank, but the right side tensioner seems to be 180 out, the car ran with no issues when I took it apart and I was very careful that that the driver side shaft didn’t move at all, here are some pics, can I rotate any of these other shafts to align it?

[EP9395]

IMG_1467.jpgIMG_1465.jpgIMG_1467.jpgIMG_1465.jpgIMG_1473.jpgIMG_1471.jpg

[Chillaxin]

EP9395, The balance shafts can be rotated without damaging anything. From the last picture, your right side (driver side) balance shaft sprocket is about 180 degrees from where it should be. There is a little dot on the front of the sprocket, half way into a tooth, that should line up with the black link in the chain. Marks on the other sprockets look good. The balance shaft chain has equal links between all the black marks. Just line one up to the crank mark, then align the passenger side sprocket, and finally the driver side. Then start putting in your top and right guides, with the bottom left tensioner guide for last, then install tensioner.

[EP9395]

EP9395, The balance shafts can be rotated without damaging anything. From the last picture, your right side (driver side) balance shaft sprocket is about 180 degrees from where it should be. There is a little dot on the front of the sprocket, half way into a tooth, that should line up with the black link in the chain. Marks on the other sprockets look good. The balance shaft chain has equal links between all the black marks. Just line one up to the crank mark, then align the passenger side sprocket, and finally the driver side. Then start putting in your top and right guides, with the bottom left tensioner guide for last, then install tensioner.

Ok, I set the tooth on the crank, then held everything still and rotated the just forget side balance shaft counter clockwise a few rotations and now I have the little dots on the inner sprocket sandwiched and the mark is at about 2 o clock and matches the the mark on the chain. I was just hesitant because nothing moved much when I took it apart I was just hoping to drape the new chain over and it would all line up.

[Theiceman]

Nope his pics look corect. That last pic is how it is supposed to look.
The dots line up kn the sprocket as he has it. That is not where the link goes. It goes further to the right exactly how he has it
IMG_8320.jpgIMG_8320.jpg

This is my engine. Once he has the three dots lined up on the idler. Then you put the link on the dot on the idler. He has it correct.

[EP9395]

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