Pulling Head, What to do with the inside timing belt cover?

dieselsnowmobile · Post by **dieselsnowmobile** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:00 pm

I have an oil leak (about 1 qt every 300 miles) and I have traced it to the front of the head gasket. I also have a water leak by piston 4, but it is not as bad. Either way, my time with this head gasket is limited. I have searched and searched this forum about how to do head gaskets, so I think it is pretty straight forward, other than one thing, what do I do with the timing belt cover between the Cam pulley and the head? I see that there are a couple of bolts that I can take the cover off, but it looks like the cover extends all the way below the pump and around the cam pulley. It looks like I will have to take the cam pulley off and the tensioner pulley. I am not quite sure, but it looks like I have to take the pump off, along with the pump bracket in order to get the timing belt cover completely off so that I can pull the head straight off.

Here is a picture of the cover I am talking about outlined in yellow, and two bolts that I can see in red.

Thanks.

libbybapa · Post by **libbybapa** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:27 pm

You have to take the tensioner pulley off along with the cam pulley. You will also need to remove the two small allen head bolts that attach the tabs of the timing belt cover to the sides of the head. You do not need to remove any other bolts to the cover (IIRC) and you definitely do not need to remove the pump or any pump brackets.

Andrew

coke · Post by **coke** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 4:58 pm

If you're careful you can do it without removing the metal portion of the timing belt cover. Be very careful if you venture this route, as my father inadvertently bent mine which caused it to rub on the new t-belt tensioner pulley I bought and I had to remove the t-belt, and tensioner, straighten it out and replace the tensioner with new parts. It really helps if you can get another person to help you maneuver the head to get it off and back on.

duffer · Post by **duffer** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 7:32 pm

Slightly off topic...

It would appear he of the "Dancing Man"
is having an identity crisis.

Anything we can do to help?

Vincent Waldon · Post by **Vincent Waldon** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:24 pm

The avatar with money fluttering down is the most confusing... perhaps he won the Arizona State Lottery ???!!! How many diesels could you buy with that ??!!!

dieselsnowmobile · Post by **dieselsnowmobile** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 8:31 pm

So to recap, remove cam pulley, tensioner, two allens from the cover attching it to the head and then be carefull not to bend the cover. That does not sound to bad then.

I will have to look up the which head bolts the CR engine takes, I know they are allen heads on the bolts.

libbybapa - Is your new Avatar of you singing? I did not know you did Opera. lol.

libbybapa · Post by **libbybapa** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 9:13 pm

No need for assistance, all just me being silly.

As a side note, I have been in a gazillion Gilbert and Sullivans, but never in that attire...

Andrew

Post by **Fatmobile** » Sun Dec 02, 2007 10:29 pm

That bracket does go around behind the injection pump bracket and it won't come off without removing the bracket... and like Coke says it is easy to bend.
Not so easy to rebend so it doesn't rub on anything.

You might be able to pull the head easier if you remove the cam seperately. That's what sticks through it and keeps the head from being lifted directly up.
I haven't had to mess with too many of these, mostly playing with Rabbits.
On the Golf I removed the pump bracket.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 12:41 pm

Funny, my 82 Rabbit doesn't have the back piece of the timing belt cover. It also has 4 bolts holding it on and no clips. If I remember, my 86 Jetta has the clips holding the timing cover on, and was much nicer to take off.

A1-2-A3 · Post by **A1-2-A3** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:29 pm

My 81 engine did not have that bracket that goes up that high, that one you show looks as though it would suck.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 1:35 pm

I think it's a better overall design - quicker access to the timing belt without much tools, and keeps things out of the timing belt area from the back side of the engine. My 82 can get rocks, bolts, nuts, etc down into the timing belt area. So far though, no problems and 1/3 million miles.

mattbondy · Post by **mattbondy** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:59 pm

If only it kept bolts out...