timing belt on 99 beetle 2.0= major pita

We got the timing belt kit from ECS tuning today at about noon, so we set out to buy a couple things then come back and change the t belt, water pump, accessory belt, t belt tensioner, and the stretch bolts for the motor mount i had to take loose.
EVERY single bolt on everything was apparently put on by hercules.
I figure I started on it at about 1245, and had to give up about 530 because it was getting too dark. The engine bracket that goes beside the water pump and over the t belt has 3 bolts. the one in the middle gives you about 1.5" room to get to it. it literally took me an hour, a solid hour of trying, to get that bolt loose. when I finally got it off, it was way too dark outside to do anything else. (I'm in a parking space at our apartment complex lol)
I still have to swap out the water pump, put the new t belt on in correct time, put the new tensioner pulley on, put the cam covers back on, put that damn bracket back on, put the accessory belt/tensioner on, then put the engine mount back on, put the coolant reservoir back on, and fill it with coolant. and make sure I didn't f up.
any thoughts or tips?
since I work tomorrow (hour away) til 5pm, and saturday til 3, I guess I'll be able to get one hour of work on it saturday and then finish it up sunday (hopefully)
what a PITA.

Probably easier to drop the drivetrain out the bottom and do the necessary service that way.

I've heard that nearly everything maintenance wise is a major PITA with the New Beetle.

i thought about that like halfway through lol. I dont think I have the necessary equipment here though. probably should have drove it down to my bay at work and done it there. lol
the write up I have is for the 2.0 aeg in 99.5 and up golf's and jettas. not the same as the new beetle apparently, so I've been winging it and referring back to the diy every once in a while lol

A friend of mine works at a VW dealer. Apparently for most things on Beetles they just unbolt the whole nose of the car and work on it that way.

The hardest part of that job is that engine bracket. If you already got it out of the way, it should be downhill from there.

Using a jack on the oil pan to lower and raise the engine to get to all the bolts is the best way.

Getting the timing belt on properly can be a little tricky depending on the tensioner setup. They seemed to have changed the tensioner design multiple times on that engine. Getting the last few inches of the belt slipped over the cam sprocket usually takes lots of swearing, brute force, and ignorance.

And of course, double and triple check your timing marks after install. I mark the crank sprocket with paint too, that way you don't have to install the lower covers and pulley to verify correct timing (that much less things to remove if it slips a tooth or the crank turns while trying to man handle the belt on).

A good VW tech will have the job done in 3 hours start to finish. I suggest swapping in the engine from a Buick Lucerne Super instead.

yeah I marked the crank pulley & belt (three teeth) and the cam sprocket &belt together as well, gonna count the teeth and match it on the new one.
I hope it only takes me an hour or so on sunday.
if it goes pretty quick, I'll be able to go look at the corvair and honda bike=]

DONE!
took a total of about 10 hours lol

Dude... you coulda cad a V8 ;)

You think they suck to service...don't be a auto body tech. They all hate those things. I hate writing them. Can't see anything, you have to take the entire front end off with the fenders to get to anything...they suck.

But at least the check engine lights never come on (sarcasm)...