The TDC marker on the flywheel (through the window) is normally a dot (dimple), whilst the correct timing mark is a 'V groove'. The picture above (with the red mark) is an excellent example - for a GTi - showing the 'V groove' 6 degrees to the left of the TDC 'Dimple'. On the 1.6 (according to my Haynes) the timing mark is 17 to 19 degrees Before TDC - hence it will be about 3 times further round (actually only a few centimeters) to the left. I suggest you find the TDC 'Dimple' and mark it (Tippex) and then move the fly wheel clockwise (as you look from the gearbox end) looking for the 'V groove' or some kind of 'Line' marking - mark this too. Then go back to the TDC 'Dimple' and check the Camshaft sprocket AND the position of the Rotor arm in the distributor (pointing to the No:1 Plug lead mark) are correct. Tension the Camshaft belt. Connect up your timing light, run up the engine looking through the window with the timing light for the 'V groove'. Adjust the distributor position by turning it whilst still looking for the mark - then when you find it, clamp it ! keep at it you're getting there Andy
Hey guys, I cant seem to get that plug out, for the life of me it wont budge [:^(] Im assuming the plug should unscrew anti-clockwise, any tips, screwdriver & hammer & pliers dont seem to be doing anything, except breaking the plug.
It's easier to see without it, but you can still set the timing with the screw part of the plug in the hole.
Nevermind, i ended up breaking the plug , opps. Does anyone know the part number so I can order another one from VW?
Hurrah! My car is alive once again. You cannot believe how pleased I am. And how pleased my neighbours are not to have someone hammering and swearing away at his car every evening. Couldn't get the plastic thing out of the hole in the gearbox, so thought I'd try with it in there still. Loosened the distributor bolt - dizzy absolutely completely siezed. Marked it with tippex, sprayed WD40 onto joint, promptly dissolved the tippex. Significant amount of struggling later I gave up trying to twist dizzy with grips, smacked the edge of it very hard with a hammer and chisel, and it twisted round "a bit". Test drove it - feels absolutely fine. Picks up, doesn't pink (that I can hear), got up to 70 (only bit of national limit near me is too short for any more than 70), all good. I'll give it a few hundred miles and see how the fuel efficiency goes, hoping I haven't completely wrecked that if the ignition timing is a bit out. Also fixed my broken bonnet catch with a spring from Maplin: 2.99 for 150 various springs. Springs are really hard to get hold of, it turns out... So very pleased with that. Thanks everyone for your help - TSC, Mikehorsb, Maximo and MKone and Newkid. -Mark
Muppet - Is it running any better? Loads of VWs have that same inspection cover, so you could always see if you can find one in a scrappy? @ MarkSmith... that's great news... it's quite common for the dizzy to be seized - hammer+chisel is the way forward. It's worth loosening it properly and smearing it with grease (copper grease, maybe) before putting it back. Did you check the timing with a light? It's worth making sure it's set properly, now you've got the dizzy moving a bit. That Maplins price for a spring assortment is much better than the Halfrauds equivalent!
Mike, well I managed to correctly time the engine. I set the timing gun to 18degrees and adjusted the distributor untill the V groove was centred. I also tried seting the carb by ear. Car now idles about 900-950ish. I put in 5 worth of petrol and have got 45miles from it. I guess I can get another 10ish miles giving approx 40mpg. Although now when I'm in a gear too high for the speed, ie 3rd doing 15mph, I can hear a little rattling sound coming from the engine. Could this be because the inspection hole is not covered, or would it be something more serious? Thanks for all your help guys.
Muppet: the test for pinking is to put the car in high gear and accelerate hard - that's the condition which exacerbates the problem - and that's more-or-less what you're doing by driving at 15mph in 3rd gear. Pinking could be described as a rattling noise. So maaaaaybe your problem could be pinking --> retard the timing "a bit", I'd say. Others may of course have more informed opinions :-) In my case, mikehorsb, the distributor isn't exactly free. It's still totally siezed. I didn't check it with the light as I couldn't get the plastic plug out, and even if I'd found another way/worked around it, I still couldn't move the dizzy any better... I think I'll suck it and see for a week or so. Cheers! -Mark
Ahh, thats what I can hear, a sort of rattling noise when I accelerate hard. Im guessing if I leave this, it could damage my engine? I think I timed the car at 19degrees, will try it again at about 18ish degrees and see if that happens. Thanks for your help guys.
I'm amazed you are able to adjust it so accurately! My hammer-and-chisel method seems to have a granularity of about 10degrees! Put it to 17 perhaps, and see how it goes. If it's OK, try 18. I suspect you'll need to change it quite a bit to stop it - but that's based on my experience with a completely different car. -M.
Ah I see, will try it about 17. My distributor was ok to move after loosening the top nut. I had to play around with it, and finally managed to time it at 19 dead on. Im surprised yours is stuck, but then I am new at this. Good luck, and hope it goes well.
What do you mean by the "top nut"? The only thing I loosened was the one bolt going into the block, clamping a sort of fork over the flange on the bottom of the distributor. Is there another one somewhere I need to loosen? Ta, M.
Yeah thats the nut, the one that clamps the fork. Theres nothing else to loosen. I will take a picture of it if you want to see.
You need to free the dizzy off well if you're going to adjust it, Mark. Use WD40 and wiggle it back and forth (using the hammer and chisel if need be) until you can move it smoothly by hand.
Well I set the timing (using the service timing hole) to 17degrees and set the carb. Now its idling smoothly (as opposed to lumpy). However when timing to the crank shaft (timing belt side) the notches do not line up. Its now timed at 30 degrees. Is this normal, timing from the service hole different to timing at the crank shaft? Im still trying to find a local garage to set my webber carb up, if anyone knows of any close to Wembley/Hayes, please let me know. Thanks,
