VW AUDI Camshaft Chain Tensioner Gasket and Half Moon Seal Replacement Part 2 

I just replaced the half moon and gasket without unbolting the cam shaft on the passenger side(98 A6). I used a combo of locking tweezers and forceps. the half moon (anyone know why the hole that the halfnoon gasket covers, is even there?) wasn't that bad either. I did not use RTV on the half moon (I used it every place lese that the video showed). This means i can do the same on the drivers side ... probably even easier. So far, no leaks. Thanks to this video, my 25yr old Audi is not leaking oil! ... until it starts to leak again that is.

Hey dude. I just wanted to say thanks for making these awesome, concise videos. My passat has been giving me a lot of grief and these videos help a ton. You rock!

Great video. Very complete without unnecessary info. Just did the job with great success due to the time you took to show the world! I simply unscrewed the two fuel lines to get them out of the way instead of work around them. Same with the power steering line.

Great video! Stumbled across part 2 first, will watch part 1 next. Hoping to see the actual cleaning as well. I've tried fixing these leak issues a couple times now. This is my third attempt in 16 years. Apparently, this is "routine maintenance" lol.

Fair play to you. This is how all DIY videos should be done. Thanks 👍

I found this to be an insightful video for replacing the half plug and metal gasket. I had done the timing belt and gaskets at 75K. I really liked not having to remove the carrier group on the car. One thing on my engine was that I had to remove the return fuel line because it was blocking the cam cover. Instead of using RTV sealant I have found Reinzosil works really well. It's not cheap but it does an excellent job of forming gaskets and sealing the small areas. Thanks for the vid and info. mhg

Thanks a lot. As always, you helped save me a lot of grief and time. Used this to change the tensioner entirely as it had been failing, a lot easier than I anticipated. I have used many of your tutorials to perform a variety of repairs on my 1998 audi a6 qauttro.

hey! thanks for this video. it really helped me a lot! i just wanted to add to help others. first of all, plastic tool on the tensioner needs to be tightened just until there is barely slack on the chain, then maybe a turn more. if you go too far it will snap easily. if it snaps, you can use a washer on top and it should still thread. worked for me. Also, i didnt need to loosen up the camshafts at all to do the half moon and tensioner gasket. I was able to pivot the tensioner slightly to fit those in there no problem. the tool is pretty necessary though and gives enough slack to to the half moon and tensioner gasket without loosening up the camshafts. i have the 2.7t s4, and the valve cover is a little different. You dont have to take off that power steering line. . Lastly, it was a little unclear for me where to apply the gasket maker from this video, but its pretty easy to figure out once youre looking at it up close. Its everywhere where the gasket returns to the flat position from bends upward. Just on the corners where the gasket runs in the groove when it comes down to meet the flat part of the head and the spot between the cam cap housing and the cam chain tensioner.

Yeah i just got a new valve cover gasket and cam tensioner gasket with the half moon seals. i just wasn't sure if i also needed the cam seals and caps and how many per side since its only one cam. Excellent video by the way. really easy to follow your step-by-step instructions

Браво за видеото, етва е ся обесняване , грам да не разбираш, та да ти стане ясно! Thank you brother for video. This is very very good job guys

Great job showing how the half-moon seal goes in the bottom of the chain tensioner!

You've been a lot of help. You are very thorough compared to some of the videos I've seen. Thanks for the help.

Yep I have a ‘98 A6 with same 2.8 30v motor and I’m about to tackle the valve covers, tensioner gasket, half moons, caps, etc and the PCV, vacuum pump, breather hose and check valve .. I’ve been smelling oil for awhile, and the cabin filter was black as coal.. this job seemed easy hopefully the cam chain in the passenger rear side doesn’t slip.. thanks for great details in these part 1&2 👍🏻

Mate, that is an awesome video, great to see you throwing in the little tensioning sequence tricks too.

great work Am doing one tomorrow I'll look like a champ after watching you !

Great video! You just saved me a ton of money, time, and effort! Really appreciate this

Wow. Didn't realize what I was taking on. Great video and love your channel!

Hi, Great video. As a newbie I would appreciate the full video from start to finish. As things don't always go back as smooth as they should.

