# Best timing belt kit and water pump?



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

Hi all

I should be picking up a 2002 Audi TT Mk1 later this week (180bhp quattro) with full service history but the timing belt and water pump were done just over 5 years and 20,000 miles ago and reading on here and elsewhere it seems I need to get these done again ASAP yeah?

If so can anyone let me know if there's a particular belt and / or water pump kit that's recommended as I read there was some pros and cons between the metal and plastic water pumps?

Finally what 'stretch bolts' do I also need for the job as I read you probably need these too?

Many thanks all [smiley=thumbsup.gif]

*NOTE:* I know everyone will say I should have got the 225bhp BAM one BUT I am coming from a crap Citroen C4 Grand Picasso so this will feel like a Ferrari to me for a while at least


----------



## rlszer (Jun 9, 2014)

andy_symo said:


> Hi all
> 
> I should be picking up a 2002 Audi TT Mk1 later this week (180bhp quattro) with full service history but the timing belt and water pump were done just over 5 years and 20,000 miles ago and reading on here and elsewhere it seems I need to get these done again ASAP yeah?
> 
> ...


CONTITECH or GATES Water Pump & Timing Belt kits are highly rated.

https://www.mister-auto.co.uk/


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

Hi, Welcome to the TTF.
If this is not DIY then let the garage supply the parts, otherwise I would use OEM parts, but Gates appear to be popular & could even be OEM parts. OEM water pumps are still "plastic" but improved from the original.
Make sure you replace the hydraulic damper as well, it's not supplied with the OEM kits.
The stretch bolts are for the engine mounts & should be replaced.
Hoggy.


----------



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

Thanks both for those helpful replies.

I'm going to be letting a local garage do the work but want to pass on the information from here so I get everything that's recommended done at the same time in case they miss anything.

These are the right bolts yeah?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-VW-R ... 3373221830

Thanks


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

andy_symo said:


> Thanks both for those helpful replies.
> 
> I'm going to be letting a local garage do the work but want to pass on the information from here so I get everything that's recommended done at the same time in case they miss anything.
> 
> ...


Hi, Yes, looks correct.
Hoggy.


----------



## Amulet banana (Nov 12, 2018)

INA supply the idlers and tensioners for VAG, so I'd like to think the belt in their kit is OEM too.

You want an OEM water pump preferably, the metal impellers can fail the bearings early, that's from a reliable source.

I've fitted Dayco without issues in the past too, but I mainly fit INA kits now, I have one for a TT currently iirc.


----------



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

Amulet banana said:


> INA supply the idlers and tensioners for VAG, so I'd like to think the belt in their kit is OEM too.
> 
> You want an OEM water pump preferably, the metal impellers can fail the bearings early, that's from a reliable source.
> 
> I've fitted Dayco without issues in the past too, but I mainly fit INA kits now, I have one for a TT currently iirc.


£111.79 for the INA kit via https://www.autodoc.co.uk/ina/7277818 - that seem about right?


----------



## Essex2Visuvesi (Oct 22, 2019)

Might be worth getting the garage to price up genuine VAG parts.
When I had the Timing belt on my A4 changed they used VAG parts as the kit was only a tenner more.


----------



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

Essex2Visuvesi said:


> Might be worth getting the garage to price up genuine VAG parts.
> When I had the Timing belt on my A4 changed they used VAG parts as the kit was only a tenner more.


Cheers will ask the garage what they think as they are friends of mine and knowledgeable with VW stuff


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

Did this job a few weeks ago , for my TT in similar circumstances , only 7K miles but 8 years since the last cam belt change .
I went for a Gates kit , as in the UK Gates belts come with some of the Genuine kits .
Complete kit with belt , tensioner pulley, hydraulic damper and water pump was just under £100.
Even though I had the Gates pump on hand I decided to fit a Genuine pump , as has been said they have still have plastic impellers but appear to be sorted now.
You have to be very careful with the engine mount bolts, the large bolts screw into an aluminium mount (which in turn is bolted to the engine block) and it is this torque figure that many people believe the official Audi figure is incorrect i.e far too high.
So high , that many find the thread stripping out of the aluminium mount , before the bolts ever start to stretch.
Look on this forum as there has been much discussion in the past about it, IIRC I did mine up to about 60lbs/ft , with no issues .
The smaller bolts screw into a steel captive thread and these you can torque up to the official Audi figure.
I don't know why the eBay link shows 5 bolts , you only need 4, 2 large and 2 small?
These are the bolts I purchased.......and a pic of the engine mount off my car with the new bolts ready .
N10209605
N10516702


----------



## SamDorey (Dec 31, 2016)

This is what I was quoted from my local dealer (excluding VAT). Parts are for a 225, not sure if they're the same as the 180 but someone will know. 

