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Author Topic: Cam locking tools  (Read 3765 times)

Offline Swfan18

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Cam locking tools
« on: February 08, 2019, 01:54:38 pm »
Good afternoon everyone,

Would anybody be kind enough to advice me on where I can get the Cam locking tool, Adjuster bit and timing spanner to complete a cam chain replacement DIY.  I have seen various tools on Amazon and Ebay but the seem too cheap to be any good!

Even better I would happily pay a deposit to someone who could lend me them, just name your price!

Thank you everyone and I hope this has gone to the correct thread!

Offline muff1991

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2019, 09:07:53 am »
Hi Mate,

I purchased the ebay kit (link below) and it works great.. as it happens, when I did my cam chain and adjuster.. I was lucky enough to borrow the genuine tools from a friend who works at Audi.
So being the Genuine stuff.. I used those tools rather than the ebay ones.

heads up with this job.. through my own mistake: when I done the job first time round, I didn't realize the inlet cam moves backwards one tooth when removing the chain!!!! (even though they're locked) I put it all back together.. and car was miss firing every few seconds on idle.. I knew straight away I was out a tooth and went online to find timing marks etc... I couldn't see any.. there is none on some of the TFSI's. but I came across a video and a thread of someone saying how the cam locking tool doesn't lock it 100% and the inlet cam moves back 1 tooth! it was at that moment.. i couldn't wait to get home and put it right thinking.. what a total idiot and how did i not see it! hands up i fooked it up loool

so, because I had to return the borrowed tools, luckily i had the ebay kit to do the job again.. and i must say, its a brilliant little kit!! worked EXACTLY the same as the genuine kit in every way!

for the Cam Adjuster socket.. this was something i couldn't borrow as they didn't have it to hand! BUT... Get the genuine one from TPS its less than £10 and will not break (p/n T40080)! DO NOT BUY THE LASER SOCKET!! cheap crap and WILL shatter on you! it did me.. and busted by hand open! I should have listened to the post i read prior to buying one anyway! (TBF i didn't know you could get one from TPS for less than a tenner otherwise i would have done that) i thought online for £30+ was the only option.. hence the laser solution. but the Genuine socket is a must and works perfectly!

since going through my issue at first.. i have now done 4 cam chain jobs and all have been spot on with no issues, using my average DIY skills, the ebay kit and TPS socket!

I know its a big winded post, but I wanted to give you all the info and save you less hassle from the crap I went through first time round!

I am more than happy to lend you my socket and locking kit (PM me)

Link for the kit i have...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vw-Audi-Timing-Tool-Kit-Golf-Passat-Audi-A3-A4-A6-2-0FSI-TFSI-SOHC-Petrol-Turbo/262211307586?epid=22017014404&hash=item3d0d030842:g:J8QAAOSwP~tW6sP0:rk:5:pf:0

Socket part number again: T40080 (quote this to TPS)

hope this helps.


Offline pudding

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2019, 10:03:31 am »
Didn't have that problem with the VW tools  :happy2:   It all went very smoothly!


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Offline muff1991

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2019, 10:35:14 am »
Unfortunately it still rolled back a tooth for me with the Audi tool, and silly me didn’t mark the cams as per rich’s guide on here... doh!

Offline pudding

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2019, 11:51:19 am »
Ah, so the cam slipped round a tooth whilst cracking the VVT bolt off?   The cams do move a fair bit even with the genuine tool, but mine didn't move so much as to allow the chain to go slack and skip a tooth.  What a pain in the back side!  Glad you got it sorted in the end though.

Using rounded slots in the cams to lock a tool into is sh1t design on VW's part!   


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Offline AntzGti

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2019, 12:32:53 pm »
I wonder if this is why on some You Tube posts, both cams are also additionally locked in place with 2 sets of mole grips. One on the inlet & one on the exhaust cam, even though the official cam locking tools is used.

Need to consider doing this job at some point on my AXX as well. Not too noisy right now, but will eventually rattle I'm sure.

Offline pudding

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2019, 06:14:48 pm »
Haven't seen that but yeah, probably!

If VW had used large spanner slots on the cams (i.e. R32) to lock onto instead of grooves, it would solve the problem.


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Offline muff1991

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #7 on: February 18, 2019, 03:41:14 pm »
Ah, so the cam slipped round a tooth whilst cracking the VVT bolt off?   The cams do move a fair bit even with the genuine tool, but mine didn't move so much as to allow the chain to go slack and skip a tooth.  What a pain in the back side!  Glad you got it sorted in the end though.

Using rounded slots in the cams to lock a tool into is sh1t design on VW's part!
yes that's right pud, when I cracked the bolt off and removed the chain etc the inlet cam rolled back a tooth! how I didn't notice it i'll never know! but yes.. some solid locking points should have been engineered into these engines.

i guess you have the BYD engine pud? are the cams not thicker as apposed to the BWA & AXX? i know theyre meant to be tougher.. or at least the inlet cam is supposed to be?

Offline pudding

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #8 on: February 18, 2019, 05:22:05 pm »
Ah, so the cam slipped round a tooth whilst cracking the VVT bolt off?   The cams do move a fair bit even with the genuine tool, but mine didn't move so much as to allow the chain to go slack and skip a tooth.  What a pain in the back side!  Glad you got it sorted in the end though.

Using rounded slots in the cams to lock a tool into is sh1t design on VW's part!
yes that's right pud, when I cracked the bolt off and removed the chain etc the inlet cam rolled back a tooth! how I didn't notice it i'll never know! but yes.. some solid locking points should have been engineered into these engines.

i guess you have the BYD engine pud? are the cams not thicker as apposed to the BWA & AXX? i know theyre meant to be tougher.. or at least the inlet cam is supposed to be?

God knows mate, I can't keep up with the differences!

I think it's the HPFP lobe on the BYD inlet cam that's different.  More lift and I *think* better case hardening.


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Offline muff1991

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Re: Cam locking tools
« Reply #9 on: February 19, 2019, 08:50:40 am »
yeah, I'm pretty sure I read something about something being harder.. (legitimately) but not sure if that was the owner due to a K04  :signLOL:  :innocent: