A3 Cambelt broken, doh!

**Sly** · 27-03-2010,11:06 PM

Sorted it, you need a 6mm threaded rod to make your own chain tensioner compression tool and a fairly tough plate of metal ground an drilled to fit just right! I'm gonna leave the bent valves for the engineer to sort out.

Can't wait to put it all together again. Sure there's gonna be something left over!??

**Sly** · 01-04-2010,10:26 PM

I'll keep this post going just incase any one else is trying a head strip/rebuild for the first time. Got my head back from the engineer today, all 20 valves replaced and 8 exhaust guides + a skim for £380! And I supplied the valves and oil seals as well! Feel I got somegood prices on the parts though:

Head gasket set - Camberleys £55+vat (includes valve seals, chain tenstensioner, rocker cover, head, inlet , outlet gaskets and cam seals)

Valves - Camberleys £155+vat

Belt kit + tensioner + water pump + aux belt - Unipart £131

Head bolts - GSF £18

Turbo to manifold gasket - Audi £3

All comes in under £800 which isn't bad as the labour is free! (just a little slow!)

Gonna start rebuilding the jigsaw puzzle tomorrow...

**Sly** · 01-04-2010,10:31 PM

One thing the engineer mentioned was to compress the tappets to squeeze any oild oil out of them. Mine are currently sat upside down submerged in fresh oil as Haynes suggest. Should I compress them with some soft jawed pliers or can I do it with thumb pressure? I would have thought they should be fitted with oil in them but if he's saying to squeeze the oil out I'm not sure now. Any ideas?!

**Sly** · 04-05-2010,10:20 AM

Sorry, I forgot to keep you updated I was so pleased with myself. It all went together fine, first time. Turned it many times by hand and the timing marks were always spot on. Started with a quick clatter then ran fine. Cleared some fault codes on vag-com which never came back and it's now sweet as a nut. I'm no expert and I did this in front of my house on a couple of axle stands (some of it was done in the kitchen much to Mrs Sly's amusement) but it worked well with no disasters so feel free to ask me anything if you're trying this yourself.

Cheers for the help along the way.

**kog** · 16-06-2010,10:57 PM

Just read your adventure with the 20 valve head.
I'm in a similar situation but only (only!!!) the 8 exhaust valves have bent.
How did you get on with compressing the oil out of hydraulic lifters as I'll soon be at a stage were I'm, hopefully, going to re-assemble the cams back on to the head and would welcome any useful advice?

**Sly** · 17-06-2010,06:04 AM

Well good luck firstly. My cam followers were really clean compared to some pics i'd seen on t'internet so I didn't try to dismantle them as some people suggest. I used a pair of soft jawed plug pliers to gently compress the follower using a socket on the internal plunger as a spacer. I'd been storing mine immersed in clean oil anyway and when I squeezed, it was just enough to see a small squirt of dirtier brown oil coming out. I kept them immersed to stop any air getting in or whatever? They only made a clatter for a second or two when I first started it, but not again on any subsequent starts.

Take lots of photos of where things go before you take it to bits, especially the timing marks and spacing on the timing chain!

Hope this helps

Sly

**kog** · 10-08-2010,05:03 PM

Thanks for the reply Sly.
I cleaned my hydraulic lifters by soaking in brake cleaning fluid overnight, re-filled with clean engine oil, re-assembled them and left overnight again immersed in clean engine oil.
I eventually re-assembled the engine after a very careful re-build of the head. It started first time and ran like a dream...that is until I took it for a test drive, during which something has catastrophically gone again!
I suspect it's a valve stem (or several) snapped and I've had reports of batches of faulty valves out there as suppliers are now issuing disclaimers saying that any breakages are as a result of faulty fitting not faulty parts!! Even some garages I've spoken to have fallen foul of this.
Thanks for your help

kog

**Sly** · 10-08-2010,08:47 PM

Tough break, can't imagine how p**sed off I would be in that situation. Well done for having a go yourself though. Who's to say you wouldn't be in the same place if a garage had done it for you then?! Good luck with the recovery...

**adamss24** · 30-10-2011,07:16 PM

Federal Mogul valves are just rubbish and they shear clean at the cotter end- the manufacturer is trying to blame the builder for not setting the valve springs square in the bore- this is just bull crap as it's not really possible. I had a 1.8 T with bent valves at some point and fitted Federal Mogul valves. I was lucky i did spun the cams before fitting it to the engine (like i always do !) then i heard the ping and the valve just dropped ! I have took the rest of the valves off, and got a replacement from ECP with some swedish valves K Swiss or something. Never had a problem with those and i have rebuilt a few in my time !