[rgj]

I'm vacationing in Las Vegas and my water pump is leaking 1,800 miles from home and I need to replace it in the next few days before heading back home. My understanding is that you have to remove the timing belt tensioner to swap pumps. With that said, I'm going to go ahead and replace the belt. I have a few questions I need answered before I start on this project.
Since I can't wait on a Mitsu belt, is one from Autozone, Checker, NAPA, Pep Boys worth getting? I plan on getting a water pump from Autozone but need to know where to get the belt from.
Since I don't have access to the special timing belt tensioner tool, I need a link to pages or a good description on how to set the tension. I replaced these belts a year ago but forgot the steps needed. I think the pulley with the two holes is what actually adjusts the tension and the hydralic tensioner just holds tension on there, but I'm not 100% sure. Can someone post some good info or links to search pages. Thanks a ton.

 

[TSi4G63T]

http://www.vfaq.com/index-main.html
Click the tab that says engine and scroll down to where it says timing belt.

I used a autozone belt on my 90 N/T without a problem but i used all oem on my TSi.
As far as the tensioner goes, i'd replace it with a new one if possible, i just lost a motor to a worn tensioner. But if you re-use the old one all you have to do is press the rod in with a vise then stick a small allen wrench or somthing similar into the hole to hold it in place.

 

[OWGTI]

Heres how we did it gangster style....

You are in luck because you do not need to remove the crank pulley because you dont have to take the balance shaft belt off.

First thing to do is to get the side motor mount off and get the shields off. Dont worry, the other 3 mounts will hold it just fine.

Set the motor at TDC

Loosten the tensioner bolt on the pulley and remove the pulley. Then remove the timing belt.

R+R the water pump, make sure you clean the mounting surface up good and replace the O Ring.

remove the auto tensioner completely from the vehicle. Use a jack and the vehicles weight to re-compress the tensioner rod. Set the tensioner between the body of the vehicle and the jack as it sits in the car, being careful, compress it. Use a pin or a small allen wrench or something to lock the tensioner once it is all compressed.

Put the car back together, put the belt on however you like to do it.

Set the tensioner pulley into the 12:00 position, so the two tensioner holes are toward the top and an equal distance from 12:00. Like the 11 and 1 oclock positions.

You can use either a needle nose pliers or a metal fork bent to shape to do this.

Remove the pin for the tensioner. It will be close enough to make it 2000 miles.

Drive home.

Otherwise, you can get a piece of the metric threaded rod from Fastenal and have it cut to length and then double nut it to turn the tensioner. Use a 5/32" drillbit to check the clearance between the tensioner arm and tensioner body.

Hope that helps.

 

[diambo4life]

I would do it the same way as he ^^^ said but I wouldn't fuck with the tensioner pulley bolt! DO NOT loosen it! Remove the hydraulic adjuster instead to pull the timing belt. Get "wite out" and mark the timing belt before removing it with respect to it's position on the gegars. This way you know it goes on exactly the way it came off. Also, be not touching the tensioner bolt you know the tension will remain the same as before. No room to screw up.

 

[diambo4life]

Just to add to my post (I couldn't do it earlier ), I'm not sure whether there's a water pump bolt under the tensioner arm on 7 bolts like 6 bolts do. If there's one there, obviously, the tensioner pulley has to come off. Didn't really add the disclaimer there. My bad.