I'm trying to remove the old cam chain tensioner gasket on my 2001 A4 2.8qt, and I cannot. I have the 3366 tool torqued lightly, and cannot manage to lift the tensioner off the head more than 1/4" on one side. Then when I lift the other side, the first side goes back down. I've finagled with it for a couple hours, and now i'm looking for advice.
I heard it was helpful to set the engine at TDC before doing this, but I didn't. I cannot turn the crank because I can't get a ratchet down there, the radiator fans are in the way. How stupid would it be to tighten the tensioner back up and blip the key in the ignition with the valve cover off just to try and get closer to TDC that way?
Am I completely off?
Any info and tips is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

hey dude. if i remember correctly, you don't have a lot of room to work in there at all. depending on how "snug" you have the tool, you can try to tighten it up a bit more to get some more slack but please do so at your own risk. if you over tighten it you can and will damage the tensioner. I just bought a new tensioner for my 1.8t and they have it compressed all the way, so I know this one in particular can be compressed quite a bit, just go slow and take your time. you won't be able to remove the tensioner and you'll just have to do your best to get the old seal out, and the new one in. good luck

josh

 

Okay I got the gasket out and the new one in.
I actually turned the key very quickly and the cams turned about 90deg. There was then enough slack in the chain to get the gasket out and back in. I'm not reccommending anyone do this, because it might have caused problems I think.

The goal of replacing this gasket was to fix an oil leak I have coming from the passenger's side, rear of the engine. Last week I changed the valve cover gasket, and this week the cam chain tensioner gasket. It looks like the smoke (and smell) is coming from the exhaust camshaft sidein the rear(the side of the head closest to the passenger fender, not closer to the center of the engine.) Now it's got to be the rear camshaft seal right? Any other ideas?

 

Oh yeah sorry i didn't see your post earlier, if you don't have enough room its perfectly fine to bump over the engine with the key when the cam tensioner tool is installed, or you can turn the cam over with a channel lock.
Its really easy to pinch the 2.8L valve cover gasket when installing a new one, i would get a light and a small mirror and check the valve cover gasket on the back of the head to see if you pinched it.