VW T6 2.0 TDI cambelt kit replacement step-by-step

The Problem

The van had a dry-bearing squeak from the front of the engine, and inspection revealed the cambelt was stretched with visible cord on the teeth. Removing the aux belt did not stop the noise, confirming the cambelt components were at fault.

Solution

1. Remove the undertray, air filter, and air filter housing to gain clear access to the front of the engine.
2. Pull the aux belt off first and run the engine briefly to confirm it is not the noise source before opening the cambelt cover.
3. Mark the camshaft pulley, crankshaft pulley, and the old belt itself with white reference marks before anything is moved.
   • Transfer these marks onto the new belt later so you can verify timing is unchanged on installation.
4. Insert the timing locking pins to lock the cam and crank in the correct position.
   • If the pins are stiff to insert, the belt has likely stretched from its original set position.
5. Remove the cambelt cover, old belt, tensioner, and both idler pulleys; spin each bearing by hand and check for play.
   • The larger idler and tensioner commonly develop play; if the water pump shows no play and no leaks, replacement is optional but advisable while everything is apart.
6. Fit the new kit (belt, tensioner, two idlers, and supplied hardware) using your transferred white marks to confirm correct alignment before releasing the tensioner.
7. Set belt tension, then refit the cover, aux belt, air filter housing, and undertray.
8. On CX-series engines (such as CXGB) approaching or past approximately 62,000 miles, replace the front crankshaft sealing flange at the same time since the necessary components are already removed.