im looking at having mine done soon too, i have read that water pump is worth doing at same time as its run on same belt? and i think u have to drop one side of the engine?
did mine 2 years back, Far more simple than a conv 16V engine, 20vt runs a single cam sprocket to cam chain on gearbox side, ,
Tippex, new tensioner, belt & waterpump,
cut knuckles & a set of tools and you'll be fine,
see if i can dig my old thread out,
Tippex, new tensioner, belt & waterpump,
cut knuckles & a set of tools and you'll be fine,
see if i can dig my old thread out,
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I'm thinking about this one, too. I've fitted new belts to several cars in the past, so quite competent to do it. I'm unsure about doing my Cupra R because of access and all the stuff that looks in the way. How difficult is it to get to?
A friend who works in a local general garage looked it up on his computer system at work. Quoted time is 2.3 hours - so I reckon I would allow myself 2.3 days - and it mentions getting access by removing the headlight unit. In the Haynes Golf manual it talks about access by removing the wheel arch liner. Which is the correct way on a Leon?
Any other tips welcome.
A friend who works in a local general garage looked it up on his computer system at work. Quoted time is 2.3 hours - so I reckon I would allow myself 2.3 days - and it mentions getting access by removing the headlight unit. In the Haynes Golf manual it talks about access by removing the wheel arch liner. Which is the correct way on a Leon?
Any other tips welcome.
No need to do either. It's able to be done all in situ no need to remove headlight or upper arch liner. Bottom liner yes. And on non R 1.8t pancake pipe removed,
Support the engine with a block on a jack and remove cambelt side mount, working methodically it took me 6 hours start to finish all tidied up,
Support the engine with a block on a jack and remove cambelt side mount, working methodically it took me 6 hours start to finish all tidied up,
i didnt actually do a step by step guide, I worked blind myself,
As a rough guide,
1,I dropped the coolant from the radiator tap (in front of passenger wheel,)
2, removed coolant return pipe to the header tank,
3, supported the entire front end of the car and removed drivers side wheel,
4, slackened off the power steering res and moved it aside,
5, supported the engine on a block of wood & jack ( below cambelt side)
6, removed drivers side engine mount & bush,
7, removed top sprocket cover (can be an absolute pain but be patient with it)
8, removed engine mount support to block ( 3 bolts to block once again can be a bugger but be patient with it)
9, remove bottom harmonic pulley (4x hex bolts)
10, remove bottom belt cover
11, rotate crank 45 degrees clockwise to put pistons in safe position
11, tippex 3 teeth on the bottom pulley and adjacent teeth on belt,
12, tippex the cam sprocket as above,
13, slacken tensioner using sealy tool,or 6mm threaded bar with 2 nuts,
14, remove tensioner, belt, waterpump and jockey wheel, replace the lot!
15 , spend a good 15 mins copying the tippex marks to the new belt marking CAM and CRANK correctly from the old belt,
16, refitting is exactly ther reverse of removal, Its a very good engine to play with, I found an old K16 k-series more of a bugger to time up,
17, spin the crank with a socket by hand once all re fitted a good 4 times
18, refill coolant etc,
Sorry is vague, but i just played by ear with it and took my time ,
As a rough guide,
1,I dropped the coolant from the radiator tap (in front of passenger wheel,)
2, removed coolant return pipe to the header tank,
3, supported the entire front end of the car and removed drivers side wheel,
4, slackened off the power steering res and moved it aside,
5, supported the engine on a block of wood & jack ( below cambelt side)
6, removed drivers side engine mount & bush,
7, removed top sprocket cover (can be an absolute pain but be patient with it)
8, removed engine mount support to block ( 3 bolts to block once again can be a bugger but be patient with it)
9, remove bottom harmonic pulley (4x hex bolts)
10, remove bottom belt cover
11, rotate crank 45 degrees clockwise to put pistons in safe position
11, tippex 3 teeth on the bottom pulley and adjacent teeth on belt,
12, tippex the cam sprocket as above,
13, slacken tensioner using sealy tool,or 6mm threaded bar with 2 nuts,
14, remove tensioner, belt, waterpump and jockey wheel, replace the lot!
15 , spend a good 15 mins copying the tippex marks to the new belt marking CAM and CRANK correctly from the old belt,
16, refitting is exactly ther reverse of removal, Its a very good engine to play with, I found an old K16 k-series more of a bugger to time up,
17, spin the crank with a socket by hand once all re fitted a good 4 times
18, refill coolant etc,
Sorry is vague, but i just played by ear with it and took my time ,
Cambelt Change -What a Nightmare!
Thanks to Steely's encouragement I decided to have a go. The job's done now but I'm too embarrassed to tell how long it took me.
The main problem was getting the engine mounting bracket out. (The bracket, not the mounting block). The bolts came out OK, but there was so little clearance between the engine and the body that I couldn't get the bracket out. I spent hours jacking the engine up and down to try and get enough clearance, but couldn't do it. The problem was that the top front leg of the bracket would not pass between the water pump and the block. In the end I found a way, very unorthodox. So here it is in case anybody else has the same problem.
1. Proceed in the recommended way as far as unbolting the engine mounting bracket that connects to the block with 3 bolts. Can you get it past the water pump? If not carry on as follows.
2. You may not be able to get your hands in to release the tensioner. If so, remove the idler roller that sits between the crankshaft sprocket and the water pump. The roller deflects the belt only a small amount, so there's not much tension to fight against.
