How the hell do you get the camgear off???

[92EcoDiesel Jetta]

The cam sprocket is not all that strong, it's not steel but pot metal or aluminum? When you put a puller on it or pry on it or hammer on it at the o.d., there is a lot of leverage and the sprocket may not survive as you have found out. The punch and hammer through the hole hitting the sprocket rib is the way to go if you want to avoid possible damage.

variety is the spice of life so another method....

I've damaged a pulley by getting too enthusiastic with a particularly recalcitrant pulley taper so changed tact.

Slacken nut

I use a wide (4in) brick bolster chisel to act as a lever to apply a little force behind the pulley to lever it away from the engine then give the bolt head a sharp tap.

Maybe not ideal?  I'll try the punch through hole technique next time.

[Toby]

The cam sprockets are sintered iron or steel, not pot metal. Weak and brittle but great for making cheap parts that are better than castings but not as good or expensive as machined parts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sintering

[regcheeseman]

I just do it the way the Bentley manual says to do it...

real men don't use a manual 




well, not until we've lost our temper and broken some expensive bits first

[maxfax]

I just do it the way the Bentley manual says to do it...

real men don't use a manual 




well, not until we've lost our temper and broken some expensive bits first

HERE HERE!!!  Let's have a beer!

[ORCoaster]

Seems that I use my manual for corrective process.  In that I refer to it to figure out how come what I am doing is not working.  Then there is this light bulb moment and I go back to it once I figure what I was doing wrong.

So I'll raise one to the real men learning after the parts are broken and tempers have flared.  BTDT.  A Lot

[steevz]

The vanagon doesn't have a drift hole in the timing cover. Where on the sprocket does the drift touch?

[rs899]

Out on the edge where the belt rides.  I was trying to pull a hydro camshaft in the boneyard yesterday and I couldn't pop the blasted gear off.  I eventually just gave up because this one had a chipped timing slot, so it was really no better than the one I was going to replace anyway.  I never had any problem popping any of the one I had put on...

[steevz]

Preload tension with a screwdriver on the backside and then tapping the sprocket with hammer worked like a charm.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Preload tension with a screwdriver on the backside and then tapping the sprocket with hammer worked like a charm.

thats a good way to break the snout off the cam too. my grandpa has done it with a cam, and an injection pump..

[steevz]

I broke the snout of a cam by not preloading the sprockets opposite side and whacking the backside of the sprocket,.

[vdubspeed]

holy *** guys. Only on vwdiesel.net would you find three pages on how to remove a CAM GEAR

loosen bolt, hit with hammer.

Done!!!!

I agree with Toby, if you can't do this, put the tools down.

[Mark(The Miser)UK]

holy *** guys. Only on vwdiesel.net would you find three pages on how to remove a CAM GEAR

loosen bolt, hit with hammer.

Done!!!!

I agree with Toby, if you can't do this, put the tools down.

To be fair some of the problems rest with current or PO's all but welding the pulley on with glues and obscene graunching up of the bolt.
It's only got to grip stronger than a snatched rubber timing belt, not a high tensile high powered motor cycle chain . Just do a good prep job, and finger tight will grip like a vice.EDIT Ha ha, don't leave it at finger tight though

[ORCoaster]

To be fair not all three pages are about how to remove the cam gear.  We digressed and bunny trailed big time on this one.  Maybe we need an Icon for that, more than two twists from topic and the icon pops up on the main page.