At witts end...

[MaryJayne]

Hi, hoping someone can possibly shed some light on a problem we are experiencing with a MK2  Golf 1.8 8 valve Digifant Engine.

It just won't start...

We've had the cam belt off to re new the auxillery pulley oil seal.
Re timed the crank, cam & auxillery pullies.
Made sure we've got the crank at Top Dead Centre by means of removing plug no#1 and dropping a welding wire down the bore, then turning the crank forwards and back to get the wire at its highest point.
Replaced the cam belt and tightened tensioner. Then turned engine over 4 or 5 times by hand to make sure we not had valve to piston contact, all was good...
Re assembled air box and intake pipes etc, then went to start it.

It spins over, back fires but will not fire and run?

We have fuel being injected as the plugs are wet each time we've took them out

We have a spark at each plug and have set all leads in the firing order of 1 3 4 2.

We have set the crank at tdc on bore 1, aligned the auxillery pulley at the 9 0clock position checked where the rotor arm position is and it is pointing at roughly the 2 oclock position, near enough where my timing book says for it all...

But still it won't start?

We have replaced the air flow meter with one of a chap on ebay who assured me it was a good working one but still won't start??

Got to the point today where we took the cam out and the followers to check we havent bent the valves by looking from the top of the valve stems.
With the cam and lifters out, all the valves sat level in the head which would indicate no bent valves.
 If one or two were slightly sitting lower than the others that would indicate bent valves but all ours are level so all good there....

So now we are at our witts end as running out of ideas?

Can anyone shed some light on why this engine won't start???

Does the sensor on the front of the block (knock Sensor?) have to be connected for engine to start and run? This sensor has a cracked case and a well naff looking cable coming from it...

Any ideas thrown this way will be greatly appreciated.....

Thanks, Stacey & Ben

[Diamond Hell]

It's probably timing.

The dizzi is possibly 180 degrees out.

[gtigolfthree]

I agree with above if the valve timing was out by a tooth in either direction it would still start but not run right and if miles out valves would hit pistons when you turn it over. Not starting at all especially if accompanied by pops and bangs will be your ignition timing. Going back to your tdc thingy on number 1, if its compression stroke (both cams off the valves) rotor should be pointing to number 1 lead.

[MaryJayne]

We've set and reset the ignition leads on the dizzy & plugs.
If the crank is on tdc with no#1 bore at its highest point & the cam timing mark is pointing directly up as directed, and the auxillery pulley is at the 9oclock position,

The rotor arm points to the 2 oclock position which has the notch in the dizzy casing for alignment and in theory should be the number one plug lead from that point.

Is the firing order 1 3 4 2 ?

Thanks for the comments so far, keep any idea's coming please

[Wayne]

1342 is the correct firing order.

[Diamond Hell]

Where are you?

[danny_p]

8 valve timeing strikes again.

spin engine round to TDC ( and TDC on the cam ) so both lobes for number 1 are pointing skywards.     loosten dizzy turn so rotor arm lines up with notch.  thats now pointing at number 1,  put leads on and start.  then you have to do te setup procedure

[MaryJayne]

you couldnt tell us what the set up procedure is?? never heard of it. Thanks for the help so far though. keep the good ideas coming!!

[gtigolfthree]

With a timing light check cam timing and check / adjust ignition timing, test run etc.

[robz]

did ya get it running??