4 days, 1000 km and three grand for a timing belt

"SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media" (silentbutnotreallydeadly)
08/17/2017 at 01:06 • Filed to: None

Thanks Flickr!

The VW Transporter has gone through 270,000 km and needs another set of timing belts. The 2.5L 5 cylinder TDi engine has belts on both ends - one end for the cams and the other for the fuel pump. It’s a prick of a job because being a van there’s not much room so you have to pull the grill and drop the radiator, special tools are required to lock the engine and you need the VW software to tweak the fuel timing when you are done.

It’s beyond me. My mechanic has said it’s beyond him because he doesn’t want to tool up for it. The VW dealer in my town bollocks it up last time which left us stranded for a while on a roadtrip some months later. I know the workshop manager and he said he’d prefer I went elsewhere (but less politely).

So we are off to Adelaide for the weekend. It goes into the shop tomorrow and will come out again (hopefully) on Monday afternoon after a full service, new belts and a lightening of the wallet by a couple of thousand dollars. After which I get to drive home in the night, dodging kangaroos and wombats...and semi-trailers. This will be fun.

On the upside, IKEA and the Central Market. Or maybe not. Maybe I’ll just ride my bike along the Torrens...

DISCUSSION (7)

Steve in Manhattan > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
08/17/2017 at 01:20

What if you buy the tools then resell them? There have to be others out there in your position.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Steve in Manhattan
08/17/2017 at 02:44

Nice idea but the car is rare here and few would ever attempt the job DIY. So there’s no sellers market. Besides you need the software system to do the final tune regardless.

For me to do the job it would mean a whole weekend of wrenching when I could be doing something else. Even the techs set aside 6 hours for the job so it’d take me much longer.

What would be best is if I could get it done locally...but that ain’t going to happen so it’s a 4.5 hour drive tomorrow for a taste of city life. It probably won’t be too bad!

pip bip - choose Corrour > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
08/17/2017 at 06:16

you poor bastard, going to Adelaide.

avoid the serial killers and you’ll be fine.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > pip bip - choose Corrour
08/17/2017 at 06:34

I’m more scared of the hipsters... that’s why I avoid Melbourne.

pip bip - choose Corrour > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
08/17/2017 at 06:35

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media
08/17/2017 at 07:35

So it’s basically the same level of involvement as a B5 chassis with the APB engine.

Step 1) Remove the front of the car

Step 2) Buy a ton of special tools to lock the crank, and both cam pulleys

Step 3) Curse Ze Germans for not using a timing chain

Step 4) Realize that the B6 with BBK engine has the timing chain *on the back of the engine next to the firewall*

Step 5) ???????

Step 6) Definitely not profit

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
08/17/2017 at 18:22

Nailed it.