Just finished timing belt/water pump

[mini-beetle]

This was the most involved car repair I've undertaken, but with the VW Vortex thread and the Haynes manual, it went smoothly. I'd say the toughest part was taking off the hoses -- after 11 years, they were pretty much welded on. Same with the spark plugs and wires. I also found both rad hoses were cracking, so replaced those along with the t-stat and housing.

A few tips that might help others:
1. Get a set of long reach needle nose pliers, both 90 deg and straight. Also, one of those magnetic telescoping parts retrievers, to hold bolts in remote positions while screwing them in.

2. The engine side of the motor mount comes out pretty easily if you jack up the engine until it doesn't want to go any further (be gentle). Leave the bottom bolt in the hole as you work it out.

3. Tensioning the belt is trial and error since you can't see or feel the indicators as you're doing the tensioning. I kept getting it either too loose or too tight. Not really hard but time consuming.

4. I puzzled over why the top timing belt cover was so loose, until I realized the clips grab farther in than the immediate rim of the platic behind. Sometimes the simple things are the hardest.

After putting everything together, I said a prayer and turned the key. Fired right up, and idled great. Driving gently around the neighborhood, no problems. Pushing harder, though, the engine stuttered and surged. Then it throws a CEL, and soon after the CEL starts blinking. Crap. Had the tensioner slipped? A vac hose not connected right?

Barely getting home, I shut off the car to think. Started it again, and by chance observed a plug wire arcing. Next day - new wires from the dealer, and it runs like a champ. I guess the wires were just brittle after 11 years.

I posted pics of the water pump and belt. With 71,500 miles on the clock, the pump impeller had one small chunk missing. The belt was in pretty good shape, with some wear on the edges and on a few of the teeth. Overall, this was a satisfying DIY experience!

[cep]

Question: Why didn't you use the 'mark and transfer' method for timing it? I have done that for every timing belt I've replaced except one and it has always worked fine. The one case where I couldn't do that, the belt had slipped so I had to time it from scratch but all the others were routine maintenance.

[antonym]

Great Job!!!

Welcome to the club! http://newbeetle.org/forums/groups/t...belt-club.html

[mini-beetle]

Originally Posted by cep

Question: Why didn't you use the 'mark and transfer' method for timing it?

I did use the mark and transfer method. I also put the engine at TDC. Since this was my first timing belt experience, I figured doing both couldn't hurt.

[cep]

I'm sorry. I don't know what made me think you timed it from scratch.

My reading comprehension is going to hell in a handbasket.

[mini-beetle]

I was about to pitch the old water pump today, when I decided to test the strength of the impeller. I gave it a light hit on the garage floor, and a third of it broke off! In fact, I broke off a few more pieces with my fingers! Just luck I guess that it hadn't self destructed in the car.

[Growler]

a small mirror works wonders for helping you set the tensioner. just watch the marks line up in the mirror while you swing it around and you are good to go!

[HarlequinPixie]

Originally Posted by mini-beetle

I was about to pitch the old water pump today, when I decided to test the strength of the impeller. I gave it a light hit on the garage floor, and a third of it broke off! In fact, I broke off a few more pieces with my fingers! Just luck I guess that it hadn't self destructed in the car.

hehe.. when we did mine, we pulled the old pump out and it still looked really new, and there were marks that made it look like at least the timing belt had been changed at some point, so we were wondering if the water pump we took out was plastic or metal impellered... so we did the same thing with the garage floor.... it broke. hehe

so at the very least, my plastic one, while in almost new looking shape, was replaced with metal. not a complete waste.