Removing, installing and tensioning toothed belts — VW

🧭 Before you start

Remove the intake pipework, air mass meter, insulation, poly V-belt and tensioner, support the engine and remove the mounting, bracket, guards and damper. Lock the pump hub and crankshaft at TDC, release the tensioner and remove the belt. Fit the new belt, set the tensioner and tighten its nut to 20 Nm plus 45°, tighten the camshaft pulley bolts to 25 Nm, turn the engine twice and check that the hub locks and the tensioner setting holds. Refit the guards, bracket (45 Nm), mounting and ancillaries.

Fits: platform code 6X1

• Timing position: the crankshaft or camshaft is set and locked during this job
• Special tools named: locking pin

Don't miss

• Carry out belt adjustment only on a cold engine.
• Mark the direction of rotation on the belt if it is to be reused.
• Tensioning roller nut: 20 Nm and 45° (1/8 turn) further.
• After two turns, the injection pump hub must lock again with pin 3359; if not, reset the camshaft pulley.
• Fit the belt to the coolant pump pulley last, after the crankshaft, tensioner and camshaft pulleys.

Written for this job from the workshop steps below · TorqFix editorial.

🔧 Engine codes this applies to

🔩 Torque settings

Values can differ between engine variants — check the code stamped on your block.

ℹ️ Always cross-check the exact figure against your vehicle's factory manual before final tightening — a wrong torque can damage the engine. These values are extracted from workshop data and may not cover every variant or revision.

📋 Procedure

1. Remove engine cover.
2. Remove connecting pipe between charge air cooler and intake connection.
3. Remove air mass meter G70.
4. Remove noise insulation tray 50.
5. Unbolt pendulum support from gearbox.

6. Remove poly V-belt .
7. Remove tensioning element for poly-V-belt.
8. Remove toothed belt guard upper part.
9. Detach fuel line from cylinder head cover.
10. Fit support bracket10 - 222 A as shown and support engine in installation position.
11. Remove bolts from engine assembly mounting (arrows) and remove complete assembly mounting.
12. Remove engine bracket from cylinder head.
13. Remove centre toothed belt guard.
14. Lower engine carefully so that the vibration damper/belt pulley can be removed.
15. Remove lower toothed belt guard.
16. Turn crankshaft to TDC No. 1 cylinder. [Note: Turn the crankshaft until the mark on the crankshaft pulley is facing up and the arrow on the rear toothed belt guard aligns with the lug on the hub sender wheel (arrows).]
17. Lock the hub using locking pin for diesel injection pump3359. To do this, slide locking pin through the free elongated hole on left into hole in cylinder head.
18. Lock crankshaft toothed belt pulley with crankshaft stop T10050. To do this, push crankshaft stop into teeth of toothed belt pulley from its face side. [Note: The marks on the crankshaft toothed belt pulley and the crankshaft stop T10050 must align. At the same time, the pin of the crankshaft stop T10050 must engage in the drilling in the sealing flange.]
19. Mark direction of rotation of toothed belt.
20. Insert a hexagon key into the hexagon hole onto limit stop and push the tensioning roller anti-clockwise (direction of arrow) until the toothed belt tensioner can be locked with locking plate T10008. [Note: If the hexagon key is not inserted deeply enough there is a risk of it slipping out.]
21. Loosen tensioning roller securing nut.
22. Unscrew and remove securing bolts (1) of toothed belt tensioner and remove tensioning element.
23. Remove toothed belt. [Note: Always perform adjustment work on toothed belts only on cold engines.]
24. Loosen securing bolts (1) of camshaft toothed belt pulley until camshaft pulley can be moved within the elongated holes.
25. Rotate camshaft toothed belt pulley clockwise in elongated holes in (direction of arrow) onto stop.
26. Now carefully turn eccentric clockwise using pin wrench3387 until eccentric lug lies directly before limit stop (B).
27. Fit toothed belt on camshaft toothed belt pulley, belt tensioner, crankshaft toothed belt pulley and finally water pump toothed belt pulley.
28. Install toothed belt tensioning device.
29. Turn eccentric anti-clockwise using pin wrench3387 (lug of eccentric moves in direction of limit stop (A)), until the locking plate T10008 is not under tension and can be pulled out.
30. Turn tensioning device clockwise to release counter-pressure (lug of eccentric moves towards limit stop (B)) until dimension (a) is reached. Specification (a): 4 ± 1 mm. [Note: Measurement (a) reduces when the tensioning roller securing nut is tightened. Therefore adjust generously using ∅ 4 mm drill bit.Measurement (a) may be reduced to 1 mm if engine is at operating temperature.]
31. Hold tensioning roller in this position and tighten tensioning roller securing nut as follows: 20 Nm and 45° (1/8 turn) further. — 20 Nm (15 lb-ft)
32. Tighten securing bolts (1) of camshaft pulley to 25 Nm. — 25 Nm (18 lb-ft)
33. Remove locking pin for diesel injection pump3359 and crankshaft stop T10050.
34. Turn crankshaft two rotations in engine direction of rotation and set again to TDC No. 1 cylinder. [Note: When doing this, the crankshaft stop pin must engage in the sealing flange whilst turning.If the crankshaft is turned past TDC No. 1 cylinder and the crankshaft stop T10050 could not engage in the sealing flange, turn the crankshaft back 1/4 turn to be able to turn the crankshaft in engine direction of rotation again to set it to TDC No. 1 cylinder. Making corrections opposite the direction of engine rotation in order to insert crankshaft stop is not permitted.]
35. Once the crankshaft stop T10050 has engaged, check whether: 1. dimension (a) is reached and 2. the hub can be locked using locking pin for diesel injection pump3359.
36. Tension the tensioning roller again. To do this, counterhold tensioning roller using pin wrench3387, loosen securing nut and adjust counterforce of tensioning device until measurement (a) is reached. Specification (a): 4 ± 1 mm.
37. Tighten securing nut to 20 Nm and 45° (1/8 turn) further. — 20 Nm (15 lb-ft)
38. Pull the crankshaft stop pin out of the drilling in the sealing flange and turn the crankshaft until the hub can be locked with the locking pin.
39. Loosen securing bolts (1) of camshaft pulley.
40. Turn crankshaft slightly against engine direction of rotation until the pin of the crankshaft stop is positioned just before the hole in the sealing flange (arrow).
41. Now turn crankshaft in engine direction of rotation until crankshaft stop pin engages in sealing flange whilst turning.
42. Tighten securing bolts of camshaft belt pulley to 25 Nm. — 25 Nm (18 lb-ft)
43. Remove locking pin for diesel injection pump3359 and crankshaft stop T10050.
44. Turn crankshaft two rotations in engine D.O.R. until crankshaft is set to TDC No. 1 cylinder again. [Note: When doing this, the crankshaft stop pin must engage in the sealing flange whilst turning.If the crankshaft is turned past TDC No. 1 cylinder and the crankshaft stop could not engage in the sealing flange, turn the crankshaft back 1/4 turn to be able to turn the crankshaft in engine direction of rotation again to set it to TDC No. 1 cylinder Making corrections opposite the direction of engine rotation in order to insert crankshaft stop is not permitted.]
45. Repeat check.
46. Loosen tensioning roller securing nut.
47. Loosen securing bolts (1) of camshaft toothed belt pulley until camshaft pulley can be moved within the elongated holes.
48. Turn pin wrench3387 anti-clockwise (opposite direction of arrow) until toothed belt tensioning roller can be locked with locking pin T10115.
49. Now turn pin wrench3387(in direction of arrow) onto stop and tighten securing nut hand tight.
50. Remove toothed belt first from coolant pump and then from remaining pulleys. [Note: Adjustment work on toothed belts must be performed only on cold engines, as the indicator position on the tensioning element varies depending on the engine temperature.The tensioning roller must be locked with locking pin T10115 and secured to right limit stop.]
51. Rotate camshaft toothed belt pulley in its elongated holes anti-clockwise in (direction of arrow) onto stop.
52. Fit toothed belt to crankshaft belt pulley, tensioning roller and camshaft belt pulley
53. Then fit toothed belt on coolant pump toothed belt pulley. [Note: Ensure that tensioning roller seats correctly in rear toothed belt guard (arrow).]
54. Loosen tensioning roller securing nut.
55. Release belt tension by turning tensioning roller with pin wrench3387 against (direction of arrow) and remove diesel injection pump locking pin3359 from tensioning roller.
56. Now carefully turn tensioning roller (clockwise) using 2-hole pin wrench3387 until indicator is in middle of gap in the base plate (arrow).
57. Hold tensioning roller in this position and tighten tensioning roller securing nut as follows: 20 Nm and 45° (1/8 turn) further. — 20 Nm (15 lb-ft)
58. Tighten securing bolts of camshaft belt pulley to 25 Nm. — 25 Nm (18 lb-ft)
59. Remove locking pin for diesel injection pump3359 and crankshaft stop T10050.
60. Turn crankshaft two rotations in engine direction of rotation and set again to TDC No. 1 cylinder. [Note: When doing this, the crankshaft stop pin must engage in the sealing flange whilst turning.If the crankshaft is turned past TDC No. 1 cylinder and the crankshaft stop could not engage in the sealing flange, turn the crankshaft back 1/4 turn to be able to turn the crankshaft in engine direction of rotation again to set it to TDC No. 1 cylinder Making corrections opposite the direction of engine rotation in order to insert crankshaft stop is not permitted.]

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