Thomas G. Marshall

Steve Sears coughed up:
> Thomas,
> When I bought my '87 5ktq, the guy I bought it from had just had the
> clutch replaced. A year after I bought it, a whining/hum began which
> I traced to a leaking rear crank seal. A replacement seal cost me
> all of about $10, but pulling the tranny and clutch to get at the
> seal to replace it would cost me big $.
> From what I read here, and what I hear from other folks who work on
> cars, it's often the bearings in the waterpump and tensioner that
> fail and take out the belt. Once the mechanic has the old belt off,
> it's best to replace those things while they're in there. Chances
> are, if you replace the other things they would have lasted another
> 60k miles, if you don't, they'll fail before the next belt change
> If they fail (and you catch them), the best case is that it costs you
> _WAY_ more than it would have had you had it done while the belt was
> being done.
> BTW, mechanics on a race team are no more experts on the longevity of
> parts than regular mechanics - maybe even less so - engines and
> subjected to hell for a race or a few, and then rebuilt or replaced.
> Very seldom do race engines drive the car for 60k miles without major
> work or replacement.
> Yep, $1000 is alot of money - but so is an engine replacement.
> Cheers!
> Steve Sears
> 1987 Audi 5kTQ
> 1980 Audi 5k
> 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
> (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply) .......blarphoogy


Ok, thanks. By the way, I noticed that you have the same dream-sig that I
have had.... Made me nearly fall over laughing.......



....[rip]...

--
Whyowhydidn'tsunmakejavarequireanuppercaseletterto startclassnames....

Thomas G. Marshall

Steve Sears coughed up:
> Thomas,
> When I bought my '87 5ktq, the guy I bought it from had just had the
> clutch replaced. A year after I bought it, a whining/hum began which
> I traced to a leaking rear crank seal. A replacement seal cost me
> all of about $10, but pulling the tranny and clutch to get at the
> seal to replace it would cost me big $.
> From what I read here, and what I hear from other folks who work on
> cars, it's often the bearings in the waterpump and tensioner that
> fail and take out the belt. Once the mechanic has the old belt off,
> it's best to replace those things while they're in there. Chances
> are, if you replace the other things they would have lasted another
> 60k miles, if you don't, they'll fail before the next belt change
> If they fail (and you catch them), the best case is that it costs you
> _WAY_ more than it would have had you had it done while the belt was
> being done.
> BTW, mechanics on a race team are no more experts on the longevity of
> parts than regular mechanics - maybe even less so - engines and
> subjected to hell for a race or a few, and then rebuilt or replaced.
> Very seldom do race engines drive the car for 60k miles without major
> work or replacement.
> Yep, $1000 is alot of money - but so is an engine replacement.
> Cheers!
> Steve Sears
> 1987 Audi 5kTQ
> 1980 Audi 5k
> 1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
> (SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply) .......blarphoogy


Ok, thanks. By the way, I noticed that you have the same dream-sig that I
have had.... Made me nearly fall over laughing.......



....[rip]...

--
Whyowhydidn'tsunmakejavarequireanuppercaseletterto startclassnames....

Thomas G. Marshall

Ian S coughed up:
> "Thomas G. Marshall"
> <tgm2tothe10thpower@replacetextwithnumber.hotmail. com> wrote in
> message news:3Goud.2028$eO5.1491@trndny08...
>> Iain Miller coughed up:
>>> "malcolm" <malcolm.brooke@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>>> news:cp711s$8p2$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>>>> its a1900 tdi 5speed
>>>> thanks ian
>>>> same money or less
>>>>
>>> I don't know - can't imagine it would be significantly less. Suggest
>>> you riung the nearest VW dealer & ask - they usually have "menu"
>>> pricing for cambelts & should just be able to give you a figure.
>>> Make sure that it includes changing the tensioners & rollers & also
>>> ask about the external drive belts as well - might as well do 'em
>>> all while they are in there.
>>
>>
>> Mine: 2000 / a4 / 1.8T
>>
>> Back when I was a Mitsubishi eclipse gsx (AWD) owner, and this car
>> was notorious for dead timing belts at 100 feet past 60,000 miles, I
>> asked a former member of mitsubishi racing about the extra
>> replacements that go along with changing a timing belt on the
>> eclipse.
>>
>> He told me that replacing the water pump and tensioners was always
>> overkill in cars----and that it was usually a money-scam to make
>> more money for the dealerships and that he never does it.
>>
>> Perhaps this is easy to say if you actually belong to mitsubishi and
>> all "your" cars are mitsubishi's, but do any of you find this to be
>> true.
>>
>> These costs are not insignificant once you start adding in *all*
>> these "just-in-case"'s. It really seems to get out of hand. The
>> local guy is demanding $1000 for my a4 TB replacement (new
>> tensioner, water pump, few other belts).
>
> The problem with not replacing the water pump is that there is a high
> probablility that it will fail before the TB gets replaced again. My
> last Audi's water pump went at about 85,000 miles so I think it makes
> good sense to replace it along with the TB. I don't know about later
> models but I believe there was an improved tensioner design after my
> A4 was built in 1998. In fact I understand that tensioner failuire
> may be a causitive factor in the "failure" of TB's on some A4s.


