Hi Guys,

After some much needed advice/tips to what seems to be a black art so far.

I have fitted a new complete Dayco timing belt kit with the hydraulic damper unit, new tensioner stud and meyle HD all metal water pump to my 2002 Golf GT TDI 1.9 PD ASZ.

I have followed procedures in locking the timing at TDC etc all fine. It is when I come to trying to set the tension, I feel like something is not right.

I turn the eccentric tensioner anti-clockwise until the pointer is at point A, then remove the locking clip off the hydraulic damper unit, then proceed to slowly turn the tensioner clockwise until I get a 4 mm gap between the tensioner back bracket and the hydraulic damper body. Tighten everything up, remove the locking kit, turn the motor round a couple of times back to TDC and check.

The belt between crank pulley to idler and idler to tensioner pulley seems very tight, guitar string twang tight. The gap between hydraulic damper and tensioner back bracket is less than 4mm.
Is this expected to happen? Is that kind of tightness ok? It just seems far too tight as belts I have done on other diesels I have gone by torqueing the belt tensioner and the old 45 degree twist on the belt test on longest run.

Also the tensioner adjustment pointer does not seem to be moving that far from point A when I get this 4mm gap. If I move this adjuster clockwise more towards point B and place this pointer so it looks similar to the one in the photo of the Haynes instructions, the belt tightness seems more acceptable, but have a 8mm+ gap.

I Have redone the above procedure of setting the 4mm gap between the tensioner back plate and hydraulic damper body. I gave a generous 4mm gap too.
To me this still isn't sounding right, so recorded a brief vid clip of it running. What are your opinions?

http://vid106.photob...70/IMG_2641.mp4

Cheers,
Paul




any help/advice greatly appreciated as I wouldn't want the belt snapping if too tight.

Thanks,

Paul