# Is Intermediate Shaft Alignment Important, or is it what the timing light says that counts?



## 84GTiRookie (Dec 1, 2001)

I have a 1984 Rabbit GTI with basically stock internals. I'm getting ready to take off the timing belt to take off the head. In doing so I was placing reference marks with a china marker on the sprockets & belt so things went back together as is (engine ran fine last time it was started)

When my cam sprocket aligns with the rear timing belt cover (Bentley's reference) --- my flywheel shows to be at TDC in the window of the bell housing, so I think I'm good. QUESTION: My Intermediate Shaft Sprocket doesn't align with the crank pulley V Groove. It's about 1 tooth off. Is that a problem?

My thought is that if the cam sprocket and flywheel reference marks are sync'd correctly, then as long as my timing light shows my timing to be correct (6 degrees BTDC+) then I'm good? Or do I need to move my Intermediate shaft to align with the crank pulley V Groove? 

Thanks for the help in advance!


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## ps2375 (Aug 13, 2003)

The light is fine. The mark on IM sprocket and "V" on crank pulley are there to get the dizzy "in the ball park" IF the dizzy hasn't been pulled. You can set the IM sprocket mark to where ever and set the motor at TDC and install the dizzy to close to correct, but you still need to use a light to get IGN timing set.


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## 84GTiRookie (Dec 1, 2001)

ps2375 said:


> The light is fine. The mark on IM sprocket and "V" on crank pulley are there to get the dizzy "in the ball park" IF the dizzy hasn't been pulled. You can set the IM sprocket mark to where ever and set the motor at TDC and install the dizzy to close to correct, but you still need to use a light to get IGN timing set.


Great. Thanks! Makes sense. I wanted to check cause I could've been missing something?!


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## kurt333 (Jun 7, 2004)

the intermediate shaft turns the ignition distributor. But if there is a notch on it you got to line up the notches and stuff. Its in the bentley or hanes on what you got to do to time it.


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## ps2375 (Aug 13, 2003)

kurt333 said:


> the intermediate shaft turns the ignition distributor. But if there is a notch on it you got to line up the notches and stuff. Its in the bentley or hanes on what you got to do to time it.


No, you don't "have" to line the IM shaft up to anything, it just makes it easier to get the IGN timing correct IF you remove the timing belt. As long as the crank to cam timing is correct, it really doesn't matter where the IM sprocket/shaft is at. I have in the past set crank and cam at TDC and put dizzy at TDC based upon mark on dizzy's lip and then set timing later. This method usually happens at a cam change and I'm not pulling all of the pulleys and lower covers off, and if the IM shaft happens to move,you can pull the dizzy, and move it a tooth either direction along with the oil pump drive shaft(if this happens, the IM sprocket is no longer lined up with the notch).


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## rabbitnothopper (Oct 19, 2009)

well you want the vacuum advance canister to be pointed in a relative direction to a proper alignment

this is generally the only reason you need to move the pump notch

and the IM shaft marking makes no difference on timing of the engine or distributor
OTHER THAN the fact that the teeth on the IM shaft slightly effect position of the distributor teeth
but this is fixed by just simply rotating the distributor to align the ignition timing


normally the vacuum advance points slightly towards the driver headlight (forward)
this allows a good access and proper location of the vacuum line(s) and the 2 hold down springs for the distributor cap

install it all wrong and it makes access to both a lot harder


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## 1978MK1Diesel1.5 (Dec 19, 2020)

ps2375 said:


> No, you don't "have" to line the IM shaft up to anything, it just makes it easier to get the IGN timing correct IF you remove the timing belt. As long as the crank to cam timing is correct, it really doesn't matter where the IM sprocket/shaft is at. I have in the past set crank and cam at TDC and put dizzy at TDC based upon mark on dizzy's lip and then set timing later. This method usually happens at a cam change and I'm not pulling all of the pulleys and lower covers off, and if the IM shaft happens to move,you can pull the dizzy, and move it a tooth either direction along with the oil pump drive shaft(if this happens, the IM sprocket is no longer lined up with the notch).


whats a dizzy?


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## Butcher (Jan 31, 2001)

Distributor. Gas engines.


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