Having the cam gear loose on the shaft does simplify the belt
installation since then there are only 2 fixed gears to get the teeth
count positioned exactly on. Also the gear will move out slightly on the
taper and give more slack to the belt while you fully position it. I
still avoid doing it that way since disturbing the cam gear just to make
the belt go on easier is not worth it to me. However it can be quite a
struggle to get the 1.9 belt on all 3 fixed gears exactly right. There
is a trick to it, involving preloading the injection pump gear in
reverse direction slightly, with the locking pin still in place.

Mark

Poppie Jagersand wrote:
> When replacing the timing belt in a Diesel, the VW instructions say to (first to lock everything up) then *loosen the camshaft nut* (Then put new timing belt, tension, tighten camshaft nut etc).  This camshaft nut re-setting seems to be for precisely setting the camshaft angle at TDC. (or is there another reason?)
>
> If I remember right (and I may be wrong - it is a long time since), for the similar 70's and 80's 4cyl gas engines instructions were basically lock up cam, replace timing timing belt. No camshaft nut loosening and re-setting of cam timing.
>
> Any reason a Diesel would be more sensitive to (very small variations in) cam timing? Anyone skipping the camshaft nut part?
>
> Martin (and '82 Westy "Poppie")
>
>