Club 80-90 Forums

1981 van, originally with a 1.6 naturally asthmatic. Now a 1.9 1Y diesel, from a 1998 Seat Ibiza, fitted just over two years ago by a local garage.

Hi all. Okay, so I'm replacing the head on my 1Y after two injector seats cracked (due to a staggeringly stupid amount of ham-fistedness on my part) and I'm just starting the job. I've got a replacement head, and just need to pick it up from Taunton. I've never attempted the job on a diesel in a van before, although I have done it on motorcycles with an OHC in the past.

Okay, so the first question is have i managed to get no.1 piston to TDC. Please could you check the photo and tell me if the "V" cut in the flywheel is the correct one and I have got it TDC?



This is the tool I have got to lock the injector pump, but it doesn't fit anywhere and thus is useless to lock the pump - there is nowhere to slot it in: -



This is a photo of the injector pump pillion wheel, which clearly shows why I can't lock the pinion wheel with the above tool: -



However, I have bought the following tool to lock the injector pump, which does work, but only if I crank over the flywheel another 1/2 of an inch or so, in order that the pin will slot through a groove in the pinion and into a hole behind. This makes me suspect that the timing was set up incorrectly by the garage who installed the engine originally (note to self - learn to do these jobs myself in future!!): -



This photo shows how far the flywheel has to be advanced in order for me to insert the pin above: -



So, I guess the two questions I have at the moment are (1) is the timing out, judging by where I need to advance the flywheel to in order to insert the locking pin in the injector punp pillion, and (2) do I need to sort that before I replace the head?

I'm really moving into uncharted territory for myself here, so any guidance or advice anyone can give me would be very much appreciated. Beers available for help

yes that is correct crank timing mark(on clutch cover)yes it looks like timing is out,

Thanks dude. The engine has always sounded like it was idling just ever so slightly, and I mean just ever so slightly, fast. Would that degree of "outness" on the timing cause that?

good luck greg...were all rooting for you

Greg. I had a good look at your picture of the pump pulley at maximum resolution, and I can't see any "shadow" of the adjustment bolts at all. If that's true then the pump timing has never been adjusted (cos when you move the bolts you can always see where they were before). Now I would assume that if the pump has never been adjusted, that's how it left the factory, and if it left the factory like that you might be sure that was the correct setting at the time. If it's a Bosch pump I believe the "pin in the hole" produces an initial setting to put the belt on, then you time the pump accurately with a DTI gauge, by slackening the three bolts and rotating the pulley on the boss. Don't loosen the nut in the centre!!!!!

Before you alter that setting, I think it would be a good idea to check timing with the dial gauge. Someone else will explain that better than I can.

Thanks Colin - I think you've answered my question but possibly confused me more (my shortfall, not yours) about locking everything down before I swap over the heads!!

You need to take the cam cover off & check that the cam shaft is in the correct timing position in relation to the TDC V mark and the pump sprocket with the cam belt on as shown in your picts.There is a flat plate tool that fits across into a slot at the rear of cam shaft and keeps it in the correct position for no 1 cam lobes to be at 10 & 2 0clock for the cam shaft timing to be set .The cam shaft sprocket fits on a taper shaft held tight by a bolt & once loosened will allow the cam sprocket to turn on the taper shaft without effecting the cam timing when the belt is fitted and tensioned .Looking at your picts the pump locking pin would fit into it with the flywheel at the TDC V mark if you removed the cam belt then refit it once the cam timing is set with the flat plate tool.

Many thanks Camper

Here is a suggestion remove the cam cover&see if the horizontal slot at the rear of the camshaft is in line across the cylinder head when the engine Is at TDC on the V mark through the bell housing .I think the garage may have set the camshaft timing incorrectly.

I'm a cynical old dog, and my experience of garages tells me that in spite of the instructions, 99% of cam belt changes are just done by putting a new belt on "notch for notch" as the old one. (In fact I found one alleged cam belt change where the OLD belt was still fitted!) That's just fine if it was set up OK before, because the belts are made to incredibly fine tolerances.

So if the pump timing hasn't been altered from new, I'd wager a small amount that the cam timing hasn't been altered either. But as with any engine you've just aquired, it would be a very good idea to check all aspects of the timing set up.

In any case, the cam timing will not affect the pump timing in any way, nor will it affect the running much, but is very important for stopping the pistons kissing the valves.

And in answer to one of your original questions, I doubt a small timing error would vary the idle speed. That's done by the governor, and there is a handy little screw for adjusting the idle. If the seal on the idle screw has been broken then someone has altered it.

Keep us updated - I've got to do mine this weekend...

You're probably basically fine. Where the pump lines up after timing doesn't mean the cam is off also. Just make sure that the cam and crank are perfectly lined up. When placing the belt on, you can take the tool for the pump gear out [as long as you were close before].After the belt is on , and you have confirmed that the cam/crank timing is spot on, then time the pump. The great thing about that style of gear is how super easy it is to time it, go through the regular procedure and adjust it by turning the gear , instead of moving the whole pump housing.