as the title states, i have a 69 220d.

i recently rebuilt the engine, and i have yet to get it started. i have power on the glow plugs, primed the fuel system, checked and re checked timing.......although, i initialy set the pump timing to 24 btdc, and when i checked the timing again it was at tdc.. so i reset the pump timing again, and it still hasnt started... any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.

the car cranks over and has a decent cranking speed, but i have to send direct power to the glow plugs, through jumper wires and bridge the starter, as my ignition switch malfunctioning.

steve

any info? anything...........

i have since taken off the pump, and am in the proceess of re timing the engine. it seems as though the timing chain keeps jumping a few teeth or so...dont know if thats possible with a chain like it is with a belt. but i time the pump to 24 btdc and it ends up at tdc, so, either the pump isnt turning (yet i get fuel coming out at injectors lines when cranking) or the chain is skipping teeth...

steve

Hi guy, first can you beg, borrow, loan or steal a manual or do you have one? If my memory serves me the early 60 gas stuff had a hydralic chain tensioner you manually pumped up. Perhaps the diesel was the same? I do not know. Your engine is getting back to the same vintage but perhaps at this point it is better it did not start. Seems you have a little checking to do. If you were taking the slack out in the right direction when timing the pump then there is an underlaying condition your have to find why timing was changing after just cranking. Hopefully a guy that is more familiar with this particular engine type will chime in. The main point still remains the same do not attempt to start the engine till you are sure the chain is right and not just timed. It might be a shame if you had succeded in starting. Sounds like you were just lucky instead. How about buying a lotto ticket this week and sending me ten percent? You did not reverse polarity to the starter as you are not using the cars wiring system rolling the engine over backwards in the heat of the moment? Your glow plugs would not care if the polarity was reversed. Keep going on this site until you are really sure that engine is fit to start. I feel that no one on this site would like to hear you damaged the engine after rebuilding it. No a properly tensioned chain is not capable of jumping teeth at cranking speed unless something is really wrong in my opinion.

vwremps,

If the timing chain jumps a tooth the cam will be out of time and the valves will hit the pistons and usually break the cam towers. So check for this first. Have you checked the cam timing?

You should always turn engine by hand after any timing changes to the cam. That way you can feel a piston hitting a valve without damaging anything.

How are U determining that the IP timing has changed to TDC? Are you using the drip method?

Remember the engine turns 2 revolutions for every revolution of the IP. So maybe you are off by 180 degrees. Check that when the IP is at 24BTDC, both valves for #1 cylinder are closed (cam lobes are up and exhaust lobe is next to go down).

P E H