Thanks for the video, used it to replace gaskets on my 2000!

i think so you have the best video for this task. i'm about to start changing the cam chain gasket and various seals near there. my blauparts kit for my 2.7t has new tensioner and the round donut seal that installs at the front of the cam. just curious why u didn't do those? either way, this is an excellent DIY and i appreciate the time you put into putting this together. Bravo!

Amazing. I'm replacing the bearings on my v6 2.7 l. Really nice guide

Thank you for the knowledge! Cheers mate! I would think the valve cover would aswell be 7 lbs of torque?

thank you for taking the time to create and publish these videos. you basically taught me the 2.7t

I never loosened my cam caps. Once the special tool compressed the chain and I removed the 4 rear hex bolts, I used a vice grips to slighltly rotate counterclockwise the intake camshaft to relieve pressure on the tesnioner cap.

Great video! Thanks a lot! I have an Audi TT 1.8T quattro, BAM from 2002 (225hp) and i need to remove the gaskets under the camshaft tensioner. I need to decrease tension to the camshaft chain to remove the camshaft tensioner. Please tell me what is the name of that key you used. Thanks a lot!

Great video...Will the same procedures work on my Passat 1.8T AWM engine as I am planning on replacing the half moon/end plug on the intake cam?

Best video I've seen on this procedure. Thanks

You do good automotive work and video work. The lighting in your shop seems excellent. I just replaced the valve cover gaskets on a 2002 VW Passat v6. Still have a lot of smoke coming from driver's and passenger side of the engine. Can't tell if it's oil smoke or exhaust. Might be bad exhaust manifold gaskets on both sides?

Thanks for not using annoying background music and making a good video.

Nice, video! I was wondering about if there was a way to do the passenger side with out the timing belt coming off. I have 04 2.7t allroad that started to smoke a little with the burning oil smell. This will at least get me by until the full overhaul gasket replacement/timing belt and ect.

Thanks for posting, great video!

Nice video! Thanks for taking the time. I’m tired of smelling that burning smell!!

Thanks for the video, whats the procedure for doing the driver side? Do you have a video for this?

Quick question R&W when applying the RTV gasket maker in the certain areas, do you allow the RTV to dry or do you want it to be wet when you reassemble all the parts?

thanks for sharing this video it really helps a lot

Excellent video and step by step instruction.

Your the best as always

great video!! I have a Audi a4 Quattro 1.8 wagon and it has the same problem oil every where..it seems that I can start from the Camshaft Chain Tensioner Gasket. .Very good video!!

i need help. i tried using the 3366 tool to release the tension on the chain but it barely budges. what else do i need to do in order to get the chain loose?

hi do you know if the passat v6 from 2004 has the half moon or use it?. greetings from chile

Would I be right in thinking that there is another tensioner on the other set of cams on bank 2, as I can feel a camshaft seal plug at the back of the head?

Hi +RatchetsandWrenches what are the symptoms for a bad tensioner gasket and 1/2 moon seal? My A4 2.8 2008 has a bank 1 lean code with a lot of oily soot at the back and bottom of engine... runs weak and idles shaky... This seems a bit involved so maybe a few things to check off before I do this job??? Thanks ahead! really appreciate your vidis :)

Okay, so I need to change out the cam chain tensioner on my Jetta, how do I get the tensioner out of the engine? If I'm picturing it correct the compressor tool will make it a pain to get it out

Tnx a bunch,you helped me a lot with this and TB video,i am all done but still have coolant leake somewhere under the tensioner (pasanger side),the thing is i cant see where exactly is leaking and now after TB job i still dont have coolant in the sistem....maybe coolant flange (cant tell is it plastic or metal coolant flange) ? I have 2001 Audi A6 2.8? Tnx one more time:)

I have a 01 A4 1.8T, the sprocket is locking up after the first turn. The engine was just rebuilt but the head was not removed. It was turned over to install the crankshaft. Could you give me any input on this @RatchetsAnd wrenches?

hello, do you know the bfb engine (1.8T) camshaft caps torgues?

this video helped me decide to do it myself

My chain tensioner chipped (the top plastic piece) and I need to replace it. If i move the chain out of the way and release the special tool in order to swap out the piece, should everything stay in time? I don't want to make this a bigger project if I don't have to.

Hi, Any advice what to do more to change the Tensioner itself? Thanks

you can also change the one on the driver side without removing the timing belt, it sucks but there is enough room to slide the seal and gasket out, but you have to take all the cam caps off plus the double bearing cap. make sure you put them back on in order and torque them to the required spec and sequence

How long does this job take? I'm thinking of doing the rocker cover, VVT seals and tensioner all at the same time? What do you reckon?

