Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

Hmmmmm... it *is* strange if you were able to set the timing once using your paint-on-the-flywheel mark. I can't comment on your method of finding TDC... I suppose it all depends on how accurately you were able to measure the flats being perfectly aligned... again... we're talking thousands of an in...

Yup, for lots of people overhauling the pump is the "final frontier" in their assention to diesel guru. The bible of all things Volkswagen (the Bentley manuals) specifically contain no details on the pump other than simple troubleshooting. My opinion is that if you're pretty comfortable ar...

Well that certainly sounds like an evolving fuel restriction-type problem... if not gelling then perhaps water freezing. Might be a good idea to drain your fuel filter, and drain your water accumulator (if equiped). You could also add a quality diesel additive with water removal properties... Stanad...

You don't need any special tools to reseal a pump (OK, there's one wierd 3-sided socket wrench that you can grind yourself or buy off e-Bay... some kits even come with it) but you will need special tools (about $100 worth) to set the timing once you reinstall your new pump. Doing the timing is not h...

Yup... my MF is the full turbo. Mid-1986 they moved from mechanical to hydraulic valves. Another thing to check is the top of the injection pump... if there's a dome-like tower device on top of the pump and a hose between the tower and the intake manfold you have the boost enrichment device which is...

This is just my personal opinion, but I think you are wasting your time on any other troubleshooting activities (like the glow plugs, biodiesel) until you set the timing perfectly... this is a game where thousandths of an inch make a big difference! As I understand it there are actually a couple of ...

Yup, need all the current you can muster, especially on those cold mornings. If the starter is running fine but disengaging from the flywheel I'd suspect the starter itself... particularly the drive/clutch assembly. As I recall the Bentley covers some proceedures in terms of disassembly... I usually...

and, did you pull the valve cover, loosen the cam pulley, and sync everything at exactly TDC (as per the flywheel in Andrew's post) before removing all the locks and setting the pump timing ? Given that you had no issues until you had to reset the timing due to a timing belt change it really feels l...

Yeah they can be tricky to replace.... basically you pry out the dust seal (the black or blue plastic disk at the center of the flange) and then use some kind of pusher device which threads into the centre shaft and compresses the flange towards the tranny. This allows you to remove the circlip and ...

Just my thoughts: - when you rotate the engine back until the pump lock slides into place you're close, but the real marker is TDC on the flywheel, especially if there's slop in the lock. I wouldn't worry about the lock but just make sure you are exactly at TDC according to the flywheel when you tak...

Not sure I understand your technique.... but are you talking about adjusting the timing using the dial gauge with the pump locked ?? As far as I know, you lock the pump/cam with the crank at TDC to ensure the belt is in the right notch on all three sprockets. You then - release all the locks - insta...

Pretty sure the diesel alternator is a higher capacity than a gasser (glow plugs, bigger starter, bigger battery, higher compression etc) but it's certainly worth checking. I see 20 gassers in the junkyard for every diesel... 'course, that's one of the reasons I drive a diesel !

And test the compression with the engine stone cold... it will do you no good from a cold starting perspective to have great warm compression but lousy compression when the engine has been sitting overnight !!!

I'm about to do my first re-seal open pump surgery and would really like to practice first... my local junkyards never have them for more than about 5 seconds. My email address is vwaldon 'at' gmail.com... pm if I can help you reduce your junk inventory.. your significant other will thank you !!! I'...

Re: your extra LED on the cluster (nice job building them in btw... always wanted to do that). I have a light on the glow plug buss bar like you... saved my butt many times when the relay broke or the fuse went south. I also have a light when the rad fan comes on... my beast tends to run a little ho...