AAR Cambelt change
 

Trying to do this myself, but cannot get the pulley bolt off.

Is it safe to use the old flick the starter motor for a second with a long breaker bar on the bolt, or will I knacker the starter, engine mounts or something else..? Anyone done this method on the AAR engine. The bolt is torqued upto 450.

I would make or borrow a crank locking tool if you can.

2" box section notched to go into the pulley, and over the key, then weld on a bar to lock off some part of the engine, or use a pipe wrench to lock off the ground.

On the not recommended list;

I have never tried using the starter, but have on different occasions jammed a BIG screwdriver, a wrecking bar, and a home made flywheel locking tool into the flywheel ring gear to lock the crank (on the 10v there is an inspection hole for timing up the engine). Also tried the car in gear with the brakes on, but the suspension bounced too much.

I would always use the crank lock tool now, so easy to use, and not likely to damage something.

My home made one, made for 7A/3B but it worked on my dads 10v NG

http://oi52.tinypic.com/ws2yw9.jpg

2084 is the proper tool IIRC

http://www.samstagsales.com/images/vw_matra_2084.jpg

The tool you have made looks good, unfortuantly I don't have any welding equipment, so can't make a proper tool like yours. I guess box pipe and a pipe wrench might hold it in place, that is a useful suggestion, thanks.

I've looked everywhere for tool 2084, no dealer or local garage has one they would lend or sell. The garage I use for MOT's says they use a very high torque impact driver. They sell one at Machine Mart for around £70 so might just get that, if the box pipe and wrench thing doesn't work.

Cheers

I recently changed the belt on my 5 pot 2.0 auto c3, had a friend lock the flywheel with a long pry bar, used a 3/4 drive socket and extension with a T bar and a length of scaffold on that, supported the extension on an axle stand had no problems at all, obviously didnt torque it up, but i left it much tighter than the main dealer who had last done the job, with a spec of 450nm you are not going to shear the bolt in a hurry.

I've been trying to do it a similar way, but I don't have the scaffold, just a breaker bar and I can't shift the bolt. Mine must be on really tight. Did you use a new bolt or is there no point?

No i reused the original, you will struggle without the right tools, 450nm is what's known in the trade as ft

Pipe wrench method (pictured for tightening)

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...4/IMG_5186.jpg

I use a length of tube, or a jack handle over my breaker bar.

Ghetto retighten 200nm + 180 degrees, a lot of people have had no issues with 200nm+as close to 180 as they can get.

I highly doubt a £70 impact gun will move it. If it was tightened to 450NM, you will need a gun rated much higher than that to get it moving.

Also impacting it off is not recommended, you can crack the little pulley bolted to the back of the damper, inspect it for cracks anyway, as they are known to fail. About £25/£30 from Audi for a new one.

I think some people have heated the bolt, to help with any loctite.

Lol! yeah im starting to realize that! I've done cambelts before and never had this much trouble getting the bolt off. My car is an auto as well so cant lock the transmission either

Really helpful thanks, glad I joined the forum. I was about to buy that impact gun today but won't bother now. Its says it is rated to 450, but like you say, is probably gonna take a lot more than that to get it un-done. Ididn't know that impact guns were not recommended, so that is useful info. My MOT garage is obviously doing it the wrong way (no surprise there..).

I assume i've been turning it the right way, it does undo anti clockwise, like a normal thread right???

Yup normal thread, so undoes anti clockwise.