Timing 8v TSR 2.0 - No start saga - Head removed - *FIXED*

I've stripped the old starter down and Im going to try and use that to fit the new one, I have put a washer on the end of the shaft so I can just slide the new bush on and line it up with the hole like you say

 

I F*cking hate this car!!!!!!!

I have changed the starter and bush so it''s turning over ok now but still isn't starting! There's a few times where it sounds like it might catch but it wont. I'm thinking about buying an ECU now but knowing my luck that'll be a waste of time as well!

 

Tried another ECU today which didn't make any difference as expected! The only time there is any life is with the fuel pump relay out and for a split second there's some signs of life and then nothing, it's as if there's too much fuel getting in with the relay in. Tried some easy start today as well which didn't do anything other than shoot a big flame out the inlet pipe

So, I have removed the fuel rail and found the wiring for the injectors to be tatty and bits of insulation missing but all the plugs have continuity. The injectors are pretty dirty on the ends, one of the injectors looks as if it has a very slight crack in the yellow cover but overall nothing obvious.

I even tried putting the timing back to how it was at the start of this thread but it just backfires and pops which was what I expected really.

Soo any ideas anyone?

Do the fuel regs ever fail on golfs? Just found this which fits the bill for the last time I drove it.

How will I know there is a problem with my fuel pressure regulator?

You will know there is a problem with your fuel pressure regulator from several noticeable symptoms. There will most likely be hesitation during acceleration, excessive load up during deceleration which may cause backfiring or emission odor, and you may even experience a choking sensation like the fuel or air is being completely cut off from the motor at times. Some vehicles may give you a warning light or trouble code to identify the problem.

Read more: http://www.redlinemotive.com/replacement/volkswagen/fuelpressureregulator.asp#ixzz1zCdnpaEL

 

Did the compression test again today, throttle wide open with good battery and starter..

Cylinders:
#1 - 150
#2 - 205/220/225
#3 - 135/150
#4 - 200/160/170/175

Cylinder 1 never changed on repeated tests but the others did as you can see. Not as low as I was actually hoping but I can't see it being anything else other than the valves or head gasket?

 

A few years ago a friends mk2 digi refused to start and would only fire up with the injector feed removed and refitted straight after. Ended up putting a switch in the dash for the injector rail. Procedure was turn key, wait for engine to fire, flick switch turn injectors on. A bit of a pain, but it always started. Never really got to find out what caused it.

 

Do you think it's the difference in the cylinders for the no start? I have read that a car should start with 100psi but the difference in the psi of each cylinder is somewhat more important than the figures?
Is it possible that the cam timing is a tooth off? Are they that sensitive? I was having a look in Haynes last night and they say to line the cam punch mark with the very top of the head where the rocker goes, that's where I set mine at. However in this image here that I posted a while back it's more level with the actual rocker cover and from what I can tell the difference is about 1 tooth.


Reason I ask is the other day I put the cam timing back 2/3 teeth to where it was when I started work on it and it was backfiring through the exhaust when turning over so perhaps just worth putting it back again 1 tooth so it's like the picture above to see if it's any better. With it timed back up to where I had it, easy start came back through the inlet and nearly blew my mates hand off which of course says that it's sparking before the inlet valve is closing right? But it only backfired after more than 5 seconds of cranking, it wasn't immediate at all.

Am I right in thinking that If I was to buy a mk3 Golf 2E 2.0 engine or the like, the mk2 gti inlet doesn't fit?

Good idea about taking the cam out and retesting compression I think I'll have a go at that, probably easier if I just cut the cam belt off for that then.

 

lol I meant take the cam out but remove/cut the cam belt too so that it doesn't get chewed up when a spin the bottom end over!

I haven't got an OT mark but the inner punch corresponds to a tipex mark on the outside which lines up with the arrow on the plastic cam cover. I cant imagine it being that sensitive to one tooth really so defo looks like the head has to come off.

Bummer about the mk2 inlet not fitting the mk3 head! Defo cant be bothered to changed over to mk3 management after buying new items for mk2 management!

 

Just a last thought before I go taking the head off, what about fuel washing the bores clean from oil hence the low compressions but not stupidly low?

