cam pulley removal

[sambb]

After advice on cam pulley removal. Is it likely to be a prick of a thing to remove or do they normally rattle straight out? I'll be doing some premptive soaking of the bolt in CRC, but just wondering if I should be gathering pulley strap wrenches, being repared to sacrifice an old belt to make one, have the cam cover off so that I can grip a cam shaft etc etc.

[h100vw]

Would rattle straight out but I'd go hand tools. Socket and thump the ratchet. Not the best to wind an engine backwards, so be swift.

[sambb]

yeah thats what I was worried about. Couldnt imagine a rattle gun is nice for the valve train either. I think once I transfer the timing marks from the old to the new belt, I'll wrap the old belt around the cam pulley and bolt it to a piece of wood (like a toothed version of a oil filter strap)and just use a socket and breaker bar.

[simon k]

nothing to stop you putting it in gear with the handbrake on - that's how I do the flywheel bolt in the mini and they're done up to 120lb/ft

you're not doing anything to the cam belt different to what the engine does to it on it's own

[Sydneykid]

nothing to stop you putting it in gear with the handbrake on - that's how I do the flywheel bolt in the mini and they're done up to 120lb/ft
you're not doing anything to the cam belt different to what the engine does to it on it's own

Ditto and I do use the rattle gun on the tight ones, but a breaker bar and single hex socket usually does the trick .

Cheers
Gary

[sambb]

ok cool. Was just worried that if the cam moves backward at all its going to force the chain between the inlet and exhaust cams tight on the wrong side side and force the cam timing tensioner/ chain guide downward. No idea if that's something the part can tolerate or not. But by what you guys are saying provided the car is on the deck with the handbrake on and in gear then the belt between the crank and cam pulley will just go tight and the cam pulley itself should never move. correct? I only need to crack the bolt, then I can get it up on stands etc to do the actual belt swap. thanks

[h100vw]

You dont remove any pullies doing the timing belt Sam. Or is this for an adjustable one, you are fitting?

[sambb]

yeah I have troys old eurospec adjustable on the way. Is a new pulley bolt a necessity?

[h100vw]

Probably not. VW manuals would say otherwise. The like to replace anything that gets torqued. I have re-used mine

[simon k]

Probably not. VW manuals would say otherwise. The like to replace anything that gets torqued. I have re-used mine

I reckon... it's surprising the VW manual doesn't say that wheel bolts are single use...