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Remove cam girdle/cover without removing lower timing cover?

ruby

New member
Location
Ontario
Car(s)
Mk6 GTi
Hi Quebster,

Debating DIYing this job at home (not my only car, I have a bunch of free time and tools) - any plans to do a full write up? did you use any repair manuals for this job?

Thanks!
Hope we get the reply from quebster, I plan to do this as well as I got an oil leak there. I'm pretty new here too so hoping all will go well as im still learning. Let me know you ended up doing this job already!
 

branman1

Drag Racing Champion
Location
DE
Car(s)
2019 GTI 2021 GLI
If you are doing this job similar to the way the OG poster than it’s pretty straight forward as whatever is attached to the cover needs to be removed then basically back off the bolts that hold it as even as possible to not hurt the cams. Any repair manual is going to go through the proper procedure. Doing the proper way isn’t bad really just time consuming. The issue is all the replacement parts and one time use bolts and gaskets all needed add up quick.
 

ruby

New member
Location
Ontario
Car(s)
Mk6 GTi
Yeah Im only worried about the cams and messing up the timing. btw though, lets say if I was to hypothetically mess up the timings by moving the cams by mistake, how screwed would I be? And i was told by many people that I'd need a cam lock to do this but after reading this forum it seems like the bridge holds them down on its own? How about the right side? won't that side of the cams lift up (even slightly)? Also, I happened to notice this was a mk7 forum :( and i got a mk6. any idea if that makes a difference to the procedure?
 

Rare Ara S3

Go Kart Champion
Location
Michigan
Car(s)
2017 Audi S3, GTI
The factory repair manual says the exhaust cam has to be in the valve cover/girdle when installing the cover. I know there is a reason for it as it prevents damage to something but I don’t recall why. The intake cam can stay in the head tho
 

branman1

Drag Racing Champion
Location
DE
Car(s)
2019 GTI 2021 GLI
The factory repair manual says the exhaust cam has to be in the valve cover/girdle when installing the cover. I know there is a reason for it as it prevents damage to something but I don’t recall why. The intake cam can stay in the head tho
Yes it’s basically for the variable cam profile adjusters on the exhaust cam. I did this job the way the manual states. If I had to do it again I would feel comfortable reinstalling the cam cover/girdle with the exhaust cam installed in the head. Naturally you’d want to just take extra special care when lower the cam cover down which you would want to do anyway. I’ve seen a couple YouTube videos where this was done this way and nobody mentioned any issues not being able to install the cam cover correctly. Just my .02 but always do the job the way you feel most comfortable with.
 

Rare Ara S3

Go Kart Champion
Location
Michigan
Car(s)
2017 Audi S3, GTI
Yes it’s basically for the variable cam profile adjusters on the exhaust cam. I did this job the way the manual states. If I had to do it again I would feel comfortable reinstalling the cam cover/girdle with the exhaust cam installed in the head. Naturally you’d want to just take extra special care when lower the cam cover down which you would want to do anyway. I’ve seen a couple YouTube videos where this was done this way and nobody mentioned any issues not being able to install the cam cover correctly. Just my .02 but always do the job the way you feel most comfortable with.
This is good to know especially from someone who has done it.
 

ruby

New member
Location
Ontario
Car(s)
Mk6 GTi
Yes it’s basically for the variable cam profile adjusters on the exhaust cam. I did this job the way the manual states. If I had to do it again I would feel comfortable reinstalling the cam cover/girdle with the exhaust cam installed in the head. Naturally you’d want to just take extra special care when lower the cam cover down which you would want to do anyway. I’ve seen a couple YouTube videos where this was done this way and nobody mentioned any issues not being able to install the cam cover correctly. Just my .02 but always do the job the way you feel most comfortable with.
Hmm so just to sum it up, I'd leave the exhast and intake cams both in the head and take off the cover right? how about worrying about them popping up and messing with the timing? because some people said in their experience it didn't and some said they used a "cam lock" to hold them down.
 

branman1

Drag Racing Champion
Location
DE
Car(s)
2019 GTI 2021 GLI
Hmm so just to sum it up, I'd leave the exhast and intake cams both in the head and take off the cover right? how about worrying about them popping up and messing with the timing? because some people said in their experience it didn't and some said they used a "cam lock" to hold them down.
The cam bridge will hold them in place enough to not skip timing. This is not the recommended way but plenty have done it. You won’t be able to use a cam lock because they bolt in place of where the cam bridge is so you wouldn’t be able to use them anyway.
 

ruby

New member
Location
Ontario
Car(s)
Mk6 GTi
The cam bridge will hold them in place enough to not skip timing. This is not the recommended way but plenty have done it. You won’t be able to use a cam lock because they bolt in place of where the cam bridge is so you wouldn’t be able to use them anyway.
Got it. Sorry if this is a stupid question cuz like I said I am pretty new but earlier on in the thread, people said how the “bracket” would hold the cams in place. Is this “bracket” the same as the bridge you mentioned? Or are they different? If so, where’s the bridge located?
 

branman1

Drag Racing Champion
Location
DE
Car(s)
2019 GTI 2021 GLI
Got it. Sorry if this is a stupid question cuz like I said I am pretty new but earlier on in the thread, people said how the “bracket” would hold the cams in place. Is this “bracket” the same as the bridge you mentioned? Or are they different? If so, where’s the bridge located?
Yep exactly same part. Not stupid at all. That’s why these forums are here.
 

Mosquito

Go Kart Newbie
Location
FL
I have been told by VW dealer techs that the way they do this job is zip-tie the intake cam to the head through the PCV opening, zip-tie the exhaust cam from the vacuum pump side and keep the bridge/timing chain tensioner in place. From there on out they say it is straight forward.

There was a TSB for both sealant and variation on application of, around joint points to the head.
 

Handguns4heaRTs

Drag Racing Champion
Location
So Cal
Car(s)
2017 GTI SE DSG
I have been told by VW dealer techs that the way they do this job is zip-tie the intake cam to the head through the PCV opening, zip-tie the exhaust cam from the vacuum pump side and keep the bridge/timing chain tensioner in place. From there on out they say it is straight forward.

There was a TSB for both sealant and variation on application of, around joint points to the head.
Anymore info on this TSB?
 

ruby

New member
Location
Ontario
Car(s)
Mk6 GTi
I have been told by VW dealer techs that the way they do this job is zip-tie the intake cam to the head through the PCV opening, zip-tie the exhaust cam from the vacuum pump side and keep the bridge/timing chain tensioner in place. From there on out they say it is straight forward.

There was a TSB for both sealant and variation on application of, around joint points to the head.
good to know. I have to replace the rings/gaskets of the vacuum pump as well so i guess this would work out for me. so just to confirm, what are my steps for this process? Would I zip tie the cams down before removing the cam girdle? Would I be able to zip tie the exhaust cam down just after removing the vacuum pump? Or would it have to be after the cam girdle is off? As for the intake I’m assuming it would be with the girdle one through the pcv opening as u said right?
 
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