It has needed an oil change for a while as it's been running rich due to the timing being out and obviously is even worse now from the attempted starts, that said my old polo had more petrol than oil in the engine and that never had a problem. Anyone heard of this happening to a VW?

 

I'll pour a bit of oil down each bore and re test compression when im back. The oil isnt good its quite runny and black, when the dip stick is removed you get a couple of drips straight away so worth a go i think.

 

The head is off.

The head is now off! Tried some oil in the cylinders and it didn't seem to make any difference to compression so I tried the timing back one tooth again and just random backfires and general non starting so basically tried all variables with the timing.

Was a bit of a mare to be honest, all 3 inlet bolts were seized and rounded on the right hand side so I had to remove the 4 branch nuts with the inlet in place which was very awkward with crap tools so I look like a self harmer now..
There doesn't appear to be any belt valves which is what I expected as I knew I hadn't bent any and the timing wasn't that far out when I started working on it anyway.

Ok, so the bottom end looks ok other than carbon on top of the pistons which scrapes off easily.



Here is exhaust port number 4 as you can see it has been leaking between the 4 branch and this port, all the exhaust ports are caked caked caked in carbon and oil all of which are pretty consistent in amount. The inlet ports are nice and clean from what I can see so looks like the valve stems failed on the exhaust valves.


Definitely no signs of piston to valve contact, just some carbon build up from what I can see.


Here's the head gasket, there seems to be a missing piece where the arrow is and the edges of the gasket peel away. I'm sure when I did my Polo's head gasket it didn't look as rough as this gasket and that was the original, this gasket was done not long after I bought the car apparently and that was only a few year ago.



And finally, when I was removing the manifold nuts I found that cylinder 1 and 3 had a washer with the top shaved off like so, is this right?


Soo yeah any thoughts on this would be nice, I'm going to have a ring around tomorrow to see where I can get the head stripped cleaned and rebuilt for a decent price. I have to say I was hoping for something more obviously wrong but it has to be a problem with the head or head gasket I'm sure.

Oh yes also, all the head bolts were pretty crazy tight except number 10 (first bolt on the back left, cylinder 1) It was tight but nothing like the others, the others were cracking like fook when taking them out.

 

Righto I'll stick some new nuts and washers on it, crapped it when that first washer came off as I thought it was part of the 4 branch, thankfully not!

Bit worrying there isn't any visible reason it wont run though, whatever it is the only cylinder that isn't affected is cylinder #2 as that cylinder fills quickly on compression testing where as the other 3 are like blowing a balloon up with a tiny hole in, it gets there eventually but takes about double the time as cyl #2.

I'm going to test the head soon by filling the ports with petrol with the valve closed and see if any leak, I hope they do lol

Does a leak down test work on the bottom end with the head off? If I drain the block of the oil and then fill each cylinder equally and see if any oil disappears? Or will it be a redundant test?

Last thing I want is to bolt it all back together and it be the bottom end! It never smoked while driving though and it was always the head that was noisy so hopefully it isn't the bottom end. That said this engine was put in by TSR in 2001 and 11 years later it has 4 failed exhaust valve seals/guides so I'm not filled with confidence I have to say. I'm thinking now that the previous owner removed the head to replace the stem seals before I bought it in the hope to stop the oil leaking in the exhaust ports but the problem actually being with the valve guides.

Dumb question but, will I need a 2.0 head gasket for a mk3 for this seeing as it's a mk2 block but bored out to 2.0?

 

Leaking Valves

I tested the valves today by pouring petrol into the ports of closed valves and found some to be leaking..

#1 - Intake = Slight leak / Exhaust = Slight leak
#2 - Intake = Leaking / Exhaust = Leaking alot (valve visibly not sitting flat)
#3 - Intake = OK / Exhaust = Very slight leak
#4 - Intake = OK / Exhaust = OK

So the cylinder that had the best compression has the worst leaking valves

Thoughts?

 

Yeah number 2 exhaust valve sits further out at the bottom which is where it leaks from, the others arnt the same but still leak.

I'm taking it in to a company today for a full strip down decoke, new guides and seals as well as any valves that need replacing and then have the seats and valves cut and maybe a head skim if it needs it..

Also having seen it apart now I can confirm it's a non interference engine so it's impossible for the valve to have bent while running, more likely someone has dropped it when they did the valve seals last time.