I tried to change the timing belt today. This is an 82 rabbit pickup with AC, fuel injection, and a 1.7. Like an idiot, I did not make any marks before removing things. I thought that Bentley would show me. I lined up top dead center with the mark on the bell housing and with a screwdriver in the spark plug hole. I then lined up the cam with the guard next to the valve cover. I looked in the oil filler and saw that the lobes were both pointed up and symmetrical on cylinder #1. This should be set for the cylinder to fire at 0 degrees. I had nothing to go off of with the intermediate shaft because there is NO notch in the crank pulley. NO NOTCH as Bentley had suggested.(Im guessing because I have AC) Instead I lined the center punch on the intermediate shaft with the crank sprocket. That is, the mark is nearest to the crank. I had to move the wires on the distributer ahead or behind (I cant remember which one) to get the rotor to line up with the wire for cylinder #1. I can get it to fire up, but often when I am cranking, it seems to kick back, like it is really advanced. The idle is quite high when it runs, around 1700 or so. When I retard it, it sputters, idle drops down, and eventually sputters and stalls. I put my timing light on the opened up bell housing hole (entire plug removed) and cannot see any mark with any distributer adjustment on any plug wire. Ive spent all day pissing with it, it is frustrating the balls off me. What have I got going on here? Do I have the belt off a notch? Ive checked it many times. The cam is lined up when the crank is lined up. Is it the intermediate shaft? I wouldnt think that it would matter since it can be dialed with the distributer. Please help, and fast. Im going out early tomarrow with a hammer.
- posted
19 years ago