Club 80-90 Forums

Hey people

So I finally bought my t3 after literally years off waffling about getting one. Drove my new found passion home and before I use properly I wanted to carry out the essentials, service/cam belt ect. Standard procedure with a new car for me.

I'm in the motor trade and I should know better really as I use special tools all the time and wouldn't usually do a job without them but I guess excitement and the want of getting out in it ASAP has pushed out all usual modes of reason and logic, right now I've made a reasonable, and honest excuse I'll get to crux of the matter.

Basically I've made the error of starting my belt change without the correct locking tools and can't for the life of me get the timing spot on, the belt is incredibly tight, when I have got it on the belt just moves the bottom out a mile. I've tried fashioning a ill fitting tool for the pump and can set straight edge on the camshaft, and have finally read a uploaded Vanagon manual. I have come to my senses and purchased the relevant locking tools and await delivery. I will at a later date check the pump with a dti but for time being I'm just going minimum for piece of mind.

My question is has anybody done this without the tools? If so was it easy?. I've given up until my tools turn up.

Have you loosened off the cam pulley? If so the crank shouldn't turn when fitting the belt as the loose pulley moves.

Yeah have done that mate, I'll admit i didn't to start with, but after reading the manual I slackened it off. I still can't get the fuel pump and crank right.

http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/ollyf ... 1.jpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://s1129.photobucket.com/user/ollyf ... 2.jpg.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's the manual, a vanagon one that someone has kindly taken the time to upload

I've seen why I have been going wrong, I have been looking at the incorrect mark on the crank, the lug in the 1st picture isn't a timing mark, and the second is.



These marks are quite close together and the 1st one is more of a prominent mark, if I had seen the correct mark first I would have gone for that. I hope these two pictures together will help someone avoid my misfortune.




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