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a1 timing belt frustration

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.

Reply to
thateb
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- Notch might not be in he crank pulley but on the Intermediate shaft pulley. One will have a notch, the other a simple line stamped in it.

- You mention moving the spark plug wires. Perhaps you no longer have

1-3-4-2, starting with #1.

- The cam pulley has a mark on it's INNER face you use to line it up, not w/ the top of the valve cover but the top of the head's surface, where the valve cover and head meet. There might be a mark on this pulley on it's outer face but ignore it.

- If you pop off the distributor's cap you should see a small line in it's top edge. This is used to get the rotor kind of pointed at TDC. This also helps with getting the Intermediate Shaft lined up to.

I have a pic somewhere archived away but _this_ link should help (it has Pictures!) 8])

hth, TBerk

Reply to
T

Helpful 8v timing page:

(Many Thx to JonnyGuru)

TBerk

Reply to
T

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

Worse is when you are working on a V-8 and get all the spark plug wires one hole off. Good thing VWs only have four cylinders! (not that I've ever done that or anything, nope, not me...)

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

OK, I got the thing working. A local genius messed with it a few hours and finally left the crank and cam as Bentley said and instead adjusted the intermediate shaft. He used the coil wire while turning the shaft to see when it was going to fire. I dont understand it, cuz I thought that tweaking the distributer would do the same thing. He is a guy who build oval track engines. He doesnt like many imports and hate the shit out of my truck. I dont ever want to change a timing belt on a shitily marked engine. But all of this screwing around got me thinking of messing with the valve timing. What kind of hp, torque, and mileage change might I expect from an advancement of the valve timing? I understand that advancement usually improves low end. I run around

3000 rmp, so would this help?

T wrote:

Reply to
thateb

Is genius a joke? There is a mark on the distributor that the rotor is supposed to point to to get a pretty accurate static time. Fine tune with a timing light. 1/2 hour task if you include reinstalling the timing cover.

You can spend a bunch of m>OK, I got the thing working. A local genius messed with it a few hours

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

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