Starting issue

Recently changed my timing belt and now can't get car to start
engine turns but won't fire up, have had a few backfires through the carb so don't think it's far off.all timing are lined up and have fiddled with distributor to try and get it started but nothing
any other ideas what would be preventing it from starting?

TIming timing timing.

Set the Engine to 0tdc on the transmission by moving the Crank
Set the Cam to 0tdc by moving the dimple on the back edge of the cam to the top of the valve cover tin, not the re-bar the base tin.
Set the Distributor so that the rotor is in the middle of the hash mark on the side frame of the dizzy.

Do not try to use the intermediate shaft pulleys. It is far easier to make sure that the dizzy is at 0time to the crank and cam.

I think your base time or static time is a wee bit off.


www.cabby-info.com has pictures of the timing marks and how they should be set.

A Golf engine should never backfire during starting, if it does then its inevitibly due to wrong ignition timing. Its affected by the intermediate shaft, so its necessary to either lock this, or clearly mark it, or check its timing mark lines up, when doing a cambelt.  The above procedure should get it reset properly to something like it should be.

Top tip for changing a cambelt: slice the old cambelt in half widthways while its on the engine, ie slice it so a 20mm belt gets cut to 2x 10mm belts while still on the pulleys. Then remove half the old belt, slide the new belt half onto the pulleys, then cut the remainder of the old belt off and push the new one fully on. Then you never need to worry about timing marks!

I've had the same problem and I've changed the cam belt lots of times owning 2 old VW's over 20 years and I still managed to get the timing belt on a few teeth out.
So check the marks again and make sure you are using the right marks on the cogs as the cam shaft has marks on both sides and some cars you go by the mark on the inside and other the marks on the outside.
The valves in cylinder 1 needs to be closed.