Owned it for one week and headgasket has gone

Happy dayz        

Found this thread everything i need to know………

The Mk1 Golf Owners Club

Ok Im hoping some one can help as Im all out of ideas…….


so headgasket all done  set timing as per the above link flywhell at TDC camshaft set for TDC…… so i conecteverything up and turn the key all i get i loud popping sounds and gurgling no banging (metal smashing) noises just pops and gurgles and no engine start any ideas……..???????


Also on the cam pulley the timing mark on mine is a line not a dot?????? on Piston No1 side have I missed the dot its a definite stamped line?????

Do you mean its turning over on the starter OK but all your getting is backfires etc. When you set up the cam, were both the lobes over No 1 pointing up at about the same angle, the cam turns at half the speed of the engine so could be 180 degrees out.

will check again tomorrow but getting outta my depth..................... need an expert eye :roll:

your doing ok mate, just keep at it, like cedar said, your probs 180 out. pull the cam belt off the cam and crank it one whole turn then put the belt back on again should be all it needs

Where are you in Cornwall mate,nice to know there is another Mk1 er in Cornwall on the forum

Praze nr camborne....................................

mixerman said

your doing ok mate, just keep at it, like cedar said, your probs 180 out. pull the cam belt off the cam and crank it one whole turn then put the belt back on again should be all it needs

isnt that risky….re smashing valves if the cam tomingi is out?????? will give it a good look tomorrow see if I can crack it (bad choice of words)    

lol yeah it is but it sounds out to me…
the easiest way to see if the piston 1 is at tdc it to crank the bottom end till the line is at the top and then put a screw driver into the piston 1 spark plug hole, if its at the top the crew driver wont go far…

then check to see if the valves are closed on piston one

bad thing is timing… just take your time and work it out and ull get there. dont give up now your nearly there!

Ok piston one at TDC confirmed at Flywheel mark and screw driver in P#1 hole……..
valves to P#1 closed one pointing at me other pointing up and away but still no joy   whats next i have spark at the plug dont know what else to do :dontknow:

hmm.. i had this with a pinto i was sorting out. it was on 40 webbers and we thought it needed setting up so we sent it away… apparently it was 180 out on the cam too…

see the cam can look in the right position but be out by a hole rotation so when the engine is trying to suck fuel in its actually opening the outlet valve not the inlet valve. if you spin the camshaft a whole rotation without the belt on and then put it all back together then it should be right.

take all the plugs out and hand crank it and keep an ear and a hand out for any resistance and metal hitting as i dont want to say that will be all ok and then u bend a valve

like i said do everything by hand at first just to make sure you have clearance, then once ur sure try a crank wid the plugs in an see what happens

hang on im being a nob.. got my wires crossed..haha..

if you rotate the cam it doesnt matter.. as long a piston 1 is at tdc and the cam dot lines up like it should you are right and it should be fine.
you might have a firing problem with the distributor.

are you sure the ht leads are in the right firing order?

yep all in order have checked and re checked……………… all i get is the occasional pop and hiss nothing more…….. the engine turns over ok……… i might bite the bullet and call a mobile mechanic :cry:

The intermediate shaft that you have to line up with the crank pulley??? how vital is that to the timing i ask because im unable to remove the crank pulley as the bolts are rounded off…… if i spin the crank with a ratchet i can get it TDC  the cams are in the right place…….. the only other thing i found today was a conector not conected…… its comes with a red end and is black and yellow?? its comes off part of the loom with the two wires that conect to the side of the block oil temp sensors i think one has a rubber shield the othe fits over a nipples on the block?????

you intermediate shaft control the dizzy cap

i think your ignition timing is out

cheak you have the firing order right first

then get a variable timing gun set at 17-19btbc and twist the distriputer untill the marks line up in the gearbox hole

hth

Ha Ha sounds good so the intermediate shaft is the only one i havent been able to set up correctly...... ok will find a timing gun and give it a go................ I prsume i will have to line up the intermediate shaft with th ecrankshaft pulley at TDC before i use the timing gun or will i be able to adjust the dizzy timing without doing the intermediate pulley?????

You'll get there in the end. Basically you want the engine on TDC, I always use the flywheel mark, the mark on the camwheel must line up with the top of the cylinder head and the rotor arm should have the centre of the brass bit lined up with the notch on the rim of the distributor. When you put the cap on the lead for No1 should line up with the brass end of the rotor arm. If all that is right it should fire up and run, then its best to set the ignition timing with a strobe.

cedar said

You'll get there in the end. Basically you want the engine on TDC, I always use the flywheel mark, the mark on the camwheel must line up with the top of the cylinder head and the rotor arm should have the centre of the brass bit lined up with the notch on the rim of the distributor. When you put the cap on the lead for No1 should line up with the brass end of the rotor arm. If all that is right it should fire up and run, then its best to set the ignition timing with a strobe.

all of the above done :dontknow:   but dont fire up engine turns over occasional pop but nothing??

Its firing with a valve partly open, this may sound obvious but are the leads on properly, they should go 1342 in an anti-clockwise direction.

you timing for a carb engine is 17-19btdc

you need to set the intermedite shaft as it says in the manual. with the two marks lining up

then the timing should be set to 17-19btdc

cedar said

Its firing with a valve partly open, this may sound obvious but are the leads on properly, they should go 1342 in an anti-clockwise direction.

Anti clockwise :dontknow:  :dontknow:  :dontknow:  mine are clock wise :roll:  but they were before when it was running will check tomorrow