Thomas,
When I bought my '87 5ktq, the guy I bought it from had just had the clutch
replaced. A year after I bought it, a whining/hum began which I traced to a
leaking rear crank seal. A replacement seal cost me all of about $10, but
pulling the tranny and clutch to get at the seal to replace it would cost me
big $.
From what I read here, and what I hear from other folks who work on cars,
it's often the bearings in the waterpump and tensioner that fail and take
out the belt. Once the mechanic has the old belt off, it's best to replace
those things while they're in there. Chances are, if you replace the other
things they would have lasted another 60k miles, if you don't, they'll fail
before the next belt change ;-) If they fail (and you catch them), the best
case is that it costs you _WAY_ more than it would have had you had it done
while the belt was being done.
BTW, mechanics on a race team are no more experts on the longevity of parts
than regular mechanics - maybe even less so - engines and subjected to hell
for a race or a few, and then rebuilt or replaced. Very seldom do race
engines drive the car for 60k miles without major work or replacement.
Yep, $1000 is alot of money - but so is an engine replacement.
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply) .......blarphoogy

"Thomas G. Marshall" . com>
wrote in message news:3Goud.2028$eO5.1491@trndny08...
> Iain Miller coughed up:
> > "malcolm" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> its a1900 tdi 5speed
> >> thanks ian
> >> same money or less
> >>
> > I don't know - can't imagine it would be significantly less. Suggest
> > you riung the nearest VW dealer & ask - they usually have "menu"
> > pricing for cambelts & should just be able to give you a figure. Make
> > sure that it includes changing the tensioners & rollers & also ask
> > about the external drive belts as well - might as well do 'em all
> > while they are in there.
>
>
> Mine: 2000 / a4 / 1.8T
>
> Back when I was a Mitsubishi eclipse gsx (AWD) owner, and this car was
> notorious for dead timing belts at 100 feet past 60,000 miles, I asked a
> former member of mitsubishi racing about the extra replacements that go
> along with changing a timing belt on the eclipse.
>
> He told me that replacing the water pump and tensioners was always
overkill
> in cars----and that it was usually a money-scam to make more money for the
> dealerships and that he never does it.
>
> Perhaps this is easy to say if you actually belong to mitsubishi and all
> "your" cars are mitsubishi's, but do any of you find this to be true.
>
> These costs are not insignificant once you start adding in *all* these
> "just-in-case"'s. It really seems to get out of hand. The local guy is
> demanding $1000 for my a4 TB replacement (new tensioner, water pump, few
> other belts).
>
>
> --
>
It'salwaysbeenmygoalinlifetocreateasignaturethaten dedwiththeword"blarphoogy"
> .
>
>