Who's swaped a cam them self's?

[Gettin_faster91]

I'm went and got a a6 cam today (17 bucks at pull a parts) and want to swap out the a1 cam in the car. Now i have the tq spec's and bolt pattern my only worry is the timing belt. I plan on marking the Timing belt and cam gear on 3 different teeth before i slip the belt off. Now Am i going to run into problems putting the timing belt back on ? Does or will the tensioner take up that slack or will the timing belt jump teeth on the lower gears or anything? Will i be able to just slide the belt back on and match the marks back up without problems? Thanks.

[ACC0RD22]

If youre already taking the belt off, why not just replace it with a new one?

[Gettin_faster91]

I'm not taking the belt off. I do plan on just sliding the belt off the cam gear. Not to mention its only got 10-15k on it. But that still don't help answer my question. Am i able to slid the belt off the cam gear, swap the cam and slide the belt back on??

[ACC0RD22]

I have no idea.

I mean, if you want to bitch at me for not answering your question, you may want to consider placing your threads in the correct section of the forum, as this is not "Off Topic"

However, if you really want me to give you some sort of information, just mark points on the cam gear and the timing gear. that way, you know it will be lined up correctly.

I say replace it because rubber doesnt like being stretched, unstretched, and restretched again, especially under the strain that a timing belt is under. Considering theyre pretty cheap, you may as well put a new one on, being that youre in there anyways.

[Gettin_faster91]

lol Don't get booty hurt! I'm not bitching at you at all. I have yet to change a timing belt myself. I cant afford much down time. Changing the cam and setting the valve lash should only take about 2 hours max. Assuming i can get away with just sliding the timing belt off the cam gear. The belt its self it not tight tight on the gear, it slides fairly easy meaning i don't have to force it in any way shape or form.

[ACC0RD22]

then its too loose now, and you need to adjust the tensioner. the belt should be tight on the gear.

[Pandemic]

Hmm... I'd say dont fuck with your timing belt... it IS important... :P

[Gettin_faster91]

Assuming the weather cooperates tomorrow I'm swapping this cam out. I'm not looking forward to lowering the motor removing the covers and crap. I'm going to try to slide it off and go from there. But if i have to get into that far then i might as well remove the balance shaft belt while I'm at it. I'm going to have to take out the motor mount anyhow to get that stupid nut loose on the cam gear cover. I learn by doing. And reason i ask about just sliding it off and on is that when i removed the cam I just slide the belt off the donor cam gear. So i don't see why it wont slide back on some what easy, even if i have to loosen the tension a bit to do so. God its just a cam! It cant be that hard. This is for practice anyways. I have 1 a4 cam and soon to have a freed up a1 cam. To be sent for regrinding.

[19dabeast85]

You don't necessarily need to lower the motor to do a T-belt job, just support your oil pan with a jack&flat piece of wood to protect oil pan, and take the motor mount out. It comes out in 2 minutes and gives you alot of room to work.

If your cam is still bolted down, you should not be able to slide the T-belt by hand even a little bit or it's too loose. If you've been running it that way for awhile then I would definitely suggest replacing it to be safe.

If you don't replace the belt, I suggest reusing your original cam gear so that the belt "sees" the path it is used to traveling. And if you attach a elastic cord to the belt after you pull it off it'll keep it from slipping off something down under the covers.

That being said, again: if it's been riding there sorta loose, do yourself a favor and replace it along with the tensioner&spring.

[Gettin_faster91]

I'm not sure how tight my timing belt is as of yet. From the two cams I've pulled at my pull a parts i was able to use a flathead screwdriver (in a cam gear valley) and push the belt off with not allot of effort. Tomorrow if its nice out i will check mine out. But yes I plan on reusing my cam gear seeing this is going to have my diy tooth/ belt alignment marks on it. Bungee cord FTW.

[Father Time]

If you plan on just "sliding" the belt off, and taking the cam out (make sure not to lose the "key" in the end of the cam that connects to the gear) You might want to double check the tensioner and make sure everything still lines up and is tight. It would suck heavily if it jumped a tooth or so while driving.

[wed3k]

If you plan on just "sliding" the belt off, and taking the cam out (make sure not to lose the "key" in the end of the cam that connects to the gear) You might want to double check the tensioner and make sure everything still lines up and is tight. It would suck heavily if it jumped a tooth or so while driving.

yea except you rotate the motor in engine rotation like twenty times (it is actually only two but i like to make sure ) before you begin putting everything together otherwise you'll end up doing a timing belt job 7 times like what happened to me.

[owequitit]

If you are hell bent on reusing the belt go for it. You CAN just slip it off, and all you need to do is align the factory timing marks. There is one for the bottom end and one for the top end. You are also going to want to make sure you back the tensioner off, and then retension the belt correctly when you are done. Also, the belt should be retensioned every 15K miles, as they stretch with time. That is probably why it is so loose currently.

I have done this swap, and with your experience level, I can tell you that 2 hours is unreasonably optimistic.

You would also be silly not to change the spark plug tube seals while you have it apart.

[chessboxer]

The method you are about to see is neither a good one, nor recommended.
We utilized 2 sockets and extensions to hold the cam gear in place while we took out the camshaft.
Beer was involved, and while nothing went wrong, it could have. We ended up changing the timing belt, water pump, etc. a couple months later when I went turbo.
The pics will show you how we did it.

[Gettin_faster91]

The method you are about to see is neither a good one, nor recommended.
We utilized 2 sockets and extensions to hold the cam gear in place while we took out the camshaft.
Beer was involved, and while nothing went wrong, it could have. We ended up changing the timing belt, water pump, etc. a couple months later when I went turbo.
The pics will show you how we did it.

I have a question for you. There are two small bolts holding the plastic cam cover on. The one closest to the front end is some what recessed in. I cant get a open end wrench or socket onto it! I'm going to have to remove the motor mount just got that stupid bolt. Ugh...