Best Timing Belt Install Method?

[Moha]

Long time reader here (this place has saved me a ton, THANK YOU ALL!) and currently in a pickle.

I decided after careful reading of all three of these posts:

VWVortex.com - DIY: Transverse Timing Belt, water pump, thermostat...

VWVortex.com - Ultimate Timing Belt DIY!

Timing Belt replacement writeup with 61 pictures and 44 steps....>> - AudiWorld Forums

to tackle my timing belt.

I purchased the ecs tuning kit :Volkswagen New Beetle 1.8T > Engine > Timing > ES#5954 ECS Tuning Timing Belt Kit - Ultimate Plus - 06B198479 V2WAF

And has done everything carefully up until I have to put the new timing belt on ALL of the crank gears. I tried first to put the belt over the water pump, but I couldn't not only get the timing marks to align on the very bottom gear, the belt is so taunt I couldn't get the belt under the gear period.

I then tried to align the timing marks on the lower gear and instead pull the belt onto the water pump, no bueno.

I'm so frustrated. I've taken to task pulling the engine mount out, cleaning and replacing the water pump, tensioner, tensioner pulley,all the bells and whistles, and this is the only thing holding me back.

Cables, hammers, pliers, pure strength (pretty strong for a lady ) and nothing works. Is there some specific way I should tackle this? None of the above DIYs suggest how to put it on, and my right hand is bleeding as I type lol.

If it matters:
2003 Turbo
60something,000 miles

If there is any other info i need, let me know. And thanks in advance to you all!

Heres pics of my dilemma:

[VDubYah]

Crank pulley first, then water pump, then cam gear.You have to start it onto the cam gear a little at a time. I sort of grabbed the side of the belt away from the cam gear and "bent it down " which raised the inner part so I could slide the the teeth into the slots on the cam gear.Its a tight fit to get it started. remeber this new belt is not stretched like the one that came off. When you get the teeth started it will slide right on a little at a time as you push the belt towards the cam gear. It is hard to get started and can be flustrating becase the edge of the teeth on the new belt want to catch on the Cam gear slot edge as you try to push it on. You can do it you are almost home free. Think of all the mony you are saving and the realization the job is being done correctly.

[pencilneck]

I've always pulled the belt onto the water pump last with my manly bare hands.

But other times, you need a few tools... a socket and breaker bar put on the crank (breaker bar will hit subframe so crank can't rotate), and a counter holder tool for the cam gear:

Shop Tools - VW Engine Tools from Metalnerd

Use the counter holder tool to pull the top of the cam gear towards the front of the car, this pulls the back side of the timing belt tight, and puts some slack on the front side of the belt so you can slip it over the water pump. Piece of cake.

Seeing the wire cable you have looped around the timing belt... that worries me. I envision damage to the belt there.

[Moha]

thank you guys!!! ha @ the manly hands... Im just off of work, so i think i'll rest today and finish tackling it tomorrow. @pencil, i was worried about the wire cable too, i hope I don't have to purchase another one.
I wonder if a 1/2in drive torque or breaker wrench and deep socket could equate to the metal nerd tool.

Again thanks!

[VDubYah]

breaker bar and socket on crank bolt wil stop crank from rotating. Just make sure to the bar braced against something solid to hold the crank. Or find some "volunteer" to hold the breaker bar for you.

[Moha]

Thanks for the help. I finally finished it last night (well, last week, but finished all the minute details and test drove yesterday).

The above solutions unfortunately didn't work (not sure about the metal nerd tool though, I decided not to purchase it), my belt was way to taunt.

For anyone having the same problem I did, I instead removed the idler pulley and tensioner. Then routed the belt on all the gears using small grips like the ones in the above pictures to keep the painted notches in the right place, I then reinstalled the idler pulley.

The slack from little arm it has pulling down from gravity allowed for easy installation. I used an engine support as well as a jack to prop the engine so when I needed the arm on the idler to lift, I took a small bungee, pulled it taunt on the arm and wrapped it around the engine support arm.

This pulled the idler into the correct position allowing me to install the tensioner next. The tensioner was a bit harder because of the engine mount, but I was capable of getting the timing belt on this way in comparison the "bike chain method" or sheer strength ( which I obviously don't have).

I'm sooo happy I have my baby back. I've been driving a Tahoe and its suuuuuch a wide load! Now its time to gas her up and give her a good cleaning!

Thanks again, and hope the above helps someone.

[wawalker]

The easiest way I have found to do it is: make sure plugs are out so engine turns easily, then get it lined up on crank and cam pulley (the important ones for timing anyway) after which with a breaker bar on cam bolt I roll the engine clockwise while feeding the belt onto the water pump.