Sam.


----------



## Amulet banana (Nov 12, 2018)

Just received an INA water pump, and it's a very good plastic impeller type, if the pump in this engine I'm sorting is genuine I'll put the pair together for comparison.


----------



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

SamDorey said:


> This is what I was quoted from my local dealer (excluding VAT). Parts are for a 225, not sure if they're the same as the 180 but someone will know.
> Sam.


What's the belt dampner for over £100 :?:

Will be interesting to see the water pump comparison too @Amulet banana


----------



## Hoggy (May 8, 2002)

andy_symo said:


> What's the belt dampner for over £100 :?:
> 
> Will be interesting to see the water pump comparison too @Amulet banana


Hi, The hydraulic damper/tensioner maintains the correct tension on the cambelt.
Hoggy


----------



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

Hoggy said:


> Hi, The hydraulic damper/tensioner maintains the correct tension on the cambelt.
> Hoggy


Ah ok didn't realise they were that expensive :!:


----------



## hubcap61 (Feb 25, 2020)

Full Gates timing belt kit including water pump on Ebay (item number 233446994516 )
Discounted until 1/5/20. 
Buy it Now price with discount £77.28 !
Just bought one myself. Not leaving it there at that price.
2 more available.

Make sure you add the discount voucher ( PERCENT20) before you pay.


----------



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

hubcap61 said:


> Full Gates timing belt kit including water pump on Ebay (item number 233446994516 )
> Discounted until 1/5/20.
> Buy it Now price with discount £77.28 !
> Just bought one myself. Not leaving it there at that price.
> ...


Yes that is a good price. My mate can usually get VAG prices at trade discount for me etc but he can't get me a price until tomorrow so not sure whether to get this and then he can just get the others bits :?


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

hubcap61 said:


> Full Gates timing belt kit including water pump on Ebay (item number 233446994516 )
> Discounted until 1/5/20.
> Buy it Now price with discount £77.28 !
> Just bought one myself. Not leaving it there at that price.
> ...


That's brilliant value.
The same kit I used , can totally recommend it .


----------



## andy_symo (Apr 26, 2020)

Cheers for alerting me and others to that deal!

I have ordered that eBay one for that price as I can send it back if my guy says it's not worth using as he did mention something about the VAG one coming with everything together but I'm sure he won't mind using that one.


----------



## frags (Oct 13, 2018)

Ive just been quoted £399 all inc with my local indy using VAG oem parts.......so which kit is better....Gates or VAG??


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

frags said:


> Ive just been quoted £399 all inc with my local indy using VAG oem parts.......so which kit is better....Gates or VAG??


Does this include the hydraulic damper?
They aren't normally included in the Genuine kits, and really need to be replaced each time the belt is done .
Gates are OEM suppliers , at least in the UK.
This is the damper .....the leaking factory one that came out of my car when I did this job last month  .


----------



## frags (Oct 13, 2018)

mmmm, dunno is the short answer, so I will call them in the morning!


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

The Genuine price for the damper is around £100 (a crazy price  ) , the Gates kits (amongst others ) include this.
Really recommend changing it , if that damper fails then bye bye engine, it's this damper that applies tension to the tensioner pulley.....
My car has done 64K miles from new and previously had a belt change in 2012 at 57K miles , when I did the job last month I found a good quality cam belt on there (Contitech) that looked as new but the 2003 damper was still there , and leaking  .
Many garages don't replace the damper as a matter of course .
IMHO it's false economy not to replace it.


----------



## hubcap61 (Feb 25, 2020)

Kit on Ebay includes damper going from the picture and item description.


