Help,2.0 8v cambelt tensioner

[gasketface]

Hi all.
Just been doing the cambelt on my p reg agg engined 2ltr gti.All going o.k. until it was time to fit the new tensioner which came with the Gates kit.Straight away i knew something was'nt quite right as the nut i took off was a 13mm socket (8mm thread on stud) but the new stud and nut were 10mm stud with 14mm socket for the nut.So my new tensioner has a slightly larger hole in it than my old one.Iv'e been on to eurocarparts and they list 2 but they are both the same (just different quality) and both have a 10.5 mm hole.I have'nt taken the old stud out yet but the guy suggested it might be 10mm where it screws into the engine but 8mm the rest of it's length.I ca'nt see that myself but i suppose it's possible,even though it does'nt make sense.
              Any ideas ??.

[rubjonny]

what you have is the later self-adjusting tensioner on your car, you have 2 options:
1. buy the later AGG tensioner which is more expensive
2. remove the stud and swap on the earlier one in the kit

trouble with option 1 is i dont know where you can get it, gsf dont seem to sell em so it may be vw only! i had same issue doing the belt on a friends car, except it didnt come with the stud which was nice.  just swap on the old type stud and it'll be fine, and when you set the tension turn it till you can get a 90degree twist on the belt at the front

[gasketface]

Hi,thanks for reply but i'm pretty sure the one on the car originally is manual adjust as it has the two holes in it ?.Do you know if the stud on mine is 10mm at the engine end ?.The two tensioners i have are identical apart from the hole size.If this is the auto adjust one how can i be sure,would it still have the two holes for adjustment tool ?.Thanks.

[rubjonny]

the self-adjusting ones also have 2 holes in. look at it closely, notice the 2 arrows on it? either way, you dont have any option but to change the stud as I just checked and even vw wont sell the other type any more, they only sell the M10 thread type with the notes telling you that you must also buy the M10 stud, nut and washer.

the thread is M10 in the head

[gasketface]

So,the 10mm stud i have (which came with my new tensioner) is fine then.I just unscrew the old stud and replace it with this new one.That means that one end of my old stud  must be 10mm,the end in the head.I just find that rearlly odd from a manufacturing point of view.It's more work involved for VW in making a stud with two different size threads at either end surely.Thanks for your help.It's nearly dark but i'm off out now with my torch to take the old stud out and see what's what.Will let you know how i get on.All the best.

[rubjonny]

yep thats exactly what you need to do. the smaller stud as i say is used on the self-tensioning wheel, i assume it needs to be smaller so there is enough room to package all the gubbins inside the tensioner?

the ABF has the same self-tensioner thingy on the later models which you can still get. no idea why the 8v one is dropped when the 16v one is still available though!

[gasketface]

Thankyou my good man,all sorted as far as the tensioner goes.Dark and raining here now so i will finsh it in the morning.Your swift response is much appreciated.