What's the go to timing belt kit these days?

[freeloader700]

What is the go to timing belt kit these days? I have been out of the loop for some time now. I currently have the Blauparts #GH21133 but it has been on backorder for the last year according to them. I was looking a bit and I am not seeing the Litens manual tensioner pulley available either.

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[Cybersombosis]

On Rockauto, they have a Continental timing belt kit with a mechanical tensioner and metal impeller water pump kit. I’ll be putting that one on mine when the time comes.

[Gunnarrrrr]

graf metal pump. oem o ring. conti belt. oem mechanical tensioner and roller if you don’t already have the mechanical roller. oemvwshop is the cheapest option for the oem parts will save you a cool $50 if you can wait a couple weeks. 06A109243A is the mechanical tensioner and 06A109181 is the roller.

personally I run a gates kevlar belt and an IE mechanical tensioner, but I’d recommend against it if you want a set it and forget it option and you’re making less than 400hp and not revving past 7k


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[Kevin C]

I pieced mine together. OEM pump, Continental belt and the Litens tensioner (OEM up-grade version).

[kwilson]

I pieced mine together. OEM pump, Continental belt and the Litens tensioner (OEM up-grade version).

Same here. I actually reuse/repurpose the tensioner bracket after removing the hydraulic parts. Buy a new relay roller for a few dollars.

[kwilson]

Also, with the water pump out, do the j plug. I like the metal ECS version.

[Kevin C]

Also, with the water pump out, do the j plug. I like the metal ECS version.

I used the cheapo upgrade relay roller with the bracket. Either works. I also used the water pump from a B7, it looks to have a better output. Since I used a B7 block I didn't have to deal with the J plug. But good point to replace it.

[kwilson]

Interesting. Is the B7 2.0T pump a direct replacement for a B6 1.8T? I'm always on the lookout for better parts when I do my next one.

[EuroxS4]

OEM only there's no better parts. Updated timing belt kit that uses 2.0Tfsi rollers and tensioner. You do not want any of those parts to fail.

[freeloader700]

I completely forgot about RM European. Wow looks very reasonable and they have the Litens tensioner. Sweet. Is there anything missing here?

ContiTech Belt – 06B109119F - $29.61
Litens belt tensioner – 06D109243C - $36.26
Hepu Water Pump – 06A121012G – $34.30
INA Relay Roller – 06B109244 - $12.48
*


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[kwilson]

I completely forgot about RM European. Wow looks very reasonable and they have the Litens tensioner. Sweet. Is there anything missing here?

ContiTech Belt – 06B109119F - $29.61
Litens belt tensioner – 06D109243C - $36.26
Hepu Water Pump – 06A121012G – $34.30
INA Relay Roller – 06B109244 - $12.48
*


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Yeah. RM European is one of my go-to suppliers. Only gripe is that they stopped the local pickup option. I sure as hell would not buy that water pump. Spend the $150 on a Genuine water pump. I think your Litens tensioner part number is incorrect. Look at the size of the tab that goes into the freeze plug hole. You need the smaller one I listed below. As stated, the bracket is optional.

Timing Belt Contenental 06B109119A
Litens Tensioner Litens 06A109243A
Water Pump Genuine 06A121012G
Roller NTN/Febi 06B109244
Litens bracket 06A109181

[freeloader700]

Yeah. RM European is one of my go-to suppliers. Only gripe is that they stopped the local pickup option. I sure as hell would not buy that water pump. Spend the $150 on a Genuine water pump. I think your Litens tensioner part number is incorrect. Look at the size of the tab that goes into the freeze plug hole. You need the smaller one I listed below. As stated, the bracket is optional.

Timing BeltContenental06B109119A
Litens TensionerLitens06A109243A
Water PumpGenuine06A121012G
RollerNTN/Febi06B109244
Litens bracket06A109181

You're right on the tensioner, the one I want is the Febi for $82.07, for the bracket, all I would need to do is get a new roller since I already have the litens bracket.

OEM plastic impeller is better than the aftermarker brass? Seems counter intuitive to me

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[Gunnarrrrr]

I just picked up a febi tensioner for a car that I don’t really care about, was $72 I think from autohauz.

the only reason plastic oem pumps fail is the same reason as all the other plastic pcv and vacuum system parts fail, age. as long as you plan on swapping it out every few years it’ll be fine. I’m more of a metal pump guy though.

