Advice on VW TD 1.6 Fuel Pump adjustments

[epowell]

Hi Everyone,
Edward here, I'm new...
I'm from Canada but living in the Czech Republic - and just bought a 1984 VW T3 CAMPERVAN 
The seller, I think, was very honest - he had just put the original engine back in 3 weeks ago cuz he wanted the 1.9 for himself (and also it is illegal to sell a vehicle without the original type of engine in there). This van now has the original VW 1.6 TD engine.
 - and he offered to knock a couple hundred bucks off the price because he admitted that the timing belt should be changed, and the FUEL PUMP should be adjusted for optimum performance.
I drove the van a bit and I must admit that the engine felt really good to me and would never have suspected something "off" in it.

My question is this: Does it take a specialist for VW VANS to accurately do this kind of adjustment, or are most good mechanics who work on diesels perfectly able to do this work? I ask because the seller recommended a specific mechanic (but that is a bit far away), and meanwhile in the small town I live in, there are PLENTY of mechanics... 

Should I go to the VW specialist he recommended or is this something that most good diesel mechanics can easily handle?

THANKS!

[vanbcguy]

Needs to be someone who is familiar with VW diesels. The timing belt process is nowhere close to gas VW's and most bigger diesels don't have timing belts, so you're best off finding a specialist.

[epowell]

sorry for my ignorance...  but I guess the process of fine tuning, and adjusting the fuel pump is basically like "doing the timing" on the engine?   ...is that like what on a gas engine would be the equivalent of doing the timing on the carb.?

I  think that in VW T2s 1600 gas engines it was considered pretty easy for an amateur to do the timing. . .   is this NOT the case with diesels and adjusting the fuel pump? NOT something easily learned and done at home?

[vanbcguy]

It has no resemblance to gasser timing whatsoever. Things like "line up the marks" result in a non or poorly running engine if not a piston to valve collision.

The actual steps aren't magic, but you need a few specific tools including a dial gauge that can measure down to 0.01mm.

[ORCoaster]

epowell,  Timing a diesel engine is not hard to learn how to do.  We all have done that at one time in our mechanic history.  But what vanbcguy and others are trying to say is that if you don't know how, don't have the necessary tools, and don't have the guidebook (aka a Bentleys)   then you are better off taking it to someone that can either do it right or teach you to do it right. 

There are no little tiny marks that you flash with a light to align the pointer to like a gas engine.  And the dial gauge that reads to the .01 measures is important when we are taking a difference between .88 and .93 mm.  The amount of movement it takes to make the difference is very small. 

Then the whole advance or retard thing comes into play.  Just what part are you going to turn to change from one side of TDC to the other?  You don't grab the distributor shaft but rather the injection pump because in effect that is the distributor.  Note the four different lines out the back, one for each injector which does control the fuel delivery but that delivery is "timed" by the amount of pump offset compared to the TDC position.

Oh and least we forget there is alignment of the stars, them moon, and three different positions on the crank, cam and IP that make this all work.  Any one of them get off and you may play heck getting it to run properly.  I just had that kind of luck last weekend and spent 3 hrs struggling with the timing all because I wasn't paying attention to one part of the equation.  All I wanted to do was take a wee bit of the tightness off the timing belt.  A 20 min operation normally for me.  Why the extra hours and minutes.  Let's just say a certain pair of vise grips on the cam were out of position and it caused me difficulty. 

So, to reiterate, timing a diesel IS NOT BASICALLY Doing the timing on a gasser.  It is somewhat more involved and you need tools and skills.  Get them and you are golden.  Try it otherwise and you are smoked.  Literally, look at the number of troubles on this forum where folks are complaining that they replaced the timing belt and now it smokes, won't start, etc.   

The process can be learned at home but it should be the home of someone that has done it plenty of times in the past.  Then you can take it to your house and do the same.

[epowell]

Thank you so much for these answers vanbcguy, and ORCoaster!!  They are very very helpful.

I am really VERY serious about learning as much as I possibly can about fixing and maintaining VW T3s...  the one that I just bought, I want it to be the last vehicle I ever own (kinda thing) and I want to be able to live way out in nature and be able to totally maintain my own vehicle - - - but yes this is a long way off.

Can you experienced guys suggest the best first steps to take towards this goal? What I am so far hearing is this:
1) get the best possible PRINTED MANUAL for this vehicle
2) have a garage to work in - and invest in proper tools
3) MOST IMPORTANTLY, find an experienced teacher...
4) Would it not be a bad idea to buy a cheap, almost scrap version of the same vehicle and use it to learn on rather than my 'baby'?

Any comments or advice much appreciated.

