Flywheel advice

[RustyCaddy]

Hoping someone could clue me in about my flywheel.  I have read a couple of things on the board about timing for a diesel being changed with changing out a flywheel.

My engine is a nice collection of 1.5 l (the head) and 1.6 l (block with 11mm head bolts) parts. 

The flywheel maybe the right one for the short block but I can't find a reference for the code; it is 067 105 273d.  I found one listed without the "d" for rabbits, jetta's etc (067 105 273).  Maybe the "d" is for diesel?  Also, the plain 067 105 273 is listed as a 210 mm but there isn't the space in the flywheel I have for that big of a friction plate.

If all else fails I guess I can take out the #1 injector and try to guestimate TDC.

Any help is really appreciated.

Thanks

[arb]

I always verify the timing mark is TDC by putting a dial indicator on top of the #1 piston.. this will tell you if your mark is correct.

[Rabbit TD]

I always verify the timing mark is TDC by putting a dial indicator on top of the #1 piston.. this will tell you if your mark is correct.

That's the only safe and most acurate way to do it.  I make a set of marks and a pointer for on the front pulley also at the same time when it's on the engine stand.  Then you have 2 sets of marks and if you ever get a pressure plate that wasn't clocked right during a rebuild or a flywheel with a different mark you will know something is wrong.  The pressure plate thing happened to me a little over a year ago, luckily I wasn't trying to time the engine or something like putting a belt on when I discovered a rebuilt pressure plate wasn't clocked right at the rebuild faciity and it misslocated the TDC mark on the flywheel.  The dial indicator is the best way to go and you can check piston projection at the same time while it's apart.

[Baron VonZeppelin]

Rusty, is this a running engine - or is it apart/in parts ?

What happens with the flywheel change deal is some folks do it absent mindedly and don't re-align/synchronize the timing mark on the flywheel to #1 TDC. They just bop the old one off smack a different one (usually larger) back on and forget about it.

It doesn't change the actual timing/tuning of the engine at that point. So if you have a Running engine and a cam lock slide - YOU Need to make Reference Marks NOW Man .
Flywheel, pullies, all the marks you want.

Where it bites people in the azz is later down the road, when next person has it apart for some service and button it all back up, and then go to time it - and there is no flywheel mark there for them to work from.
And then the head has to come back off and dial indicate #1 TDC and make new scribes. And then go back together again.

[RustyCaddy]

Thanks for the replies and good advice.

Unfortunately this engine is out post rebuild and I had put the head back on.  Never had this engine running before the rebuild either so i don't know if it was ever setup okay (tip to everyone out there-avoid buying from a persons estate).

I got spooked when I read about the problems when flywheels get changed around and like mentioned before this engine is a collection of parts spanning a decade or so.

I did set the engine to TDC when i put the flywheel on without the head but didn't have a tranny attached to give me a "pointer".  I turned the crank counterclockwise about 90 degrees to set the pistons all to mid cylinder and put on the head.  The flywheel timing mark looked about right without having a tranny pointer but honestly my guestimate could be +/- 10 degrees.  Just figured that once the tranny went on everything would become crystal clear 

The rebuild used ARP studs so it's not a huge, big deal to take the cylinderhead back off, just another $25 headgasket into the black hole for money that is the rusty '80 caddy (something my wife will never be hearing about).  Am i needing to learn the hard way then and take the cylinderhead back off to scribe some timing marks? 

[Baron VonZeppelin]

If you feel like rolling the dice, you can try going in through the glow hole or inj hole with a length of clothes hanger or welding wire. If where you think TDC really feels right - with your wife helping (lol) - and if the flywheel mark lands right, you could go for it.

otherwise .... unsnap it.

Its a tight squeeze and you're in the middle

[lord_verminaard]

If the tranny is off, you can measure smack in the middle of the two top bellhousing bolt holes in the block and scribe that mark on the flywheel once it is at TDC, that's what I did since I am using a gasser clutch setup.  I had TDC set on the crank/cam/injection pump during the rebuild.

So you have the head on, but no timing belt yet?

Brendan

[RustyCaddy]

Two very helpful points.  Yes the tranny and IP are still off...the IP and belt were next on the list to do.

Will pull the #1 injector tonight and check the mid-point between the bell housing bolts and see where that lines up compared to the "0" mark on the flywheel and what seems like TDC using a wire in the injector hole.

if there seems to be agreement then maybe the flywheel is a good match afterall?  if in doubt better take off the head and try again...the good folks at Victor Reinz will be glad to see me again so soon

[Vincent Waldon]

In general the timing mark is either bang-on... ie flywheel installed correctly... or way way  off.. ie flywheel in the wrong set of holes.  9 holes iirc, so "wrong" is a minimum of 360/9 or 40 degrees... enough that a wire down the injector port should give you a go /no go on your existing mark.

The other situation that gets dicey is when the PO used a generic gasser flywheel which has NO timing mark.  The PO may have filed his/her own... which could be off a little... but it should be pretty obvious if you're dealing with a home-filed mark... hopefully!  

[RustyCaddy]

Looks to be a go the timing marks line up with TDC well...thanks all for the help.

[Baron VonZeppelin]

Cool :thumbsup: