# 91 1.8 did timing belt now wont start...PLEaSE HELP



## 89lx302 (Apr 11, 2011)

got a 91 golf 8v digi.. i replaced the timing belt and tensioner have crank sprocket lined up with notch on intermediate shaft have dot on front of cam lined up with the arrow on the top middle of the back of the upper timing cover.. rotor is pointed to the notch in distribuitor ... car has spark and fuel but the damn thing wont start to save my soul....... what the hell could b wrong please help


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## p.rogers (Dec 14, 2007)

id like to know too :thumbup: :beer:


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

turn it to tdc again by hand and check that everything still lines up. timing order correct?

there should be a dot on the back of the cam sprocket as well. it should be lined up with where the valve cover meets the head on the intake side.

is it cranking normally, or does it sound like you have a compression issue ie cam timing off.

you didn't adjust the distributor right?

when at tdc, you can verify by checking the flywheel markings through the bellhousing


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## 89lx302 (Apr 11, 2011)

ziddey said:


> turn it to tdc again by hand and check that everything still lines up. timing order correct?
> 
> there should be a dot on the back of the cam sprocket as well. it should be lined up with where the valve cover meets the head on the intake side.
> 
> ...




rotated it 6 times and the marks still line up.. no dot on the back of the sprocket at all... (wiped it down by hand w a brake clean soaked rag with the belt off) just one dot on the front side and the damn arrow thing ..( 2 piece plastic valve cover)... it cranks normal as hell .. between 115 and 135 psi accross all 4 on a dry compression test.. no adjusting the dizzy and its gonna take some time to clean off my flywheel to find the marks (its oil soaked) but i did pull the plug and put a long screw driver in it and watched till i found tdc...


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

once you have the crank/im shaft lined up, the flywheel will be a tdc. verify that to make sure you are truly at tdc when you think you are. should not be hard to find, even if the flywheel is soaked since it should be right there or a few degrees off at most.

can you take a picture of everything? especially the cam sprocket at tdc.

cranks normal is a good sign. you miss putting something back on from the timing belt job? try some starter fluid and see if it'll run off that?


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

compression should be up around 180psi on all 4, not 110-135..

even my low compression GX engine has around 165psi on all 4 cylinders..

your engine should have 10:1 compression.. and more than 135psi..


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

good point. sounds like you might be a tooth off on the cam? or maybe you didn't open the throttle when doing the compression test?


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## 89lx302 (Apr 11, 2011)

throttle was closed ... i gotta dive in to it more tomorrow and clean off my flywheel and line those up and do it all over again..... hopeing for the best and thank you all for the help


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## 89lx302 (Apr 11, 2011)

ok found the mark on the flywheel... got that dead center with the mark in the bell housing.... my cam is to the left of the dot on the cover 2 teeth.. didnt get a chance to get in to it today any more..


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

nice. how's your im shaft alignment?


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## 89lx302 (Apr 11, 2011)

ill let u know when i get in there... kinda got swamped today so didnt really have time to tinker


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## TheMajic86GTI (Aug 9, 2009)

Double check all your marks...

1. Set flywheel to tdc(remove the plug on tranny to see better). V should be pointing to dot.










2. set dot on inside of cam sprocket parallel to front of valve cover.










3. Make sure rotor is pointing just an 1/8 to the right of the notch on the dizzy rim.


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## Panzerrabbit (Nov 12, 2011)

I'm having a problem with my timing... I don't want to break my distributor or rotor but when I turn my flywheel to the mark the rotor is no where near the mark on the distributor. How do I twist the rotor to line up with the mark with out breaking it?


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## ziddey (Apr 16, 2006)

you don't twist the rotor. you turn the distributor itself. the rotor doesn't budge. loosen the 13mm bolt that's holding down the distributor.


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## WaterWheels (Aug 14, 2005)

Panzerrabbit said:


> I'm having a problem with my timing... I don't want to break my distributor or rotor but when I turn my flywheel to the mark the rotor is no where near the mark on the distributor. How do I twist the rotor to line up with the mark with out breaking it?


Hoping this is not too late, but don't touch it. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume you are not the most mechanically inclined person on the earth. I will also assume you are not the original owner of this car (or engine). It is very easy, and done often, to set up an engine with some or all of the marks not matching what a repair manual tells you to line up. Not talking only VW here so when I say "all" marks don't jump in saying some have to be, I'm multi-brand/country. You can losen the 13mm bolt but just rotating the distributor is not going to fix things. You will have to move the plug wires to match also and in some cases it is best to remove the distributor and "re-set" it to correct this kind of problem. Please read up a little before just twisting the distributor and causing the timing to be completely off.


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## MzerMK2 (Jul 5, 2011)

:banghead:


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

i would pull the belt, and start 100% over..

pull the belt, line up all marks where they need to be, and re-install belt..

now that you actually know where the CORRECT timing marks are..

the IM shaft sprocket has a notch, its supposed to point to a little block on the crank seal carrier.. if its not pointing at the little block above the crank pulley, then its wrong.. also, cam should be lined up with edge of valve cover.. and if its a DIGI motor, they DO NOT have a TDC mark.. only a 6* mark.. just so you know.

digi belts are a bit harder to do just because of the laco of a TDC mark.

heres a stolen pic showing where the TDC mark should be (always to the left of that bolt closest to it)









anyways, you can clearly see the TDC dimple, and the 6* timing notch also.. this is a CIS flywheel pictured.. the DIGI flywheel (the ones ive worked on) will not have the TDC mark, just the timing mark.. beware..

you can line the edge of that bolt hole up tho, and mark the flywheel for TDC tho.. or do the ol pencil in the spark plug hole to find TDC..


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## MzerMK2 (Jul 5, 2011)

Jus Sayin.. if the distributor has ever been pulled out of the enigine without retiming the belt the IM shaft and the distributor is no longer in sync with the IM shaft marks..Wouldnt it be better to align the rotor button to distributor mark?


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## MzerMK2 (Jul 5, 2011)

However in theory,It doesnt matter where the rotor button it pointing as long as the cap is wired right to its position..


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