You get two choices really. 1: lowest chance of manufacturing defect causing a random premature failure because of the highest manufacturing standards (OEM), or option 2: highest chance of manufacturing defect and premature failure due to lower manufacturing standards (aftermarket) but, it’s metal so it’ll end up lasting longer if you don’t get unlucky with a random failure.


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[kwilson]

I believe that the early 1.8T water pumps (B5 era) had the most issues with the plastic impellers. The newer ones seem to be a better composite material. Look at the impeller designs. I'm sure Kevin can chime in here, but the plastic one seems to be much better. I don't think they can cast the metal in the same form as the "plastic" version. Also, I'd rather trust the genuine bearings in the pump vs some unknown version from who knows where. Would you rather have a plastic impeller break or a cheap pump seize up and take out your head?

$34? You get what you pay for.

[Puddin Tane]

Rockauto's Continental Pro Series plus kit comes closest to the mark, has the belt you want plus a metal impeller pump and the Litens style tensioner, but are the pump and tensioner known good products or China clones? Impossible to say without buying it. Best way to be sure is piece together your own "kit." Europa states the brands and lets you get just the pieces you want. I skipped the old style tensioner and bought the Litens type elsewhere (INA brand; FCPeuro). If you want the full monty upgrade tensioner, splurge and get a Genuine bracket (p/n 06A-109-181). You don't want a Chinese bearing in that idler, and the casting is more rigid.

[grayjay]

OEM only there's no better parts. Updated timing belt kit that uses 2.0Tfsi rollers and tensioner. You do not want any of those parts to fail.

Couple of years ago I made the huge mistake of buying and using a ÜRO brand timing belt tension roller on my last 1.8T timing belt change. After just 10,000 miles the crappy low quality roller bearing failed (ball bearings scattered everywhere!), the timing belt jumped and bent most of my valves. Whatever tiny savings there was over price of an OEM roller is nothing compared to the time and $ damage that their substandard parts caused me!!

OEM sealed bearing in the original style tension roller were NTN japanese manufacture.

[Kevin C]

A quick clarification. Cheap relay roller bracket meant the casting is a China sourced casting with an INA bearing VS the OEM update casting. The China sourced casting has the same geometry as the OEM and looks to be a decent part with no functional differences, it just says made in China (INA part). I used the INA kit and swapped the belt for a continental. My experience with the current OEM plastic impeller pumps has been good. The B7 has a reverse curve impeller that has a better flow vs pressure curve. As far as flow goes some metal pumps trade the OEM closed design for simple stamped blades and some try and duplicate the fully closed plastic impeller.

Avoid the stamped paddle wheel types. I chose the plastic impeller since it closest to the ideal shape to improve pump efficacy. If you look at the B7 pump you can tell that the factory engineers spent some time on this. This helps control metal temperatures and may be a factor in how well your heat works. The upside of a plastic impeller is if you do lose a pump its less likely to take the block out. I will trade the slight risk of the plastic impeller for a small increase in pump performance.

[Puddin Tane]

On some of these cheapy brackets, the buttresses supporting the relay roller definitely look skimpy compared to the nice deep ones on the Genuine part, which is why I've shied away.


(can't find a good online jpg of the genuine bracket, but here's a link)

[Kevin C]

On some of these cheapy brackets, the buttresses supporting the relay roller definitely look skimpy compared to the nice deep ones on the Genuine part, which is why I've shied away.


(can't find a good online jpg of the genuine bracket, but here's a link)

My China sourced bracket came from INA, they are a major OEM supplier with a good track record. The section thickness is she same since the tops of the ribs just about reach the bottom of the roller. Comparing other pictures they all look the same I think your being fooled by the lighting on the picture you linked. The depth and width of the ribs is the same and I have never heard of anyone having this part fail. When was building my motor I compared three different brackets (B7, B6 factory and the INA part) and the supports for the roller were the same.

This seems like a nothing burger.

OEM https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...der/06a109181/
INA
INA https://aftermarket.schaeffler.com/e...313-5320601100
INA








OEM pictured below:

[Puddin Tane]

Yeah I see what you mean now about the Genuine picture, I'll stop chewing my nothing burger. Thanks for the guidance.

[Turbo510]

My experience with the current OEM plastic impeller pumps has been good. The B7 has a reverse curve impeller that has a better flow vs pressure curve. As far as flow goes some metal pumps trade the OEM closed design for simple stamped blades and some try and duplicate the fully closed plastic impeller.