PS I do have 'some' experience already with mechanics, rebuilding things, repairing things, and I am a professional musical instrument maker - http://edwardpowell.com/EPI.php

[air-cooled or diesel]

the correct manual is the only one normally recommended, bentley, look for your year and model, should cover both gas, v6 or vr6, +diesel. &if there are more than one diesel/td model for that year. i have a red 84 manual,iirc. next you need tools, a vw takes mostly metric tools, best to start 5mm wrenches&sockets, up to 19mm, some are larger, some fit std sizes, so a full set of them is good, have small std sizes, like 1/4 is very useful. 8mm,10mm,13mm,17mm,19mm are some of the more common sizes, with all other sizes needed at one time or,,std sizes are used(sometimes), like i find the tie rod Adjustment, on tie rod is 7/8". (and tie rod takes another 7/8" as well, for 2). some sizes such as 13/16",15/16" can be useful, you need 1/4",3/8",1/2" socket and ratchet, bar sets. you need deep sockets, allen keys/sockets, some may take star or torks, some take 12pt, special. other general tools, screwdrivers, pliers, etc, you may get as far as timing tools, if you want to get fancy and are confident. do you have mech lifters or hydro lifters, if you have mech lifters, you need the tool, &shims.
as far as getting into fixing your self, a basic knowledge of automobiles in general goes a long way,,your brakes are your most important part,to start, so brakes, tires, and suspension being in good shape is going to keep you going. knowing 1st basic maintenance of motor & trans, and driveline, stuff like cv joints even wheel bearings, and checking oil, changing oil, air filter, fuel filter, glow plugs. being able to troubleshoot electrical problems, etc. then a deeper understanding of a motor, in this case a diesel or td.
getting the work right the first time and it goes easier, sometimes in getting it right you find an easier way to get the work done.
1st thing for a car buy, air/fuel filters prob should change just like that, fuel filter is best to prime(from inlet). id prob get a good oil flush and flush out oil, change, w/filter. check brakes, suspension &stuff like tires. a lot of times i swap out new parts on all these things, and align in the end. timing belt sounds like it needs to be done soon, theres more you do than just the belt, new water pump and coolant, while your doing that id change the oil cooler seal/o-ring. front end seals too. some other things, wheel bearings, suspension rubbers(bushings), they may need to be pressed in.  youve got a fairly light for a big vehicle and that small motor has to move it(quite a bit for motors size).auto or stick?take it easy on clutch/trans.prob change manual trans lube, i do prefer a good syn transaxle lube here, and you can do it in a trans without worry.
   

[epowell]

Thanks so much air-cooled! You have put in a nutshell a good program for me to get busy following - as you say, FIRST thing is to get a Bentley VW T3 1984 MANUAL!   ...then tools.

One thing I was a bit confused by in your post is that you mention that VWs use metric, but then you began recommending various non-metric socket sizes etc etc...  why is this? Do VWs also use non-metric, or should I just stick with metric?

Yep, at 52, it's finally time in my life to get serious about mechanics...  I have not owned a vehicle for 16 years because I got fed up with being dependent on profi-mechanics...  I decided I would not own another car unless I learned how to fix it myself!

I remember back in 1990 or thereabouts I was on the verge of driving from Smithers BC to Ft. Nelson BC and was nervous that my very old VW T2 VAN would make it or not, and was talking to a friend about it, and he said: "Well, do you TRUST your vehicle?"   ...and I realized that I absolutely did NOT trust my vehicle and in fact I DID break down a couple hours out of Ft. Nelson!    I don't want to live like that anymore - and I want to take long trips in my CamperVan and feel confident that my vehicle will last the journey.

...anyhow thanks so much for this advice - it has give me some clear step to begin taking immediately! I don't mind investing money and time into this...

[ORCoaster]

52 and learning diesel engines?  I can relate, but I started wrenching on cars when I was 14 so it was a good fit. 

[epowell]

52 and learning diesel engines?  I can relate, but I started wrenching on cars when I was 14 so it was a good fit.

Haha...  I actually did do some wrenching at around 16 on my first car, a green Datsun 510 
...but mostly at that age I was too busy learning Black Sabbath riffs on my guitar

[air-cooled or diesel]

One thing I was a bit confused by in your post is that you mention that VWs use metric, but then you began recommending various non-metric socket sizes etc etc...  why is this? Do VWs also use non-metric, or should I just stick with metric?