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

hubcap61 said:


> Kit on Ebay includes damper going from the picture and item description.


It does include the damper , that's why it's such good value .
Like I said , that's the kit I used (although I did use a Genuine water pump instead of the supplied Gates one) and it fitted perfectly .


----------



## Smokehead (Nov 11, 2019)

hubcap61 said:


> Full Gates timing belt kit including water pump on Ebay (item number 233446994516 )
> Discounted until 1/5/20.
> Buy it Now price with discount £77.28 !
> Just bought one myself. Not leaving it there at that price.
> ...


Some of the buyers of this kit wrote in the review that it was delivered with a plastic water pump propeller, not with a metal propeller as shown on the photo


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

Smokehead said:


> Some of the buyers of this kit wrote in the review that it was delivered with a plastic water pump propeller, not with a metal propeller as shown on the photo


My kit came with a plastic impeller on the Gates pump too.
The quality of the Gates pump looked identical to the Genuine pump that I actually used which turned out to be Made in Italy .
I'd have no hesitation in using a Gates pump now.


----------



## hubcap61 (Feb 25, 2020)

Ordered at 15.30hrs yesterday. 
Just arrived. 
Yes plastic impeller but quality kit.


----------



## rlszer (Jun 9, 2014)

hubcap61 said:


> Ordered at 15.30hrs yesterday.
> Just arrived.
> Yes plastic impeller but quality kit.


You can see where they machined out, their OEM's name, from the casting.


----------



## frags (Oct 13, 2018)

Okay, so my local indy came back to me and said that "£399 is correct for the cambelt change. We use genuine cambelt kits and this does not include a hydraulic damper as its not part of the routine change, only if its leaking does it get changed

I admire my indy hugely but this reading the reviews on this kit, it's just too good to miss. and the 20pc you can save almost covers the 2 years extra warranty on the kit that is offered.............so complete kit with extra warranty £96 :mrgreen:


----------



## cb550 (Nov 5, 2018)

frags said:


> Okay, so my local indy came back to me and said that "£399 is correct for the cambelt change. We use genuine cambelt kits and this does not include a hydraulic damper as its not part of the routine change, only if its leaking does it get changed
> 
> I admire my indy hugely but this reading the reviews on this kit, it's just too good to miss. and the 20pc you can save almost covers the 2 years extra warranty on the kit that is offered.............so complete kit with extra warranty £96 :mrgreen:


My Indie gave me the exact same info/advise. Looking at the invoice for the work done, the labour charge was £150 (plus vat). At that figure, I think I made the right move letting them take it on

I requested they fit a new tensioner anyway which came in at £112, so adding a fair bit more to the final bill. Again Audi part and price.


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

IMHO not replacing the hydraulic damper each time the cam belt is done is madness, given how critical a part it is and the ease of fitment when everything is apart anyway.......


----------



## cb550 (Nov 5, 2018)

silverbug said:


> IMHO not replacing the hydraulic damper each time the cam belt is done is madness, given how critical a part it is and the ease of fitment when everything is apart anyway.......


Yes, I'm glad I took your advice regarding the fitment as at the time the guys booked to do the belt in a way were pointing me away from having it done unless required.

Their advice was if it was leaking they would replace it, but of course who can possibly know if a part has'nt currently failed, at what time/mileage it should begin to do so. Peace of mind as well !


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

cb550 said:


> Yes, I'm glad I took your advice regarding the fitment as at the time the guys booked to do the belt in a way were pointing me away from having it done unless required.
> 
> Their advice was if it was leaking they would replace it, but of course who can possibly know if a part has'nt currently failed, at what time/mileage it should begin to do so. Peace of mind as well !


Precisely 8) .
An independent garage blindly following Audi advice/procedure isn't always the best course of action.
Those dampers do wear / leak and you might not know until it is too late if you don't change it :x .
I'm lucky I caught mine in time  .


----------



## frags (Oct 13, 2018)

agreed silverbug.......so i went ahead and brought the gates kit.


----------



## silverbug (Jan 1, 2020)

frags said:


> agreed silverbug.......so i went ahead and brought the gates kit.


I don't think you will regret it  .


----------

