8V valve/distributor timing

[gradeAfailure 0]

Just a quick post as I need someone to allay my fears! Sen went into the garage today for valve stem seals (good job too - I saw the ones that came out and there was nothing of them!), and Danny the mechanic said that he noticed that the valve timing was a tooth out, which he corrected - but that this then threw the distributor timing out by a few degrees, which he didn't have time to correct, but to drive it and let him know how it felt.

 

So, I drove her home, and it was depressing - no power, she felt gutless and strangled. Can the dizzy timing cause this even if it's only out by a few degrees? :(

[Supercharged 2]

Yep, - he didn't have time to correct!!!?

[RW1 0]

That's a bit of a sloppy job!

I would get the crank, intermediate shaft (drive oil pump & distributor) and camshaft timing alignments rechecked. It may not be the distributor that's out of position but the camshaft relative to the crank. No damage to the valves or piston will occur with just one tooth out but is that what has happened?? If the exhaust valves are still slightly open depending on where the valve timing is relative to the crank/pistons, valve burning can occur over a period of time. Talking about over 10 or say 20,000 miles so it won't go bust tomorrow.

 

Yes, performance can drop off quite a lot because not only has the valve timing changed but the ignition timing has also changed. But for what you describe it could be two teeth out.

[Rpmayne 0]

There is marks on everything to check they line up.. Plastic bung on top of the gearbox allows a view at the flywheel marker to see the crank at TDC for cylinder 1 mark, this should then tie in with the line (8v golf, might be different on yours) on the cam pulley pointing straight up lining up with the arrow on the fixed part of the plastic cam belt cover, and if you take the distributor cap off there is a mark at about 1 o'clock looking from the front which the arm should be pointing to.

 

Think that's right, just checked it on a mk2 golf, the leads were put back in the wrong order.

[gradeAfailure 0]

Yep, - he didn't have time to correct!!!?

 

No, he said the dizzy was seized in the block so he wasn't able to shift it from above and as it was nearly 6pm, there wasn't time to get it back on the ramps again. It's going back on Monday afternoon - he says he'll just put the cam timing back to where it was if it was running ok before (which it was), but should I insist that it's all timed and set up properly...? I'd have thought so...

[juloesG60 0]

You have almost identical problem to me but in reverse. I checked my boost levels on the MFA in my G60 to find idle was slightly off, this can be due to timing too advanced. Took it to the garage to find timing was out and corrected it. Now left the car with fuk all power and runs slightly rough! Took it to specialist and he rekons something may have slipped and from what ur saying he might be right! shit!

[gradeAfailure 0]

Cheers - will let you know how I get on tomorrow... I'm running a fast road cam; do these usually run different timing to the standard cam? It's a Piper 260 (256degree)