Avoid the stamped paddle wheel types. I chose the plastic impeller since it closest to the ideal shape to improve pump efficacy. If you look at the B7 pump you can tell that the factory engineers spent some time on this. This helps control metal temperatures and may be a factor in how well your heat works. The upside of a plastic impeller is if you do lose a pump its less likely to take the block out. I will trade the slight risk of the plastic impeller for a small increase in pump performance.

An inefficient impeller takes more energy to run, so actually adds heat to the coolant despite doing a worse job of moving the coolant. I had a plastic impeller fail on a '99 Passat AEB, which was not uncommon in those days. But as you said, the replacement steel versions are essentially just flat paddle wheels, so I'm back to liking the plastic impellers.

Our company uses small air blowers in our products. The earliest blowers had Polycarbonate impellers, but too many of them eventually broke at full speed (15,000 RPM). The manufacturer offers an impeller constructed from sheet Aluminum, which never fails but lowers the pressure.

[Gunnarrrrr]

I mixed up the graf & geba pumps, I meant geba. the graf one is the piece of shit with the stamped blades. I’ve been using the geba pump that I got with an ecs kit like 8 years ago, still running good. It’s one of the ones that’s just cast like the oem one. there’s some company called hepu that has a similar design but tbh it looks like junk.

IMG_1377.png


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[Puddin Tane]

Geba. Too bad about that gnarly sand-cast interior finish, though.


Edit: looking at the Geba website, this p/n has been updated to a stamped and welded steel impeller better executed than Graf's



This is a German company, their stuff is made in Germany, and engine coolant water pumps are the only thing they make.

Edit 2: comparing the impellers, I think the Meyle HD pump is actually a rebadged newer Gebu! 4-yr mfr warranty and improved design based on pump failures.

[Kevin C]

Geba. Too bad about that gnarly sand-cast interior finish, though.


Edit: looking at the Geba website, this p/n has been updated to a stamped and welded steel impeller better executed than Graf's



This is a German company, their stuff is made in Germany, and engine coolant water pumps are the only thing they make.

Edit 2: comparing the impellers, I think the Meyle HD pump is actually a rebadged newer Gebu! 4-yr mfr warranty and improved design based on pump failures.

Agreed on the casting finish, that was one of the reasons I went with the plastic version.

[Puddin Tane]

This is to confirm that Geba water pumps no longer have cast aluminum impellers with knobby interiors. They now have impellers made from three pieces of sheet steel stamped and welded together to closely approximate the plastic factory impeller.
Geba 3.jpg Geba 2.jpg Geba 1.jpg
This seems as good as Hepu's brass impeller and much better than Graf's stamped one. It's certainly less draggy than Geba's old #10-grit sandpaper casting and, according to Gunnar, Geba's bearings and seals are reliable. It is identical to the Meyle HD pump, which has to be re-badged Geba, and Meyle gives it an un-matched 4-year warranty, such is their confidence in Geba's product.

Thanks Gunnar for adding Geba to the discussion. I hadn't noticed this brand.

BTW, the INA branded belt that comes in INA's TB kits is made in Poland, and INA is a respected brand. The Continental OEM belt is made in Romania, which has me thinking... One former Soviet bloc dungeon. Another... tuh-MAY-tuh, tuh-MAH-tuh...

Combining INA's 530 0546 10 TB kit with Geba's pump gets you a COMPLETE "Litens" upgrade kit, including a metal impeller pump that's probably excellent, for chump change compared to going all-Genuine, with more than enough left over to get a pro grade UView 550000 Airlift cooling system leak tester & vacuum filler. Both brands have good testimonials from expert 'ziners.

[Kevin C]

I like using the Continental belt since they are the OEM supplier and have a great track record. It's not that others cant make a good or even better belt, its not worth it changing what works. Another point I would mention is that while the stamped steel aftermarket pumps come close to the OEM design and are a huge improvement over the paddle wheel cheapies, they are still less efficient. Reading through literature and testing on pumps and fluid flow indicates that it reasonable to expect a 10% loss in efficiency going from a contoured blade tip to a poorly formed tip (that's a very conservative estimate). If you assume that your average speed is 30 mph and you get 20 mpg on a pump that draws 2 hp, the fuel cost over the life of the pump well exceeds the difference in cost from OEM part. Aftermarket companies don't want to spend the huge amount of money it takes to tool for a molded pump and instead make due with sand cast or bent metal.

The good aftermarket pumps will work, and people may or may not care about a tiny change in efficiency but at least its an informed choice.