If you ordered the tool from zdmak it may not hold the cam either. Mine twisted the cam holder inside the metal bar. Mine came with 2 other end fittings so I bolted one on and held it with a pipe wrench and my helper(wife) broke the bolt loose with a 24" torque wrench that I use on diesels. That bolt is tighter than hell. Anyway once you get it loose you loosen the small screws on the pulley and turn everything counter-clockwise 1/4 turn. That puts the bolts to the right hand end of the slots. Turn back clockwise to the right until one tooth to the left of the timing mark and tighten the center bolt. Now put a tork socket in the end of the vvt housing and turn all the way to the right. It will go about 3 teeth. Hold that and turn the pulley back counter-clockwise to line up the mark and tighten the small bolts. Now torque the center bolt. My tool did hold to tighten the center bolt. I think I'm going to heat it up and sweat silver solder to keep it from slipping or weld the end I haven't decided. The procedure will make more sense when you do it. Just make sure you don't go to close to the mark the first setting. Stop 1 full cog before the mark. I got too close the first time and there wasn't enough slot in the pulley to get back to the mark. Don't feel bad I've do boat mechanic work for years and this was confusing as hell from reading their procedure. Nothing will fly out of the vvt when you loosen it. I had a burn't up engine to practice on on the bench and I didn't think that center bolt was ever going to break loose.

 

I need to clarify something. The small bolts start out on the left side of the slot if your facing the engine. You turn the timing gear clockwise Which puts the screws to the left side of the slot. When you read the procedure note when they tell you to turn by the gear or the timing unit. The vadis procedure could be written a little clearer. At first I was thinking if you turned it clockwise by the center section the screws should go to the far right if you turn by the gear clockwise the screws wind up at the far left. Clear as mud-huh.

 

That is why I said to mark it all before removing and the small bolts will never be touched.

 

Jason- I think what he is telling you about the three marks is:
1. line up the marks before you remove the belt and note where timing mark is on cam with vvt
2. with the cam locked and the belt off the vvt will spring back counter-clockwise - make a mark above timing mark on cover
3. with a torx socket in the center plug and the cam locked rotate vvt clockwise until it stops and make a mark above timing mark
If your new vvt replicates these marks it will be in the same place as the original. All thr tool does is keep the cam from rotating when you pre-load the pulley and put the belt on.

 

Hummm....... The post directly above this makes the most sense yet. When I had the belt off last time I noticed the play in the VVT pulley. Even when the cam does not move there is some play in the pulley both CW and CCW.

In fact, there is a little finesse required to get the belt back on the damn VVT pulley. The pulley has to be rotated slightly CCW, just past the timing mark.
Then when I slipped the belt on it moves just a little(bout one tooth) CW and the marks line up.

I gave up and just reassembled it all and have been driving for the last week. I did not want to deal with all its problems for a while. Think I will try tackling it again in the next couple of weeks.

I now have the correct cam holding tool and am going make the three marks as described here. Thanks again for all the help and I will keep you all posted as to my progress.

 

Let us know how you make out.