There is a 5mm allen on the back of the intake plenum, and a 10mm hex bolt on the top of it. I just move it out of the way to gain more room to loosen the power steering line and work on the tensioner. Getting the fuel lines out of the way helps too.

Is it compulsory to do this when doing a rocker cover gasket on a golf 1.8t?

Is this same procedure as the 1.8t? I have an 04 Audi a4 1.8t

Hi, where do I get chain tensioner and half moon seal? 2002 Audi A4 Quattro 3.0

Good video! Thanks for posting! The only thing I would add is that you should probably change the cam shaft seal on the cam shaft with the cam chain tensioner since you're there. You have a video of that doing it on the driver's side. Basically the cam seal that is to the right in the video on the top cam shaft. The one by the cam position sensor. That is held in place by 2 10mm bolts; then there's a 13mm bolt that holds a cam position ring, and finally the seal I'm talking about. BUT You have to start working on this before you loosen the CCT or the cam shaft otherwise you can't loosen the 13mm bolt. It is pretty tight and you will just spin the cam shaft instead.

If you can get back to me awesome or if someone else can answer this. On the driver side when you do the cam cap and the cam seal that is covered by cam speed sensor cap. I can seem to get it off I take the two 10m bolts out but the coolant line seems to be in the way any tips to get it out with out breaking something thanks!.

Thank you for that good how to!!

Nice video I guess is the same way the other side ? on rs6 c5 4.2 biturbo ?

awesome job man ... keep up the good work :)

Your the man!!

Please explain to me why do you compress the tensioner and loosen up Cam's? Someone did all that without compressing it.

Do you have any idea what to do if the camshaft jams? After removing all bolts it can not be lifted up, it does not move at all.

Hi I am having difficulty with cam chain tensioner i can only get a tiny amount of slack in chain. Any ideas? The chain seems to loosen slightly then if I keep tensioning the chain get tight again. Car is Audi a4 2000 v6. Thanks for video though, most helpful!

thanks, question, what wrong with the oldone, it seems ok??

Yes, by the the time I did this job two times I figured out what the problem was. The valve cover itself had warped slightly. The first two jobs would not leak for a few weeks then the leak would start again. The best fix would have been to take the valve covers to a machine shop and have them resurface the covers, or get new ones. If either of these two methods is too pricey for you, like for me, there is another way. Find a nice, ruff, flat, piece of sidewalk and wet it with some water. Now, in a random circular motion smooth out the valve cover surface. Make sure to flip the cover so it is smoothed out evenly. When the cover is uniformly shiney on the matting surface install the cover and gaskets like shown in this video. Only with resurfacing did my my leak finally stay stopped.

Can you please do a video on the pcv system??

hi i have 2002 audi a6 3.0 twin camp how to set timming if you can hell thank you

Good video thx a lot but if you have a 2.8 a4 you wont be able to fit a ratchet with the t30bit on the lower bolt of the cam bearing cap

Dear Ratchets And Wrenches I have an issue I hope you can maybe help or clarify. I have 2004 Audi A4 1.8t, I recently finished the valve cover gasket and the tensioner gasket with half moon seal. I had all my marks lined up at TDC before starting, I had the Cam Tensioner tool in, then I loosened the Intake cam caps, so I can have enough room to lift the tensioner, and replace the gaskets/seal (Side Note: when putting in the tensioner tool, the slack on the chain was on the under side of the tensioner, loosening cam caps helped loosen chain tension also on top). After I put half moon seal, gaskets in for tensioner and valve cover gasket I tightened the cam caps according to proper sequence, torqued each to spec 10nm. When I rotate the engine 2 revolutions to make sure my TDC marks match on cam sprocket and crank, the TDC mark was completly off on the Cam sprocket when the Crank was at TDC. When I had finsished installing all gaskets and seals, none of my TDC marks had moved a SPEC! I don't know how the Cam sprocket could have moved while Timing belt was not without being in sync with crank pulley. I can only think of possibly the tensioner chain that had slack on the opposite end, might have allowed improper rotation or something. However I did everything in reverse order when re-assembly, not sure WHY!! I am hoping I did not cause valve damage when turning engine two revolutions to check my TDC marks, would you recommend taking the timing belt off and valve cover, rotating the cams back to TDC? Or this is not good idea and I have completely screwed things up!! Any help or feedback you can provide will be great help!!! Thank you Ratchets and Wrenches... Best, Tony

Great video! Looks like you are located in San Diego? Are you accepting customers? I have a 2000 A4 2.8 that needs this job done.