small sizes of all tools i encourage, 1/4"std, and a few sizes are smaller, metric too, 8mm and smaller, in allen too. other std sizes will fit metric, 5/8" is an exact fit for 16mm, 3/4" for 19mm, others may be similar, and you at times need 2 tools(whether wrench(s)&/or socket set-up) of the same size, sometimes 2 tools of different sizes may be needed, for instance the thru-bolts for ball joint tops, a set-up of 15mm wrench and a 1/2" 15mm socket w/extension.  for bigger sizes, a special injector socket a 27mm deep is needed, you need a 1/2" torque wrench, i find a 3/8" 'micro torque' wrench helps a lot. for the axle set-up i use a 1-3/16", 3/4drive socket, i totally forget the mm measurement for this. i encourage craftsman tools, and prefer snap-on either specialty tools, or base sets. and of course there are many other basic types of tools to have. hammers, screw drivers, punches, a couple of chisels, and the list can go on!. and of course your vw has specialty tools for it and that fit 1.6 td motors. the top of the front-end strut set up takes specialty tools for ours, or perhaps your set up for a bus type may be closer to the older air-cooled setup. had a couple of those types, lots of fun(up to 65mph), and versatile, with all the seats setup you can fit like 7 people back there, or the rear seat can be a bed while you take turns driving. heheh. had a gas furnace in the one we had for years, could run you out of the van,,the exhaust heat; in the dash vents, was only really good for defrost, wouldnt do another thing,,heheh.
oh yea dont for get allen sockets, as well as allen keys. like to have a set of std keys on hand 2,,

[epowell]

yeah!
Manual
Tools
...and probably building a carport or light garage will be the starters.

I have big ambitions for rebuilding engines etc etc...  but as you suggest, will start with dealing with more straight-ahead items like wheels, brakes, suspension, oil changes, etc etc -

Then after that I intend to first master all of those little things that can go wrong on a roadtrip, things that WON'T require a full garage...  stuff like clutch cable replacement and stuff....  I want to ask experts what items on that list would be. . .  and then get busy learning how to do all those things - as well as stock up on the necessary spare parts (and tools).

Ultimately I would like to be able to rebuild the engine --- and I am figuring that as a newby the best thing to do would be to buy a second hand separate engine, then do my best to rebuild it. . .  and make sure it actually works before attempting to put it in    ....rather than removing the working engine itself cuz if I screw it up I would not then lose my mobility.        . . . However I noticed that engine rebuild kits are over $400! Is this true? It seems quite expensive to spend $400 on an old engine as well. . .  hmmm...   are there cheaper ways of doing it that are still reliable?

[air-cooled or diesel]

a car port, or something like; i have a quanzat hut, so its a garage, and run power to it etc.
i never have used a 'rebuild kit' most are generic, if i get a 'kit' its a specific set. for a rebuild, crank must be good, your block sounds like its ok, head ok, but theres a lot of head work to be done for a rebuild. timing kit, seal kit, if your working around the clutch a rear seal 'kit', front end and rear end seals are different kits, water pump, i get a lot new hardware, while home depot and lowes are ok, i prefer better quality hardware; meaning 8.8grade nut, bolts, washers, nilox, and other assorted stuff. 6mx1 and 8mx1.25 are common screws/fasteners. others are needed. giving you an example of the head during a rebuild, disassemble head, the valve seats, if you reuse, will need to be machined, may need exhaust valve guides, new valves and all stuff surounding, trw valves seem to be the best common i have seen, you also need springs, outter(more expensive), and inners, and locks, id consider the spring seats new as well. new lifters, that is if head is good(not flycut), and cam should be ok,,depending.

[epowell]

So it is not NECESSARY to buy an actual "rebuild kit"... but instead rather to see exactly WHAT needs replacing and only order those things??    ...or is it that with EVERY rebuild there are certain things that always MUST be replaced? 

Are you also saying that you don't get the rebuild kits because you don't think the parts they give are of high enough quality?

[libbydiesel]

Bear in mind that this post is coming from someone who thinks that a vanagon equipped with a turbo-diesel is one of the best vehicles ever produced.  I currently own three and have done extensive work on many including multiple engine conversions. 

$400 in parts is not nearly enough to do a proper rebuild on one of these.  A $400 'kit' is either cheap Chinese knock-off parts or quite incomplete.  $400 is about the cost of pistons and bearings.  You then still need intermediate shaft bearings, replacement rod bolts, new valves, new guides, usually new pre-chamber inserts, new lifters, block bored and surfaced, head surfaced (before new pre-chambers go in), rods reworked, intermediate shaft bearings installed, head gasket, head bolts, other engine gaskets/seals, typically you need a repair sleeve on both ends of the crank, int shaft and cam, oil pump.  Add another $1000 for the 'other' parts and machine work and you're in the ballpark for the parts and machine work of a quality rebuild if you do all the labor of assembly.  If $400 seems expensive for parts for an engine rebuild, you should seriously bail now on your vanagon camper.  Nickel and diming on a Westy is one of the most expensive and least reliable ways to transport yourself.  They can be excellent and reliable vehicles, but typically require quite a bit more than a shoestring budget.