1998 VW Jetta A3 AHU Timing Belt Replacement using the "Mark and Pray" Technique and No Special Tools.
I replaced the timing belt on my 1998 Jetta A3 using the Mark and Pray technique Memorial Day weekend 2007. It was completed using the Mark and Pray technique. -

UPDATED 9-27-2009 - Car gets 54 mpg on mid-west interstate travel. This is my son's car and has 86K miles now and purrs like a kitten.

I am only posting the photos below of each step in the timing belt replacement process using the Mark and Pray method.
Click on this link for Complete step-by-step photos of my 2002 VW Jetta A4 ALK Timing Belt Replacement using the "Mark and Pray" Technique and No Special Tools. It is a bit more complicated than the A3
Email me with any questions or comments



My 1998 VW Jetta TDI - 73800 miles


1998 VW Jetta TDI 1.9 Liter Engine - A3 - AHU


Using white paint, I marked the Cam pulley to the back plate so that I could tell if the pulley moves at all and be sure it is aligned when reinstalling belt.


Using white paint, I marked the Injection Pump pulley to the back plate as a reference again as mentioned above.


Another look at the Injection Pump marking.


Using white paint, I marked the Crankshaft pulley to the engine case, you know why!


Timing belt upper routing path


With red paint, I marked the Cam Pulley tooth valley to the belt tooth. I marked the back of the belt with a C (for Cam)


With red paint, I marked the Injection Pump pulley tooth valley to the belt tooth. I marked the back of the belt with an I (for Injection Pump)



With red paint, I marked the Crankshaft Pulley tooth valley to the belt tooth.


Antoher look at the alignment


Another look at alignment


Belt is removed and the new one is installed.



Transfer red marks to new belt using chalk (I am using pink chalk) starting with the crank shaft mark


Lay belts on top of one another to count teeth and visually observe the teeth are aligned. Mark the Cam position with pink chalk and write a C onto the belt.


The final belt mark, for the injector pump should be made as shown.


Install new timing belt from the top and work your way downward. Tape or clamp the timing belt to the Cam pulley when pink and red marks are aligned - this is temporary.


Tape or clamp the timing belt to the Injection Pump pulley when pink and red marks are aligned - this is also temporary.


Slide new tensioner on the post, but not all the way.


Notice the upward bowing of the belt?


Have a helper rotate the Cam and Injection Pump pulleys away from each other to remove the slack/bowing in the belt very slightly (you will need the extra belt length for the belt to slip right on easily.)


Slip timing belt onto Crankshaft pulley by wiggling it a bit and walking it on.


Here we Check and Double Check our alignment marks.


Checking our alignment marks.


Adjust tensioner tang and apply nut and tighten. Use tensioner wrench to tighen belt.


The reinstallation of everything is pretty straightforward except for the replacement of the timing belt cover.

The photo shows the bolt which is on the engine side of the timing cover. When the cover touches the bolt, it slides back into a hole. THE BOLT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ASSESSABLE from the back side and who knows what has to be done should it fall away into the hole (nowhere land?).


The bolt slipped back into the hole and I could not get it moved forward until I took a neodymium magnet and with its great stength, sucked the bolt shank out of the hole. Then, with the shank showing a bit, I wrapped some telephone wire around the bolt to hold it in position.


Here is how I had to pull on the wire and apply the nut to the bolt at the same time. A tough maneuver. IMHO!


Once nut is started on the bolt/post, tighten it up all the way and install the the timing cover bolts.




The harmonic balancer only goes on one way. This is not the way :( - just rotate a bit holes are not square


The harmonic balancer goes on this way.




Here is the Tensioner wrench I made in about 5 minutes using a piece of steel and two hardened 3mm bolts I found in my garage.


Another picture of the tensioner wrench