Yea, order the hydraulic tensioner. You should do hydraulic tensioner, tensioner roller, idler roller, water pump, coolant, thermostat, serpentine belt, timing belt, and serpentine tensioner. If there's a sign of leakage from them, do the cam seals as well. Additionally, since you're already tearing stuff apart, it'd be a good time for new plugs and valve cover gasket - both will need replacement sooner or later so just get them done now for peace of mind.

 

Well crap, there's another $100. Fantastic

 

Ways to know when timing belt is done

When vehical is floored and redline there will be a squal which is timing belt

Another way when the car is turned off put your face by the belt when the engine starts if you hear a squal usualy thats a sign the belt is going

 

One more question, I've seen write ups for the 1.8t and 2.7t, but as far as the 2.8 12v goes I haven't seen anything for timing belts...my main question is, how do you go about getting the motor at top dead center? Aren't there marks on the crank pulley?

 

bump

trying to do this Saturday hopefully

 

there should be an alignment mark on the crank pully and the plastic timing cover housing that covers the crank pulley. If you are working in good light you shouldn't have any trouble seeing it. When you are at TDC your cam wings should also be aligned. If you have the cam lock tool it will only fit on one way when the cams are properly aligned. if it doesn't fit you are 180 degrees off and have to give the crank another rotation.

It should be pretty self explanatory once you are in there. If it isn't, take pics and ask for more help

 

There is a mark on the crank pulley that corresponds to a mark on the lower timing cover, and each cam sprocket has a mark on the gear to align with one on the backplate. Indexing an Audi V6 means setting cylinder 3 at TDC on the compression stroke. The easiest way though is to just tear down the front of the engine and expose the timing belt. Look at the cam sprockets - there are oval brackets on them. There are two holes in those brackets, one larger than the other. Once the belt is exposed, put a 24mm socket on a breaker bar or big ratchet, and rotate the engine by hand until those cam brackets are horizontal with the larger holes toward the center of the engine. This will put the timing marks very close to alignment. Fine-tune the position until the timing marks are aligned, and then detension the belt. The cams will not spin and you won't need a cam locking tool to maintain alignment.

For more info, check out the tech section on www.12v.org - there's a t-belt procedure there for your engine.

 

There should be marks on the crank pulley/tb cover and the cam gears and valve covers.

 

https://www.audiforums.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=126026

http://boardreader.com/thread/NOW_AV...5f0yX54r3.html

best diy so far i found
http://www.vaglinks.com/Docs/VW/Pass...eplacement.pdf

 

Thanks guys. This whole thing sounds way easier than I expected....but I'm not gonna get my hopes up on that