Ok so I'm having a terrible day. Doing my t-belt on my 99 a4 1.8 quattro and was running for parts and my transmission crapped out on me halfway home in my truck. Now I've almost gotten everything buttoned up on my t-belt job and I'm pretty positive the crank moved a tooth. My question is, how do I remove the hydraulic tensioner without the rod coming out too far. I tried pushing it back in so I could put the pin back in, but it's not budging. I need to get the tension off the belt so I can rotate the crank to where its supposed to be. Is there any way to accomplish this? I really appreciate any advice given and I'd love to get this buttoned up as soon as humanly possible because apparently I have a transmission to pull this weekend also. Thanks again in advance guys...

 

You can collapse the tensioner with the 8mm allan in the eccentric pulley, it WON'T move right away, just apply constant pressure and you will see it slowly depress, takes about 30 seconds.

 

Turning it counterclockwise? Obviously... Thanks so much. And I only need one rotation of the crank to realign it, right? No need to turn it over twice?

 

You will have to pull the belt off at least one of the pulleys, its too tight a fit to try and turn the crank with the tensioner loose.

 

Ok cool, no I was just referring to the rotation cycle of the crank. Just meaning one full rotation will bring me back to TDC. As in not necessary to rotate twice to get TDC. I'm not sure if your following what I'm asking, probably because I'm asking wrong. Thanks anyways...serious lifesaver.

 

One rotation of the crank will bring you back to TDC yes, two for the camshaft. Just look at the size of the gears.

 

Well that effectively cracked the eccentric pulley right in the hex socket area and bent the brass pressure plate...not recommended in this cold weather I suppose. O well...lesson learned. I barely put any force on it either. Tried to work it real slow. It cracked like my hex socket was on a 24" breaker bar. All I used was a standard 3/8" ratchet and applied very clow steady force. Not my day apparently. Thanks for the quick response though...

 

So everytime I put the tensioner pressure plate on it moves the crank from being dead on, to off by 1/2 tooth. Like my paint mark is on the crank gear dead on a "peak" of a tooth. When I install the pressure plate, it moves my paint mark to where the coninciding mark on the block is now lined up with the "valley" of the tooth to the left of my paint mark on the gear. So it's moving 1/2 a tooth. Not from peak to peak. From peak to valley. Anyhow, I've tried moving the crank around 360 degrees and stopping 1/2 tooth shy, in the valley before my mark, and I end up before TDC on the crank....I'm stumped...LOL
I need to get this going because my truck tranny **** the bed this week too...any insight? I did put the lower cover and dampner pulley on to verify TDC like you said. It just keeps moving when installing the pressure plate.
BTW when I pull the pin and let it settle, then rotate a few rotations, it gets a little bit farther off.

 

The 1.8T can be a bitch to get in time, i usually either give myself two teeth or one tooth on the crank advanced/retarded from the timing marks when pulling the belt on. If you set the timing dead on then try to pull the belt tight either the camshaft or crank will turn on you (depending on where you are pulling on the belt) it takes time to figure it out. You are getting it about 1 tooth off, which is normal for a first timer....actually normal for some seasoned mechanics too LOL. Just keep working at it.

 

Thanks for chiming in bud...finally got it. I was about 1/2 tooth retarded on the cam gear. Once I lined that up, she fell right into place. Thanks a bunch though... Should be seeing if she fires up in a couple hours...then I get to figure out how that damn bumper that took me two hours to get off goes back on. =)