VW Golf GTi Mk3 16v ABF engine down on power?
Discussion
Hey All,
After having changed my Power Steering pump belt, I have noticed that the cambelt is looking a little cracked - although I can't say whether it's gonna go soon, I'm not taking any chances and am gonna get it sorted v soon.
Question is, is a cambelt change on a 16v ABF engine easy enough for someone handy in an engine (i.e. KingRSeven who tinkers like noone else :)) - I know you need a tensioner - but by all accounts a set of right angled circlip pliers will so the job.
I understand that providing you mark up the camshaft so you put it back in the same place as when you started lessens the timing woes - Has anyone any tips to share on this?
Also, I feel that the engine is low on power - it doesen't pull like I think it should - especially from lower revs - you wind it up and it goes, but I would have thought it should have a lot more grunt than it currently has;
A friend mentioned that the timing belt may have skipped a tooth - something which a tired belt [i]could[/i] (theorecticly) do I guess - would this make sense?
Can anyone give me some advise/pointers?
[small]I have looked through ClubGTi but they can be a bit clicky with their answers...[/small]
After having changed my Power Steering pump belt, I have noticed that the cambelt is looking a little cracked - although I can't say whether it's gonna go soon, I'm not taking any chances and am gonna get it sorted v soon.
Question is, is a cambelt change on a 16v ABF engine easy enough for someone handy in an engine (i.e. KingRSeven who tinkers like noone else :)) - I know you need a tensioner - but by all accounts a set of right angled circlip pliers will so the job.
I understand that providing you mark up the camshaft so you put it back in the same place as when you started lessens the timing woes - Has anyone any tips to share on this?
Also, I feel that the engine is low on power - it doesen't pull like I think it should - especially from lower revs - you wind it up and it goes, but I would have thought it should have a lot more grunt than it currently has;
A friend mentioned that the timing belt may have skipped a tooth - something which a tired belt [i]could[/i] (theorecticly) do I guess - would this make sense?
Can anyone give me some advise/pointers?
[small]I have looked through ClubGTi but they can be a bit clicky with their answers...[/small]
Could indeed be a tooth out, its easy to do, mate got his way out on KR it ran fine, tho bit of a churn to start, 71bhp on rolling road when it should be 140+bhp as stock! ran waaaay better when belt where it should be! 
You could do belt yourself, (yes of course do tensioner at same time) tho to be honest I do most bits & bob but I always seem to mess up cam timing, so I leave it well alone, or actually I do it myself but always get mate to check it before I get a piston to valve interface moment!
You could do belt yourself, (yes of course do tensioner at same time) tho to be honest I do most bits & bob but I always seem to mess up cam timing, so I leave it well alone, or actually I do it myself but always get mate to check it before I get a piston to valve interface moment!
Well the cam belt on an 8V is really easy. If you work carefully, get the Bentley manual, make some xerox copies of the pages you will need so you can grease-print them to heart's content, you should be fine. An air impact is nice to get the water pump bolts out (otherwise the pulley just wants to spin) but not at all necessary.
Take the key out of the car while you are working on it and take measures to be sure no one tries to start it while you have the belt off...
When you get all assembled, just carefully turn the engine by hand, having taken the spark plugs out, look at the timing marks, if you feel resistance back off to where you were, take the belt back off and figure out what needs to be re-indexed. Don't freak out. You would have to get quite ham-handed to damage things moving the engine by hand (but don't take that as a challenge, OK?)
Bentley mentions it, but it bears repeating that starting with #1 cyl in the TDC firing position (valves on that cylinder closed) will help.
Take some polaroid or digital photos of how it all lines up before you take the belt off. Although it may indeed be one tooth off as it is right now, and that may be your power problem.
You want to look carefully at the sprockets, make sure there are no burrs raised on them, where someone hit them with a spanner the last time this was done. A burr could cause the belt to fail prematurely. This is one reason I don't trust anybody else to do my cam belt work. (although to me most all mechanical work is either too important to farm out, or too trivial to bother farming out...)
I would suggest having not only a tensioner, but also a full set of shaft seals on hand in case you find a leaker when you get down that far - install the new tensioner as cheap insurance, but if the seals are not leaking I would suggest leaving well enough alone. But there is a counter school of thought that you should do the seals while you are in there.
If you have a mate who has done this before having them come round at the critical stages can be a confidence booster.
At the same time if you are short on patience and don't have a spare car, you may not want to tackle this.
In any case, remember that on the 16V you will bend intake valves at least if you break the cam belt, so resolve to DIY carefully and soon, or find a trustworthy shop.
Take the key out of the car while you are working on it and take measures to be sure no one tries to start it while you have the belt off...
When you get all assembled, just carefully turn the engine by hand, having taken the spark plugs out, look at the timing marks, if you feel resistance back off to where you were, take the belt back off and figure out what needs to be re-indexed. Don't freak out. You would have to get quite ham-handed to damage things moving the engine by hand (but don't take that as a challenge, OK?)
Bentley mentions it, but it bears repeating that starting with #1 cyl in the TDC firing position (valves on that cylinder closed) will help.
Take some polaroid or digital photos of how it all lines up before you take the belt off. Although it may indeed be one tooth off as it is right now, and that may be your power problem.
You want to look carefully at the sprockets, make sure there are no burrs raised on them, where someone hit them with a spanner the last time this was done. A burr could cause the belt to fail prematurely. This is one reason I don't trust anybody else to do my cam belt work. (although to me most all mechanical work is either too important to farm out, or too trivial to bother farming out...)
I would suggest having not only a tensioner, but also a full set of shaft seals on hand in case you find a leaker when you get down that far - install the new tensioner as cheap insurance, but if the seals are not leaking I would suggest leaving well enough alone. But there is a counter school of thought that you should do the seals while you are in there.
If you have a mate who has done this before having them come round at the critical stages can be a confidence booster.
At the same time if you are short on patience and don't have a spare car, you may not want to tackle this.
In any case, remember that on the 16V you will bend intake valves at least if you break the cam belt, so resolve to DIY carefully and soon, or find a trustworthy shop.
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