Injection Pump Timing. Pump won't Drip!
 

The car is a Euro 240D with a factory rebuilt '82 motor. I decided to check to IP timing because this car is gutless. My Diesel Vanagon has more power! Car starts right up without smoke in the morning so I thought the timing would be close. Set the crank to 24BTC on #1 Compression stroke. Hooked up an electric fuel pump to keep my hands free. Throttle open and Vacuum shutoff disconnected. Initial run has a steady flow coming out of the tube. (home made from an injection line). Loosen the bolts and turn the IP towards the motor gives me a very slight improvement but it still flows. Turning the other way brings me back to where I started. I have turned the pump all the way to the stops in both directions and cannot get the flow to come anywhere near to dripping. I think I need to remove the pump and re install as it might be off just a spline. Has anyone else come across these symptoms? I'd hate to remove the pump if I don't have to but I'm ready to do it if there is nothing I've overlooked. Thanks in advance.:confused:

You might rotate the crankshaft to find out where the timing is actually set. That will give you a better idea as to whether it will be necessary to re-index the IP.

I'm going by the timing marks on the pulley. 24 BTC is where I have it right now. I think you mean rotate the crankshaft to see it I can get the IP to drip? Good idea.
Thanks

For the Engine to run at all it has to achieve Begin of Injection (Port Closing) even if the timing is not correct.
Sometimes the IP needs to be moved really slowly or you go past it.

If your IP has the Plug on the side if the Governor for the Timing/Locking Pin you might try eyeballing the verticle raised part and center it in the hole. However, if you do that the timing marks are 15 Degrees After Top Dead Center past the Compression Stroke.

Off subject but what Engine is in the Vanagon?
My Volvo has a 6 Cylinder VW Diesel in it.

That is correct. If the IP drips in another 10 degrees or so of crankshaft rotation, you will confirm that you are properly set up, on the compression stroke, etc. And you can be confident that re-indexing the IP is a necessary course of action.

"Past it" would result in no flow at all; the originator reports constant flow throughout the adjustment range.

I'm guessing the the pump is too far advanced since I'm getting flow from the tube. Drip indicates "start of delivery"? Or should I say I'm "assuming"!:o

Are you certain you're not a full crank revolution out of phase? The injection pump, like the cam, rotates at half speed. Therefore only every OTHER TDC/start-of-delivery mark is correct.

The engine is in valve overlap on number one. Is that what you were referring to?

Well, if the engine is between exhaust closing and inlet opening, nos 1 pot.... you'll need to turn it exactly one turn more!

Pump will always flow fuel on drip-test unless its at the right spot, or is actually injecting....

Fuel is injected when the spill-port closes inside the pump indicated by the slowing to a drip. the fuel pressure then builds up in the element and line and opens injector near the end of the Compression-Stroke....

(Not the end of the exhaust-stroke--where it is now!) ;)

By valve overlap I meant it's on the compression stroke as described here:

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/OM615OM616InjPumpTiming

Too far retarded. The sequence is a bit counterintuitive. Full flow occurs before the drip. The drip is followed by no flow.

Counterintuitive indeed. I'm going out there now as the shade has come around. Wife's asleep and son is at Grandma's. A good time to work on the car. I'm going to leave the IP installed and rotate the crank both ways. Then I will R&R the pump in the opposite direction one notch. Unless it turns out that it's way off, then I'll go 2. I knew I should have left the radiator out!:mad:

I would suggest that you not rotate the crankshaft in the backwards direction.

If you remove the pump, reposition the crankshaft to 24 degrees BTDC with the pump removed. Then align the index marks on the pump and reinstall in the center of the adjustment range. Be sure to renew the IP flange gasket.

There is a yes and no to the above. If you are barely moving the IP the Flow will stop.
However, if you keep turning the IP the Plunger moving up will flow the amount of Fuel that would be Injected and after it reaches the End of Injection the Fill Port is exposed again and it will flow again.

So if you rotate the IP too fast you can easily blip by Begin Injection.

Even more confusing (this happens when you rotate the IP Housing in the direction that would cause retarded/Late Injection) is that as the Plunger is going down you will also reach a point were it will drip followed by no flow until the Fill Port is open again.

Just think for about $35 a Fuel Injection Pump Timing/Locking Pin could have been used and the job would have been done!

Below is how I rotated my IP when I Drip Timed mine.
The Big Channel Locks gave me a lot of leverage and I sort of gripped with handles with one hand and tapped the on the end of the handles rotating the IP Housing tiny amounts with the other Hand until I got the Drips I wanted.
Then I reach down and pump some more on the Hand Primer to bring the pressure up to besure I was still getting the same amount of drips.

I should have been more clear. I was referring to the sequence which occurs when rotating the crankshaft in the normal direction. Obviously, the sequence will be reversed when rotating the IP in the retarding direction, which is comparable to rotating the crankshaft backwards.