Dave88LX

I've been searching my rear-end off here about TDC, timing, etc. I got my pump on tonight, now I need to time it. Currently, the pump is tabbed, gear is not pressed on, and the engine is at what should be "close TDC" (the timing gear tab).

From what I can tell, standard rotation on this engine is clockwise correct? So by barring the tool CCW, engine will rotate clockwise. Exhaust valve is rear, intake is front. Watch for intake valve to open and then close, Once it closes, it will be coming up on TDC correct? Where abouts should I be watching the valves to start marking the dampner?

I've already got a pointer set up, and I understand making the 2 marks, masking tape, folding over for the center. My question about this is "tightening the valves 3 turns" or whatever. Never been under a diesel valve cover before, not the kind of valvetrain I'm used to. Do I loosen the locknut, then turn the screwdriver head deal 3 turns? Or is it the nut I turn 3 turns? I don't know how this works.

I'm not dumb, but I certainly feel like a retard right now.

Thanks.

Forrest Nearing

make sure you've got feeler gauges so that you can re-set the valve lash!

yes, loosen the locknut on the valve, turn the adjuster a bunch to push the valve open enough to contact the piston... slowly turn the motor over till the piston hits the valve. mark your balancer. some people take a piece of wire and make a pointer that you can bolt down w/ the front oil pan bolt. all you need is some point of reference... mark the balancer... then back the engine back around all the way till the piston hits the valve again. mark your balancer... measure between these two marks and make a mark exactly halfway between them. turn the motor back the other way and put the balancer on that mark and you're at true TDC.

oh you'll want to watch the valves so that once you go to time it you know you're on the compression stroke!

now, get your pump all bolted up and turn the motor till you get your desired lift on the #1 plunger, then loosen the nut on the pump, use your gear puller to get the pump gear loosened from the pump shaft and turn the motor over till you get TDC and lock down your pump nut on the shaft.

you'll want to re-check your plunger lift vs. TDC as it'll often back down a little when you torque the nut. you may want to shoot half a degree higher than you're planning on running. if it happens to stay that way? meh

Dave88LX

Cool I got the TDC part right. I have my truck at TDC, and I have my gauge installed in a brand new drain plug, since Snap-On dropped the ball and never sent me the tool.

I'm reading the TSB step by step, and also what you said. Question I have is that I've installed the pump, but I haven't put the nut back on yet. Talking about plunger lift, I need to have the nut on there in order to get the pump to turn...yes.

My pump is currently tabbed. Do I need to leave it tabbed for now, keep the engine at TDC, and install the nut/washer first and then adjust timing from there? If I'm understanding right, I need to install the washer/nut right now with the pump at it's tabbed position, and the engine at TDC? This will give me baseline timing? Then from there continue with the steps to actually measure and adjust?

I think I'll go with this...

Also, the new washer is concave, does it matter which way it goes?

And yep...I have contact cleaner to thoroughly clean the pump gear, shaft, washer & nut.


Another obstcle -- TSB says I need 7-9mm of preload on the dial indicator so that it doesn't "fall off" at the bottom. Installed the gauge while at TDC. I was reversing the engine to zero out my gauge, and I ran out of room. I can only get ~.1" (2.54mm) of preload. I need to find a way to extend this gauge or something.


Now I'm even more confused than ever. I put half a posi-lock taped to the end of the dial indicator to extend it. From TDC, I rotated the engine backwards until the needle stopped dropping, zero'd the gauge, then spun the engine clockwise to TDC, and it's about .352" (8.9 mm). I'm thoroughly confused now, I thought it should only be about 4.9mm or so for stock timing.

Figures nothing goes right!

Please advise.

Dave88LX

One more stupid question -- it's TDC on the compression stroke right? Not TDC between exhaust and intake? I could have sworn it was compression. If not, then I'm 180* out right now because I found TDC on compression.

I'll probably be up to 1am or so Texas time! I need to get this thing running.

Dave88LX

Appreciate the call Forrest! Looks like we got things sorted out, I was associating TDC to the tabbed IP as base timing which it's not. I set the timing like normal, hopefully tomorrow we'll see if I got it right. It's 1am now, been working at this since about 2pm, it's ~20° out, I can't feel much, and I started making dumb mistakes -- time to call it a night!

Forrest Nearing

yeah, I know that feeling, you start moving really slow and making stupid mistakes... that was me three nights in a row when I did a cylinder head R&R and removed the twins for a single

Dave88LX

Yeah I had to take the DV hold-down back out and forgot about the spring in there and it popped out and crap went flying everywhere, I was like I just need to quit for the night. Tell ya what though them insulated cover-alls are the bomb!

I was reading on how to reinstall the delivery valves & holder, tq values etc. I'm not sure if I installed that o-ring correctly. When I removed the DV hold-down the o-ring was basically on the tip of the threads, barely on there. I didn't see any other of the DV hold-downs with the o-ring up the top, so I stuck the o-ring down to the bottom of the bore against the DV holder deal, and torqued the DV hold-down on top of that. I didn't have "90-wt super funky gear oil" or whatever they said to use on the threads so I just used some 10W-30 I have in my can, should be OK I guess.

Is that correct? O-ring sits at the bottom? It looked like it started to split in layers? I should probably replace them all anyways and put some new DV's in there someday.

2500

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