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delambo · 08-03-06, 08:52 PM

I know this sounds daft since I am a Bosch trained diesel tech, but its been a few years since I have got involved with such things and I have tied myself in knots today.

I have a 1995 astra x17dtl (vauxhall lump) and bosch VE pump with intermittant non start and poor cold start with some white smoke. I removed the dds (no probs there I do this regular) and tried to check the timing. The cam timing aws a little retarded so I advanced this up with no bother, but the thing I cant seem to get my head around is how to check the pump timing. I took the plug out the back of the pump and put my dti gauge in the back then brought the engine to tdc and zero'd my gauge. I an sure I used to then wind the engine back until the needle stopped moving, re-zero the gauge and then wind it back up to tdc and adjust the pump so that the gauge reads .45mm. What confused me so much was that the gauge didnt move when I backed it off then all of a sudden it moved a long way, pretty much until bdc. I checked the data to make sure I wasnt cracking up and it say set the pump to 0.83-0.88mm abdc at tdc, but I just cant remember what this means (I am really busy and knackered and practically incapable of thinking straight at the mo). If my reckoning is correct and i did it right in the first place the pump must be so far advanced I couldnt imagine it running at all! Also if it was this far advanced it wouldnt be white smoke would it? I always used to advance the pumps up if they were white smoking. Could someone please give me an idiots guide for this idiot. Thanks!

P.S. There is no air getting in to the fuel system and the coompressions are good as are the glowplugs and the feed to the glowplugs.

jakeyfly · 09-03-06, 09:41 PM

Hello, sorry might be to late, but set engine to TDC then insert dial gauge with about 2mm prelift, wind engine backover till needle stops and then zero it, wind engine forward to TDC and check your reading and adjust pump if out.
I have had similer readings before with not enough prelift on gauge and with a sticky gauge.
to be honest with that engine the timing marks are to vage to get a an accurate reading, if you check it again and again it will be differant each time if you know what i mean.
i have found it quicker and easyer to just advance it a bit at a time and you can tell when its there by sound, smoke and how it runs and starts, i know that sounds a bit old fashioned but sometimes thats the best way

and if it was too far advanced you get black smoke and a lot of noise (diesel knock)

delambo · 09-03-06, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeyfly

Hello, sorry might be to late, but set engine to TDC then insert dial gauge with about 2mm prelift, wind engine backover till needle stops and then zero it, wind engine forward to TDC and check your reading and adjust pump if out.
I have had similer readings before with not enough prelift on gauge and with a sticky gauge.
to be honest with that engine the timing marks are to vage to get a an accurate reading, if you check it again and again it will be differant each time if you know what i mean.
i have found it quicker and easyer to just advance it a bit at a time and you can tell when its there by sound, smoke and how it runs and starts, i know that sounds a bit old fashioned but sometimes thats the best way

and if it was too far advanced you get black smoke and a lot of noise (diesel knock)

Thats exactly what I did in the end cheers mate.

08-03-06, 08:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
delambo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: infront of my pc Posts: 426 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 6 Posts	Basic question! I know this sounds daft since I am a Bosch trained diesel tech, but its been a few years since I have got involved with such things and I have tied myself in knots today. I have a 1995 astra x17dtl (vauxhall lump) and bosch VE pump with intermittant non start and poor cold start with some white smoke. I removed the dds (no probs there I do this regular) and tried to check the timing. The cam timing aws a little retarded so I advanced this up with no bother, but the thing I cant seem to get my head around is how to check the pump timing. I took the plug out the back of the pump and put my dti gauge in the back then brought the engine to tdc and zero'd my gauge. I an sure I used to then wind the engine back until the needle stopped moving, re-zero the gauge and then wind it back up to tdc and adjust the pump so that the gauge reads .45mm. What confused me so much was that the gauge didnt move when I backed it off then all of a sudden it moved a long way, pretty much until bdc. I checked the data to make sure I wasnt cracking up and it say set the pump to 0.83-0.88mm abdc at tdc, but I just cant remember what this means (I am really busy and knackered and practically incapable of thinking straight at the mo). If my reckoning is correct and i did it right in the first place the pump must be so far advanced I couldnt imagine it running at all! Also if it was this far advanced it wouldnt be white smoke would it? I always used to advance the pumps up if they were white smoking. Could someone please give me an idiots guide for this idiot. Thanks! P.S. There is no air getting in to the fuel system and the coompressions are good as are the glowplugs and the feed to the glowplugs. __________________ If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

09-03-06, 09:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
jakeyfly Super Drunk Moderator Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 209 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Basic question! Hello, sorry might be to late, but set engine to TDC then insert dial gauge with about 2mm prelift, wind engine backover till needle stops and then zero it, wind engine forward to TDC and check your reading and adjust pump if out. I have had similer readings before with not enough prelift on gauge and with a sticky gauge. to be honest with that engine the timing marks are to vage to get a an accurate reading, if you check it again and again it will be differant each time if you know what i mean. i have found it quicker and easyer to just advance it a bit at a time and you can tell when its there by sound, smoke and how it runs and starts, i know that sounds a bit old fashioned but sometimes thats the best way and if it was too far advanced you get black smoke and a lot of noise (diesel knock)