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Transit 2.5 diesel timing - from scratch!

Either I or the previous owner has done a stoopid thing, but the timing on my project's engine is lost. This is a normally aspirated Transit engine from the late eighties. I can find the locking holes easily enough in the camshaft pulley and the fuel pump pulley, but there seem to be 4 different ones in the flywheel. By poking a screwdriver through the locking hole and turning the engine by hand, I can "feel" two larger holes about 180° apart and two smaller ones a few degrees away from the bigger ones.

So what do I do now?

I'm assuming I'll need to remove number 1 injector (there are no glow plugs) and find TDC, but how does that relate to the point where the engine is meant to be locked for changing the timing belt? (No, I haven't got a manual.)

Any positive suggestions gratefully received...

Reply to
Willy Eckerslyke
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Hi, yes you need to make sure that number 1 is on the firing stroke. When it is your be able to insert the locking pin the hole in the flywheel. The hole you need is the larger one and if you dont have the correct locking pin a 10mm drill bit will surfice.

Once you have all the the locking pins or drill bits in place fit the new belt in an anti-clockwise direction starting at the cranksharft sprocket

Remove all the locking pins.

Slacken the tensioner bolt and allow the tensioner to work and then tighten the bolts.

Now turn the cranksharft 2 turns and insert all the pins again. If the pin cannot be inserted in the injection pump sprocket, slacken the 4 bolts on the injection pump sprocket and turn it untill the pin can be inserted.Then lightly tighten the bolts and remove the pins, then fully tighten the bolts on the injection pump sprocket.

Turn the crankshaft 2 more turns and then check that all pins can be inserted. If they cant repeat the above untill they can. When they all fit, rotate the crankcrank a further 130 degrees clockwise and slacken the timing belt tensioner bolt. Press down several times on the belt midway between the injection pump sprocket and the camsharft sprocken.Then tighten up the tensioner bolt.

Spin the engine and it should fire up. You may have to adjust the injection pump timing slightly if it doesn't run smoothly as when you fit the timing belt it is possible to get the belt as many as 4 teeth out on the injection pump.

If you need any more info drop me an email snipped-for-privacy@ntlworld.com.

Good luck.

Reply to
plroofing1

Wow, what an excellent reply! Thanks ever so much. Printed out ready to put in action this evening.

I hadn't been in that much of a hurry to get this engine running, but have just been offered a second, supposedly excellent engine in a scrap Transit, so thought I'd best find out if I need it or not.

Reply to
Willy Eckerslyke

Is it not a 12mm pin? I've done countless numbers of these, and I'm sure the pin is bigger than 10mm (havn't done for a while now though).

Apart from that, the instructions are correct. Only thing I want to emphasise is do not use the flywheel timing pin to lock the engine (ie should you need to slacken the crankshaft pulley bolt or anything that needs the crank jammed) The timing hole on the block is actually a rivetted on block, but it's on elongated holes, so any excess force on it, and it can move, with the result it'll through the timing out.

Reply to
Moray Cuthill

Yes its definately a 10mm hole... did one only the other day :) And yes if you need to jam the crank, remove the starter motor and jam the flywheel from there.

Reply to
plroofing1

Seconded! Rather to my surprise, the timing turned out to be spot on after all. Now I just need to plumb it in and see if it'll start...

Noted.

Reply to
Willy Eckerslyke

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