Bill Ball

If you can avoid breaking WP bolts, you're home-free. I include some tips in my timing belt supplement to the very good on-line guides (see below). There are a few other possible mistakes, mostly from not paying close attention to the order of things as you remove them, like spacers and washers or long bolts versus short bolts. John Kelly's book is exceptional, with a far more painstakingly illustrated step-by-step procedure than anything else available.

My timing belt supplement (200kB)
http://www.billsworkshop.com/P928S4/...rces-noWSM.doc

My timing belt supplement with WSM pages (2.7MB)
http://www.billsworkshop.com/P928S4/...Resources2.doc

H2

Bill Ball's notes are very very good and include some stuff that will help supplement/reinforce Kelly's manual. I'd suggest that you also reference Bill's sites on cam belt replacement as well as others. Once you "do the rebuild in your mind" several times it's easier when you actually pull out the wrenches. Different perspectives help .

Some suggest removal of the radiator and other stuff that I've never had to take off on the S or the S4. Nice, but not required...unless you strip a bolt then you'll be kicking yourself anyway. When I got my last car it had a stripped bolt (in a relatively unimportangt and an easy-to-repair spot) so I've now spent nearly a $100 on stripped bolt repair kits and tools that I hope I never will need.

Although not involved in a Tbelt rebuild, short of a grenaded engine, I think the ultimate 928 nightmare would be to break an '85S head stud off in the block.

Harvey

SteveG

That is unusual math. I think the tension tool is up to $60 now and the fly lock $25. Doing it yourself will prob save more than that on parts alone and unless you know the mechanic, you will be sure its done right. I have seen a tension warning system grounded by a "professional" shop. That's just lazy 'cuz a new tensioner arm wire is less than $10. I want to know ALL the rollers, etc have been checked or rebuilt. The pinch roller next to the crank is often overlooked. Having some warranty might factor in, but that usu only covers parts and not any ancilary damage say god forbid something breaks later.

mark kibort

i usually just attach two large vice grips and bungie cord . usualy its the driver side cam that wants to "snap" to a stable resting position.
Most of the time, just having the vice grip on the large cam pully nut is enough to keep it stable, at the timing mark, with maybe someone holdling it. that way, you can keep the driver side tension high on the belt holding and pushing it ccw. this way, all the slack is out of the driver side cam, oil pump and then anchored by the crank. the rests is just slippng the belt over the other cam tower, and taking the slack up at the tensioner/water pump area. a vice grip on that one as well, makes it easy to move the cam pulley around to slide the belt over it. then, while holding the belt on the pulley with you fingers, tighten the tensioner.. done!


mk

dr bob

I'm fairly certain that vise-grips have never been used on my car.

I did use a box wrench on the end of the cam gears to move them slightly or pre-load the belt some. MK's suggestion on preloading the belt tension from the US driver's side first is right on. Get that one correct, then walk the pass side cam forward or back as needed. With the tensioner bolt backed all the way out, a wrench on the gear allows you to easily walk the belt on the gear one tooth at a time. Preload the pass side gear with the wrench, and you can see how everything will line up before you start snugging down on the tensioner bolt.

marton

I clamped my T belt to the RH cam gear (RH when standing at the front facing the windscreen) using one of those plastic clamps used for woodworking. This way I could get the belt over the LH cam gear using only 2 hands & without worrying about losing correct line up at the RH gear.
The clamp has like a pistol grip so you can pump it up tight & being plastic there is no chance of damaging anything; I just wanted something that would lock the belt into the RH gear teeth - of course the Crank gear was already locked.

Marton

SteveG

OK, in the past we usu use RH and LH referenced from driver's seat facing forward. SO, it is better all around to use driverside (US) or "driverside right hand drive".

I use woodworkers spring clamps to hold belt in place (driver's side USA) then feed it 78 belt teeth from driver's cam mark to passenger cam mark. Turn the crank twice around and marks should line up again.

jim morehouse

For the water pump bolts I found that using a 3/8 adjustable air impact wrench worked great. Set the torque to the lowest level, put it on the bolt and it will sit there and "vibrate"....after a few seconds all of mine came right out on an '82 waterpump that hadn't been changed out in a loooong time (PO's mechanic said, when I called him, "no, we didn't change it, there was nothing wrong with it"). Helps to do the penetrating oil first but this low torque vibration may be the safest way. Beg/borrow a small portable compressor and the air impact is cheap at harbor freight.

I had never done one and then did my '88 and the '82 in one month....really not bad if you follow the advice here and in the various guides/web pages...slow, clean, be patient.

Jim

Jim

smudaaar

Will I did my TB/WP all new rollers, and rebuilt my tensioner today. Any 1 ever take a tensioner appart to find it dry and all full of gunk. I can't believe the motor was still running and the belt didn't break of slip off. Took 8 hrs to do everything...the wp bolts came out super easy and I added anti sieze b4 I put them back in! Man I spent 1/2 my day on the stupid tensioner.... I had to pound out the disks from the f'ing back side!!!!

david928

I just finished replacing the timing belt and water pump on my S4. I also replaced the old tensioner with a PKsn'r. I highly recommend this to anyone attempting to do this for the first time. The PKsn'r is so much easier to work with. My old tensioner was in pretty bad shape.

Steve Tacheny

Like the others have said, it's not a hard job. Just take your time and you'll do fine. I've done 4 of them and only had problems on the last one when 3 of the water pump bolts broke off. Like they said soak the w/ PB blaster and then rap the bolt heads with a hammer before you try to loosen them. Be sure to never seize the water pump bolts when you re-install. I'd say the job is a 4 to 5.

Steve

davek9

Having a good work area helps too, it is nice if you can lay out your parts and not pile em up so that things (bolts and washers) go back where they came from.

If you rate your skill level at a 6 or better then this is job a 6, if your skill level is a =<3 then this job is an =>8 BIG GRIN!!

hacker-pschorr

+1 - first time I did a TB / WP I would have given it an 8. Now that I've lived through an intermittent clutch issue, change out rod bearings with the engine still installed, swapped out a master cylinder, and head gaskets. The TB / WP job is down to a 3-5 depending on the year and if any bolt break off.

SeanR

Ziplock bag EVERY section you take off.

Power Steering bolts.......put them in a bag.

Alt bolts, different bag.

Front covers, keep them in the covers when you put them to the side.

Et al, bag everything with a label, even your belts.

Makes reassembly much easier.