Lower chain and chain tensioner replacements for the TDI

Costs, avoidable and necessary extra in my case:

3387. Pin wrench £12.17, for adjusting timing belt tension. The pulley can also be adjusted much more easily using an allen key. I fortunately have other applications for his tool.


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Gear puller with thin jaws to get behind and pull the chain sprocket off the crankshaft £19.95. Not man enough for the job, a big ugly bearing puller is required. I had one, not expensive off eBay.


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Long 5mm allen key to refit those sump screws behind the flywheel £1.89. To get them started without crossing threads the same with a ball end is required. I had one.


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M7 helicoil kit was need in my case, £7.99 eBay.

That's it, chain done and fully reported. Now onto the challenge the little horror through at me yesterday!
 
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If you take on this job be very careful refitting the crank seal housing. My seal just slid on nicely but I've been chasing an oil leak for about one week. Thought it was the cam seal having had the timing belt very slightly over tightened. Old seal fails etc.

But no, the crank seal that slid on nicely had half turned inside out:

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You should always wet a seal with oil before installation.

RAB

I usually do but the manual said not to. Unless I misread it?

The replacement will be nice and slippery when it goes on. That said the original slid on nicely, nothing to indicate a disaster.

While I'm here I'll share this one with you all. Last screw on the seal housing just above the oil sensor; slipped out of my fingers and went guess where? That really was the lowest point of a very bad day. Gaffer tape, a BBQ skewer and a magnet to the rescue:

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:)

Cover that hole up before removing that screw
 
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Yep I can confirm manual says:

"Do not apply oil to sealing lip or outer circumference of seal"

There will be plenty on the crank next time. The manual also makes reference to a guide sleeve which I don't have; perhaps there is the root cause? Will be experimenting with yogurt cartons etc before the new seal arrives.
 
Thanks for that Spike. A translation sleeve is exactly what is required. The seal that I failed to fit was Audi. I have Febi on the way, hopefully it will come with a sleeve. Until then I will experiment with the dead seal and various plastic cartons.
 
Hope the next seal does the trick,
Simon.

Thanks Simon but it didn't. Used my DIY transition sleeve. Fit everything yesterday. Left it all to settle and cure.

Started it idling this morning, 30 minutes later covered in oil again. Stripping down to investigate today and ordering yet another seal.

At the moment though I'm at a loss as to how to get it on there and seal??? These PTFE seals are nothing like the rubber seals I have never had problems with in the past.
 
Thanks Simon but it didn't. Used my DIY transition sleeve. Fit everything yesterday. Left it all to settle and cure.

Started it idling this morning, 30 minutes later covered in oil again. Stripping down to investigate today and ordering yet another seal.

At the moment though I'm at a loss as to how to get it on there and seal??? These PTFE seals are nothing like the rubber seals I have never had problems with in the past.

That's a real b****r that it's leaking again - feel your pain. Worth checking the crank carefully in case it's got a burr that's damaging the seal. And how about going for a rubber seal next time if the PTFE ones are a bit temperamental?

What does the special tool do?

Simon.
 
That's a real b****r that it's leaking again - feel your pain. Worth checking the crank carefully in case it's got a burr that's damaging the seal. And how about going for a rubber seal next time if the PTFE ones are a bit temperamental?

What does the special tool do?

Simon.

Thanks Simon, l’ve carefully read the manual. It would appear if the housing comes off then the seal has to be replaced. The housing has to be on the engine before the seal is inserted. The tool allows me to fit the seal. I will post what happens.

I suspect if I’d just used the original I’d be back on the road by now but I will explain if the next seal works.
 
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Could be the camera angle but the evidence at 6 o'clock would suggest the lip was folded back. Have you cleaned the nose of the crank?

Simon.
 
Could be the camera angle but the evidence at 6 o'clock would suggest the lip was folded back. Have you cleaned the nose of the crank?

Simon.

Agreed, the camera angle distortes things a little and no it is not folded back this time. The yogurt carton did it’s job. Have a look above.

Basically the sealing ring is complete not folded back but egg shaped. I have been messing about with the retrieved seal and if you distort it only recovers fractionally.
So any transition sleeve can only be fractionally larger than the shaft. That’s the reason I could fit the cam seal, it came with a sleeve and I pressed the seal over sleeve into the shaft.

The yogurt carton could have done the job but the housing with seal would be have to be pushed on absolutely square. Not easy in the space available working in the bowels of the engine bay. That’s where I think this went wrong, couldn’t push it on absolutely square. It went on off square and distorted the seal to an egg shape.

Next time exactly to the manual and of that doesn’t work I have found some correct size industrial silicone seals on eBay.
 
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Phil the transition sleeve should be the same diameter as the crank sealing diameter - any bigger and you risk stretching the seal or damaging the very delicate lip. If you look at fig 4 in that SKF link I posted earlier you can see the sleeve is just to get the seal to slide over the step in the shaft easily - it doesn't fit over the shaft sealing diameter. I suspect the yogurt pot is too big a diameter and has over stretched the seal.

Simon.
 
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