Do you have to set engine to TDC top dead center to do this procedure ? to replace cams. ?

Use some lockgrip pliers on a "rough" part of the cam shaft to rotate it to give you more slack in raising the camshaft chain tensioner. You don't really have to mark the chain on the camshaft sprocket, because it's almost impossible to get it to skip a tooth with the slack you've produced, but it will give you peace of mind!

very well explained ,how can I remove this Camshaft Chain Tensioner , I appreciate your help.

good video thanks! I made it yesterday without lossening the camshaft and the power steering line metal pipe, but i was pain in the ass but worked :D just want to say its possible too :)

Was I supposed to put any RTV on the grooved edge of the cam cap?

how long it have wait to the rtv silicon dry

Hi, I just changed tose to mi 05 audi allroad 2.7t. Valve gasket to. But now is a leak on the back engine by the driver turbo side. I think is the return oil lines or all of them. My question is, if can I just remplace the o rings seal on the lines, doing it under the car or do I have to remove the engine.?

i opened mine, with 3366 tool installed the chain still tight, so what should I do now???and how

is a lot of work I will learn one day

Can this be done on the driver side, without removing the timing belt?

Thank you 🙏

Great video, you know if this applies to the A6 C5 with 2.4?

Dude how do take the cam shaft tensioner case off I have been at it for hours. I could have removed the damn engine by now. !!!! Help!!!

Would this cause one to burn oil out the exhaust pipe

I have a real tough situation and I'd like to know if you could help. We got the kit from Blau Parts. In the instructions, it says to remove both cam shafts to get to this half moon seal and the front seals on the passenger side. So we did and lined the chain marks 16 links. Upon install the cams weren't going in the way we had them, they would only fit 3 ways. We tried one way, the car would crank but it wouldn't stay on. We checked to see if there was bent valves but no bent valves. So where we are stuck at is, how the heck do we figure out where each cam shaft is supposed to be positioned? If your an idiot like we are and took out the cam shafts but don't know how to put them back in right, how do you find the correct position? Keep in mind the driverside is perfect. We haven't touched the driver side. Can you help?

Thank you.

Great video are you located in NJ?

How much do you charge? If you live in SD?

Do you need the cam chain tensioner tool to replace the camshaft tensioner gasket on a 1997 audi a4 quattro 2.8L with a SOHC (AFC) ? Also, since its only one cam can i get away without removing the timing belt to do the process ?

good vid ! thank you

Good diy only thing i suggest is actually change or remove tension unit to look at the oil feed port as there is a screen that is usually very gunked up or blown out to the point where it is starving for oil.

Now I think I know why my 1996 Toyota Corolla is leaking oil after changing the valve cover gasket. I didn't put any sealant around the METAL half moon piece. I wonder what that little piece is for on my Toyota.

3:56 Is that an electrical connector?

I have a 2002 Audi A4 3.0 Quattro where I just recently started to hear a ticking sound from the engine bay. The sound is noticeable when the car is idle and with a cold engine start. Would this have anything to do with the cam tensioner?

Hi before putting in tool 3366 are you suppose to have the chain at top dead center? The reason I ask, because I put the tool on and it did absolutely nothing; chain is just as tight as with it off!!! Should I take the tool off and manually turn the shaft so the tensioner raises to it's highest point? TY :)

Video is awesome thanks. Completed passenger side on my Audi A4 (2001, 2.8) and I'm working on the drivers side but I've run into a snag. I can't get the cam chain tensioner to go down. I've stressed the tool as far as I dare to the point it looks like it is going to break and a lot more torque than was needed on the first side but still no slack in the chain and the piston is not dropping. Have you run into this before? Do you have any suggestions? I've re-positioned the tool a couple of times to make sure it wasn't caught on anything but still no luck.

Hi there I have a question. I release all the bolts holding the cam and put the tool after now I'm trying to put the camshaft back but the valves in that side are all the way up how can I push the valves down without bending it. Is a 1.8t vw

thank you

Link to Part 1?