Diesel injection pump timing.

[frank rabbets]

Checked and altered my injection pump timing. It was retarded. Now the engine is much more responsive to the throttle and the car is much nicer to drive.

I made a pump timing SST that screws into the timing thread in the pump. You do not need the Toyota one that brings the dial guage round the side of the pump and you don't have to slacken off the injection pipes. You will however have to take off the oil filter to give you direct axial access to the timing hole. My tool is just a dial guage extension which screws into the timing hole. It is a tube with a plunger incorporated and a screw to clamp the gauge at the other end.

The factory setting is 1.55mm whether or not you use the Toyota SST as with the Toyota one the fulcrum is in the middle.

When you drive your LC the pump timig is getting more and more retarded and after 100,000 miles will be out of tolerance assuming it was set right at the begining. So I guess most people have retarded timing on this forum's 80 section.

IMO those wishing to alter their pump settings should check their timing first.

Really pleased with the result.
Frank

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Is there a link anywhere detailing this operation as it seems the logical point to start for optimum performance and economy?

Andy

 

[Chris]

So what Frank is saying is that a good many 80 drivers may well be retarded.

Oh, Hi Andy. Didn't see you there.

Chris

 

[Marius De Kock]

Ha ha ha

Very funny

 

[Chris]

Dunno what you're laughing at Marius, you've got two!

And a shortage of pictures of the new one if I might add.

Seriously though it's an interesting thought. Mine's only done 74k so I wouldn't have thought it would be out, but something I'll look at checking.

Chris

 

[adrianr]

Bet mine is out a bit then!! Easy fix frank?

 

[oostsco]

I am with Andy on this one. Tried to get help previously so more detail would be much appreciated

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

It wasn't all that hard to do, except for finding the timing mark. The hard / time consuming bit was Frank making the tool. My turn next

 

[adrianr]

Any chance said tool could be rented for a few days?

 

[Towpack]

Reading through the procedure in the FSM, it appears to me the most difficult bit will be getting your big mits in there for access. The 'requirement' of the Toyota SST has put me off checking mine in the past so I think I'm gonna follow Frank's lead and fabricate a bracket for the dial gauge. The FSM also states to loosen the injector pipe unions if timing adjustment is necessary as this requires moving the pump body in or out relative to the engine block which could potentially put some strain on the pipes if they are unable to move easily even though Frank says he managed it without loosening any unions. I guess it depends how far out the timing is and hence how far you have to move the pump.

 

[frank rabbets]

You have to follow the workshop manual but basically you are measuring how far a plunger has moved down a hole at Top Dead Centre. The starting point is when there is no movement on the dial gauge when the crankshaft is rotated and the end point is at TDC when the dial gauge should read 1.55mm.

What they don't tell you is that the rear pump bolts can be got at from underneath.

Frank

 

[frank rabbets]

PS

When you have set the timing correctly by rotating the pump body it is essential to check it all again as you may have taken the play out of the gearchain. Checking it again ensures that all wear/play has been taken up in the right direction with the engine being turned clockwise and the pump following.

Frank

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

also really a 2 person job, one turning the crank, one watching the dial gauge, because you need to know when the plunger / dial gauge have stopped moving to zero it before turning to TDC to get the reading, or be up and down like a yo yo if you try to do it solo.

 

[nivapilot]

Do you happen to have a pic of this SST you made Frank?

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

he might have if someone hadn't done a runner with it

 

[frank rabbets]

But the runner can post a pic where as I can't !

Frank

 

[frank rabbets]

I'm getting worried about this picture Jon..............you havn't sold it ..............have you .

Frank

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Here you go





took some sale pictures so you're ok

 

[PeterLC]

Good work Frank. But some of us live far away and the pictures only don't reveal the tools' dimensions. Some of them are a bit critical so here they are for any member wanting to make his own. My apologies for my old style drawing skills, they do however match the old style injection technology.
The method for fixing the micrometer differs from Frank's, just a matter of preference.
The Volkswagen SST VW2066 could probably also be used.

 

[Iwan]

And when you use similar kit instead of the SST all you have to do is to remove the oil filter and it releaves enough space to fit the dial gauge inline.. it's really worth checking this as with wear etc, you can get to the sweet spot.. "as they say"..