Series 3 (1982) - 2.25 Diesel fuel pump and engine timing

[petergalileo]

Engine is timed at 15 degrees before TDC...

I have taken the cover off the side of the pump, the line with A next to it is about 10mm away from the timing mark on the circlip.  I can twist the pump but cannot adjust it so the lines line up.  What am I missing ??

Also, theres no marking on the case of the pump near the forward mounting hole to align it to the pointer on the engine block

Any guidance appreciated

Thanks

[estwdjhn]

Ok, here are some idea's.

1) What pump drive shaft are you useing...? Thats the coupling shaft that connects the bottom of the pump to the skew gear off the cam. I've encountered two types, on one the master spine is parallel, the other was offset - this would give a small difference, but could be sufficent to give the problem you have here.

2) The skew gear is in the right place, isn't it. (hope it is, setting these up is a beastly job, last time it nearly drove me round the bend)

3) Personally, I've given up on timing 2.25D's by the book anyway. My current basic strategy is to put the pump on at about half way in the adjustment, bleed throught, and start-up. Normally the engine will run, somtimes I have been known to have to put a second battery in series with the starter (but not the glowplugs), to get it to wind over good and fast. Once its running, see what colours smoke you get, and the turn the pump until its right. White smoke, particluarly at idle will be too retarded, black, particluarly when running hard will be too advanced. Incidentally, if you get the pump fueling turned up a tad, then advance it a little more than you are ment to, you will get the fastest 2.25D in the west (mine would outrun a 2.5na). The downside is that the Mpg drops slightly, and it will smoke a bit (and lots if you really nail it had hi revs, I once blacked out the M67 when I nailed my 109" up the hill to the end at 65-70mph)

[James.Harwood]

Unless you have the correct tools for the job don't go there, guessing and approximations will shorten the life of the engine and bank balance.

If in doubt take it to the garage for this one.

[S188]

3) Personally, I've given up on timing 2.25D's by the book anyway. My current basic strategy is to put the pump on at about half way in the adjustment, bleed throught, and start-up. Normally the engine will run, somtimes I have been known to have to put a second battery in series with the starter (but not the glowplugs), to get it to wind over good and fast. Once its running, see what colours smoke you get, and the turn the pump until its right. White smoke, particluarly at idle will be too retarded, black, particluarly when running hard will be too advanced. Incidentally, if you get the pump fueling turned up a tad, then advance it a little more than you are ment to, you will get the fastest 2.25D in the west (mine would outrun a 2.5na). The downside is that the Mpg drops slightly, and it will smoke a bit (and lots if you really nail it had hi revs, I once blacked out the M67 when I nailed my 109" up the hill to the end at 65-70mph)

Belive it or not I knew someone who swore blind that was the method CAV Lucas used to setup vehicles, the markings were, aparently to check if the pump was roughly the right way round!  I think some of the later engines didn't have the marking on them, you need a tool to align them, hence more resion to use the experimental method.

Personly I think its a good way of fine tuneing as ware might mean the markings no longer line up quite as well as they would have done originally so even when its "right" it could be out, and as John says they can go pritty well when timed up!

2 main components ware on them, the gear drive at the bottem of the pump which makes timeing vague and in some cases can reduice the range of ajustment so you can't achive the right point at all.  The other main thing that wares is the timeing chain - people assume because they aren't belts they last forever, wrong, they strech a bit so the cam timeing goes out slightly, very likely on an engine over 20 years old - another chance for inificency to creap in!

Sadly, as you say its a 1982 MY, it'll have to pass the emissions probe test on MOT's (John's doesn't so he doesn't really need to care about smoke quantitys!).  2.25D's struggle with the imissions test so you'll need to have the injection system and timeing in good form to stand a chance.

[Spyderman]

Engine is timed at 13* before TDC not 15*, at which time the pump drive shaft flat should be at about 20* or about 4 o'clock below the horizontal in relation to the pump stud to the front of the engine. Then it's a case of leaking about for hours moving the pump by a knat's in order to getting it running right. I've had advice to rotate clockwise to advance the timing to a point where it rattles like hell, then back it off a bit.