A timing belt's main purpose is to turn the camshaft which helps power the engine. The timing belt is wrapped around the camshaft, tensioner pulley, idler pulley and crankshaft. It rotates around these parts and helps keep the engine working. Installing the timing belt on a Volkswagen Jetta TDI is similar to replacing the timing belt on any other type of vehicle. The most important part is knowing where exactly to align the belt.
Examine all of the pulleys to make sure they are firmly tightened down and in place. Run you hands over all of the shafts and pulleys to verify that the old timing belt has been completely removed and there are no remnants remaining.
Slide the new timing belt over the camshaft pulley and the idler pulley located at each end with the grooves on the belt facing down. Run the belt over the tensioner pulley and under the crankshaft. Come up and over the water pump and under the idler pulley back to the camshaft.
Install the new tensioner onto the pulley. Move the holes on the tensioner so they are on the bottom and tighten down two nuts into the holes by hand. Tighten the belt so there is no slack around the gears and make sure the belts teeth are fully engaged.
Tighten the cam bolt by hand onto the center of the cam pulley. Tighten all of the bolts on the idler pulley until they are snug and secure.
Rotate the tensioner clockwise to tighten the tensioner pulley. Slide a socket wrench over top of the bolt and tighten it down. Turn on the car to make sure the timing belt is moving properly.
