Hi Folks, Firstly apologies for not having any photos to back up my frustrating issues with the timing issues i have. So, Ive had my MK2 Gti now for around 6 month and 3 of them have been with me trying to sort out the timing on the bugger! Its an 8v with I think the K- jet engine its a D reg 1986. Ive had the golf running loads of times with the belt replaced by myself over 2 months ago and a full engine service with a new fuel pump and sender, but it runs incredibly throaty and lots and lots of lag and alot of times while stationary the oil light comes on with a horrid 80s style buzzer which will stay till I turn off the engine and back on. So with researching on here and Google etc Ive found that 1 tooth out could cause all this. Because I marked the pulleys and gears up with tippex i thought this could be the reason so that's why i have taken the belt off again and im trying to do it with the correct markings but... after watching the vids on youtube and again researching places like this the gears that people have explained and kindly uploaded photos are not the same as mine as mine is the early style? ye / no??? The situation is that the markings that I have don't all seem to correspond with marking around the engine or other pulleys so ill give you a breakdown of whats happening. It comes with a plastic bottom Belt cover with a embossed arrow that points to the bottom crank pulley. Ive turned the engine over manually till cylinder No1 the reaches the top to get TDC as flywheel marks dont line up :/?? Ive marked the pulley myself although there is 2 concave ridges in the side of the pulley but Ive not used these as i cant find any information on these? Thats the FIRST PROBLEM! Second problem is how the frig do i set up the second pulley (really sorry that i don't know the actually name of it) that's located in the center of the engine that you line up with the bottom one as explained earlier? ive found the embossed ridge on the side but how do you line that up by eye to the bottom pulley (if this is even the case) as they don't overlap? they sit away so depending on where you looking down or side of the engine they are out? that's my main problem i think? I think im OK with the top camshaft pulley as im pretty sure that when you remove the rocker cover the slit/grove that's embossed on the side of the pulley lines up with the head of the engine?? Also as explained earlier to add problems when you put the cylinder no1 to the top, looking in at the flywheel the marks, they arnt there even if you rotate it again 180 degrees?? Im ok with the dizzy alignment. Also if you guys help me through this i have a really good snap on timing gun that ill use to time the dizzy timing if needed? (which ill have to take from the crank pulley TDC markings due to the flywheel issue). Is this engine still 6 degrees btdc? Hope all this makes sense? Massive thanks in advance folks
does the crank pulley have a rubber damper between the inner and outer part? if so its possible its slipped I have seen this before. Hopefully its that and not failed timing sprocket keyway! it also sounds like the flywheel has been put on wrong in the past as well if the TDC marker isnt there when piston 1 is at the top, it can bolt on 1 of 3 ways though doing it wrong will usually damage the pressure plate as the flywheel locating dowels will bend it. rotate it 360 degrees till you find the marks, you should have a small punch and a big diamond. for the intermediate shaft sprocket () I just ignore it completely, instead line up the dizzy rotor arm up to the notch in the outside of the dizzy casing. for the cam the early ones have a punch mark on the inside that shoudl line up to the head surface, rocker cover and seal removed. if its had a later head/sprocket fitted theres an OT mark on the outside as well but you need to fit the later plastic timing belt cover for that to line up to anything. note that the sprocket may be fitted backwards if no marks line up, check the cam lobes on #1 are pointing up and away from each other with it set to TDC-> |\ /| if not take sprocket off and flip it round then try again. if non of your crank marks line up turn it over carefully with your pokey implement in spark hole #1, mark the crank pulley or flywheel (flywheel probably better more accurate) when the piston gets right to the top of the bore then turn it again sloowly and mark it just before it starts to move down again. now TDC is exactly half way between these 2 marks this should get you close enough, the smallest unit of movement on the belt is 1 tooth so it can only be out 1 either way if the marks are not 100% perfect assuming everything else is ok
