A6 2.8 timing question

[crimsonandblack]

Hey everyone,

First time posting this may end up being a long one. This is my first step into the European car scene with my 2000 Audi a6 Quattro 2.8. I got it from my wife's uncle, he bought it 5 years ago with it needing a transmission, car has never ran since he got it. The job was beyond his abilities so the car sat since then. After he got the car he found a guy on Craigslist to change the timing belt, alternator and water pump.

After I received it I started tearing into it, took the front end off and wanted to verify the engine wasn't seized so I tried to turn it over by hand. Makes about a half a revolution and stops. I put the crank at TDC for #3 and the flanges on the cam gears lined up for the most part, just a little bit off.

My question is if the way the gears are lining up (in attached picture) would cause piston to valve interference or am I looking at a different problem. The car sat for a long time with no air box on and I have many critter nests in the engine bay so maybe on of them dropped something down inside one of the cylinders? Let me know what you think.

[neilpaku]

It could be that one of the camshafts is 180 degrees out from the other. I can't make out from your picture but the holes in that plate on the front of the camshaft are a smaller oblong one and a larger round one. The two larger round holes should be to the middle of the engine I think.
I did my timing belt a long time ago without the timing bar but I can't find the link that explains how to do it

[Calif_Kid]

It could be that one of the camshafts is 180 degrees out from the other. I can't make out from your picture but the holes in that plate on the front of the camshaft are a smaller oblong one and a larger round one. The two larger round holes should be to the middle of the engine I think.
I did my timing belt a long time ago without the timing bar but I can't find the link that explains how to do it

I've done a few timing belt changes on a 2.7T, and I used the lock bar between the camshafts, but I didn't use the crank lock pin, nor did I pop the camshaft sprockets like I should have. Anyway, when I did my first timing belt job, I bought the DVD from JHM, but Justin Ballou has a lot of good and very detailed videos on YouTube, and the following one mentions the lock bar and crank pin, and then mentions that the larger holes on the camshaft sprockets should be toward the inside, so you're correct. - Jim

https://youtu.be/notzLin4dVI?t=18m14s

[Calif_Kid]

After I received it I started tearing into it, took the front end off and wanted to verify the engine wasn't seized so I tried to turn it over by hand. Makes about a half a revolution and stops. I put the crank at TDC for #3 and the flanges on the cam gears lined up for the most part, just a little bit off.

Just wondering - are the spark plugs still installed? I'm just thinking that if they are, then the engine may not be able to be turned over as easily and smoothly as it would if they were removed. - Jim

[m_haiser]

may not be a bad idea to put a cap of engine oil in each plug hole then try and turn over by hand. that is assuming the cams are timed properly

[crimsonandblack]

That was my first thought when I tried turning it over so I pulled the plugs and I still did the same thing.

[crimsonandblack]

Is there anyway to check on the cams themselves by taking the valve covers off?

[rollerton]

Is there anyway to check on the cams themselves by taking the valve covers off?

Yes / sort of. Right behind the sprocket of each camshaft there's a little notch in the camshaft that lines up with a small arrow indicator. You can remove the valve covers and eyeball those alignment marks. IF they're within about 1.5 rollers on the camshaft timing chain then you can *usually rule out bent valves. --*Usually.
Beyond that, at the point you're at if you don't have the cam-lock bar I'd probably go borrow one. If the cam timing isn't super close to perfect and you've never done one of these before you'll want to have that thing. I've done timing belts without it, but only on engines that I knew were running perfect and timed perfect before hand. in that case I can usually mark the cams/crank/ old belt / etc and put it back exactly where it was before.

Once you get the valve covers off this is what you'd see to eyeball the cam timing:

[crimsonandblack]

Yes / sort of. Right behind the sprocket of each camshaft there's a little notch in the camshaft that lines up with a small arrow indicator. You can remove the valve covers and eyeball those alignment marks. IF they're within about 1.5 rollers on the camshaft timing chain then you can *usually rule out bent valves. --*Usually.
Beyond that, at the point you're at if you don't have the cam-lock bar I'd probably go borrow one. If the cam timing isn't super close to perfect and you've never done one of these before you'll want to have that thing. I've done timing belts without it, but only on engines that I knew were running perfect and timed perfect before hand. in that case I can usually mark the cams/crank/ old belt / etc and put it back exactly where it was before.

Once you get the valve covers off this is what you'd see to eyeball the cam timing:

Ok, I will pull the valve covers off the next time I go to work on it (it's sitting in my dad's barn cause no garage problems) those line up with the marks on the crank lined up correct?

[rollerton]

Ok, I will pull the valve covers off the next time I go to work on it (it's sitting in my dad's barn cause no garage problems) those line up with the marks on the crank lined up correct?

How it works is you put the lock bar on, loosen the sprockets and time the cams under each valve cover to each other like in that picture- once the cam timing on each bank is *perfect, and the cams are still locked you fine-tune the crankshaft to it's mark on the lower pulley/ dampener and tension the belt. You line the exhaust cam on each side up with it's timing mark and if it's right the intake cam will hopefully line up with it's mark. If not you have to turn the cam one tooth to get it correct. Depending on the size of the project sometimes I just remove both cams entirely with the tensioner and time them to each other by counting chain-links like in that picture. Then mark cams/chain with paint and get them reinstalled, timed to the marks on the head and locked on each side. With the sprockets loose, lock bar on, and the belt on you can imagine that you can turn the crank slightly and the cams won't move- because the cam-sprockets are loose.

[crimsonandblack]

So I finally got around to pulling the valve covers off today and three of the cams are lined up directly with the notch and arrow but I had one sttray ( see attached picture). Is the one far enough off to cause valve interference?