3. Unbolt and remove the water pump and cambelt. I loosened the pump bolts first, then managed to prise the old cambelt off it. While you're doing this, you will have to keep moving the (unbolted) mounting bracket about so that you can get to all of the water pump bolts. With the water pump removed, the mounting bracket should drop out from under the engine.
4. Remove the old tensioner roller and fit the new one. Use a length of 5mm threaded rod to retract the tensioner as far as it will go comfortably. I didn't bother using a locking pin, no need.
5. Get a length of string or wire and hang the engine mounting bracket so that the TOP FRONT LEG IS ABOVE THE WATER PUMP LOCATION! You must put the bracket in position before fitting the new water pump. Make sure the top two bolts are in place in the bracket before you offer it up.
6. Fit water pump.
7. Using the Tippex reference marks you put onto the new belt (thanks Steely), carefully fit the belt around the crank and cam sprockets, tensioner and water pump. Even with the tensioner backed off the belt was very tight and I found it awkward to get it over all these at the same time while making sure it didn't slip out of position on the cam sprocket. Lots of patience!
8. The worst is over now. Turn the crankshaft sprocket clockwise through several revolutions to make sure the sprockets are correctly aligned.
9. When you're happy with the alignment, prise the belt to one side and fit the new idler roller.
10. Remove the threaded rod from the tensioner. The belt should now be correctly aligned and under normal working tension. Turn the crank several more times to check everything is correctly aligned.
11. If everything seems OK, you can now bolt the engine bracket into position and finish off in the normal way.
I couldn't see how to upload a photo, but if anyone wants one to make the above clearer, send me your email address.
Thanks to Steely's encouragement I decided to have a go. The job's done now but I'm too embarrassed to tell how long it took me.
The main problem was getting the engine mounting bracket out. (The bracket, not the mounting block). The bolts came out OK, but there was so little clearance between the engine and the body that I couldn't get the bracket out. I spent hours jacking the engine up and down to try and get enough clearance, but couldn't do it. The problem was that the top front leg of the bracket would not pass between the water pump and the block. In the end I found a way, very unorthodox. So here it is in case anybody else has the same problem.
1. Proceed in the recommended way as far as unbolting the engine mounting bracket that connects to the block with 3 bolts. Can you get it past the water pump? If not carry on as follows.
2. You may not be able to get your hands in to release the tensioner. If so, remove the idler roller that sits between the crankshaft sprocket and the water pump. The roller deflects the belt only a small amount, so there's not much tension to fight against.
3. Unbolt and remove the water pump and cambelt. I loosened the pump bolts first, then managed to prise the old cambelt off it. While you're doing this, you will have to keep moving the (unbolted) mounting bracket about so that you can get to all of the water pump bolts. With the water pump removed, the mounting bracket should drop out from under the engine.
4. Remove the old tensioner roller and fit the new one. Use a length of 5mm threaded rod to retract the tensioner as far as it will go comfortably. I didn't bother using a locking pin, no need.
5. Get a length of string or wire and hang the engine mounting bracket so that the TOP FRONT LEG IS ABOVE THE WATER PUMP LOCATION! You must put the bracket in position before fitting the new water pump. Make sure the top two bolts are in place in the bracket before you offer it up.
6. Fit water pump.
7. Using the Tippex reference marks you put onto the new belt (thanks Steely), carefully fit the belt around the crank and cam sprockets, tensioner and water pump. Even with the tensioner backed off the belt was very tight and I found it awkward to get it over all these at the same time while making sure it didn't slip out of position on the cam sprocket. Lots of patience!
8. The worst is over now. Turn the crankshaft sprocket clockwise through several revolutions to make sure the sprockets are correctly aligned.
9. When you're happy with the alignment, prise the belt to one side and fit the new idler roller.
10. Remove the threaded rod from the tensioner. The belt should now be correctly aligned and under normal working tension. Turn the crank several more times to check everything is correctly aligned.
11. If everything seems OK, you can now bolt the engine bracket into position and finish off in the normal way.
I couldn't see how to upload a photo, but if anyone wants one to make the above clearer, send me your email address.
Good write up mate. Sorry I was a bit vague on my initial steps, but good to hear your got it sorted ! From what I remember I loosened the gearbox top mount under the airbox to shift the engine over a tad to release the engine mount ,
Quite rewarding once you've done it isn't it? Plus you're £200 richer !
Quite rewarding once you've done it isn't it? Plus you're £200 richer !
Hi Guys
Ive had my cylinder head of to change a head gasket and lost my timing marks on the cam.
when finding tdc for the cam pully am i looking for the marking to be at 90 deg if i had set square from the floor pointing at the sky or tipped back with the engine and be 90 deg if i had a setsquare on the cylnder head?
Ive had my cylinder head of to change a head gasket and lost my timing marks on the cam.
when finding tdc for the cam pully am i looking for the marking to be at 90 deg if i had set square from the floor pointing at the sky or tipped back with the engine and be 90 deg if i had a setsquare on the cylnder head?
Have you lost the notch on the camcover that aligns with the mark on the cam sprocket?
Leaving aside the engine tilt for a minute, imagine that the cam sprocket is a clock face and you are viewing it from the righthand side of the engine. When the timing marks are lined up they are definitely before 12 o'clock, more like 11 o'clock or a bit earlier.
"tipped back with the engine and be 90 deg if i had a setsquare on the cylnder head" sounds about right, but I don't know how accurate 90 degrees would be.
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