Asked and answered. Thank you very much.

--
Whyowhydidn'tsunmakejavarequireanuppercaseletterto startclassnames....

Thomas G. Marshall

Ian S coughed up:
> "Thomas G. Marshall"
> <tgm2tothe10thpower@replacetextwithnumber.hotmail. com> wrote in
> message news:3Goud.2028$eO5.1491@trndny08...
>> Iain Miller coughed up:
>>> "malcolm" <malcolm.brooke@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>>> news:cp711s$8p2$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>>>> its a1900 tdi 5speed
>>>> thanks ian
>>>> same money or less
>>>>
>>> I don't know - can't imagine it would be significantly less. Suggest
>>> you riung the nearest VW dealer & ask - they usually have "menu"
>>> pricing for cambelts & should just be able to give you a figure.
>>> Make sure that it includes changing the tensioners & rollers & also
>>> ask about the external drive belts as well - might as well do 'em
>>> all while they are in there.
>>
>>
>> Mine: 2000 / a4 / 1.8T
>>
>> Back when I was a Mitsubishi eclipse gsx (AWD) owner, and this car
>> was notorious for dead timing belts at 100 feet past 60,000 miles, I
>> asked a former member of mitsubishi racing about the extra
>> replacements that go along with changing a timing belt on the
>> eclipse.
>>
>> He told me that replacing the water pump and tensioners was always
>> overkill in cars----and that it was usually a money-scam to make
>> more money for the dealerships and that he never does it.
>>
>> Perhaps this is easy to say if you actually belong to mitsubishi and
>> all "your" cars are mitsubishi's, but do any of you find this to be
>> true.
>>
>> These costs are not insignificant once you start adding in *all*
>> these "just-in-case"'s. It really seems to get out of hand. The
>> local guy is demanding $1000 for my a4 TB replacement (new
>> tensioner, water pump, few other belts).
>
> The problem with not replacing the water pump is that there is a high
> probablility that it will fail before the TB gets replaced again. My
> last Audi's water pump went at about 85,000 miles so I think it makes
> good sense to replace it along with the TB. I don't know about later
> models but I believe there was an improved tensioner design after my
> A4 was built in 1998. In fact I understand that tensioner failuire
> may be a causitive factor in the "failure" of TB's on some A4s.


Asked and answered. Thank you very much.

--
Whyowhydidn'tsunmakejavarequireanuppercaseletterto startclassnames....

Thomas G. Marshall

Ian S coughed up:
> "Thomas G. Marshall"
> <tgm2tothe10thpower@replacetextwithnumber.hotmail. com> wrote in
> message news:3Goud.2028$eO5.1491@trndny08...
>> Iain Miller coughed up:
>>> "malcolm" <malcolm.brooke@btinternet.com> wrote in message
>>> news:cp711s$8p2$1@titan.btinternet.com...
>>>> its a1900 tdi 5speed
>>>> thanks ian
>>>> same money or less
>>>>
>>> I don't know - can't imagine it would be significantly less. Suggest
>>> you riung the nearest VW dealer & ask - they usually have "menu"
>>> pricing for cambelts & should just be able to give you a figure.
>>> Make sure that it includes changing the tensioners & rollers & also
>>> ask about the external drive belts as well - might as well do 'em
>>> all while they are in there.
>>
>>
>> Mine: 2000 / a4 / 1.8T
>>
>> Back when I was a Mitsubishi eclipse gsx (AWD) owner, and this car
>> was notorious for dead timing belts at 100 feet past 60,000 miles, I
>> asked a former member of mitsubishi racing about the extra
>> replacements that go along with changing a timing belt on the
>> eclipse.
>>
>> He told me that replacing the water pump and tensioners was always
>> overkill in cars----and that it was usually a money-scam to make
>> more money for the dealerships and that he never does it.
>>
>> Perhaps this is easy to say if you actually belong to mitsubishi and
>> all "your" cars are mitsubishi's, but do any of you find this to be
>> true.
>>
>> These costs are not insignificant once you start adding in *all*
>> these "just-in-case"'s. It really seems to get out of hand. The
>> local guy is demanding $1000 for my a4 TB replacement (new
>> tensioner, water pump, few other belts).
>
> The problem with not replacing the water pump is that there is a high
> probablility that it will fail before the TB gets replaced again. My
> last Audi's water pump went at about 85,000 miles so I think it makes
> good sense to replace it along with the TB. I don't know about later
> models but I believe there was an improved tensioner design after my
> A4 was built in 1998. In fact I understand that tensioner failuire
> may be a causitive factor in the "failure" of TB's on some A4s.


Asked and answered. Thank you very much.

--
Whyowhydidn'tsunmakejavarequireanuppercaseletterto startclassnames....