retiming camshaft on 79 diesel

[maxwell]

Can someone tell or show me how to time the camshaft and injector pump.
I turned the motor over with the head off.
Does anyone know which is the best workshop manual for the diesels.

Cheers

Maxwell

[gldgti]

this is difficult, i'll tell you what i know

the most important thing is to get your crank - cam timing correct - otherwise without fail, you will have bent valves! it only takes a tooth.

theres a slot ground into the end of the camshaft which you may have locked against moving on the head. it only lines up one way so this should be easy to line up.

ofcourse turn engine to TDC. get it well lined up.

now, if you turned the engine with the head off, then you probably havent turned the injector pump, because you locked it into place with a bolt/ peice of tube first, didnt you?

if you did, this should all be fine to put back together. so, at tdc, the valves on cyls 1 and 4 should be shut.

if you have turned the pump somehow.... then i dont really know what you should do.... a diesel mechanic may know how to set the pump to the tdc #1 position.

theres a tractor manual that deals with the golf diesel engine which is very good.

[imported_brackie]

gldgti tells the truth.

Make absolutely sure the #1 piston is at TDC by taking the plug out of the bell housing and ensuring the arrow is exactly pointing to the middle of the notch.

Make up a locator from a piece of flat steel by grinding it to the width of the slot at the rear of the camshaft. (Make it slightly too thick or wedge shaped to that you cab gently tap it in.)

If you removed the cambelt with the engine @ TDC then the injection pump (if you haven't knocked it) should still be in the correct position. Really you should have made up a locking pin and locked the injection pump sprocket so it doesn't move.

If you are sure that you HAVE moved it you will have to rotate the sprocket and pump rotor until the hole in its face lines up with the threaded hole tapped into the plate behind the sprocket. In other words, all is not lost. But only move the pump if you are sure that it's been disturbed.

As Ayden says, even 1 tooth can stuff your engine so make sure everything's OK and turn the engine by hand (glow plugs out) before cranking with the starter to make sure there's no interference. Also, did you take off the camshaft sprocket? If so, it has no woodruff key but is on a taper so tighten it 10ftlbs more than specs. A lot of people (including myself) have some to grief by following workshop manual torque settings for that one!

Best manual is the Bentley. I have a spare one if you want it.

[peter_j_g]

I can second (or is it third?) the above comments. It's essential to get the timing of the crank & cam exactly right. Turn over by hand and check again. My woodwork teacher at school (many years ago now) used to say think three times, measure twice and cut once, and that thinking applies here too!