5cyl Audi turbo diesel timing the same as a D24T?

[D24N/A]

OK, in desperation, I am hoping someone here can can help me. I have an 82 Audi 5000 with a 5 cylinder turbo diesel that is very similar to the D24T minus one cylinder. I swapped the head out and now need to get everything timed correctly. I hoping someone here has a copy of the procedure for doing this on a D24T or knows of a link that I could study so I can figure out how to line up and timing marks and such. Also any ideas on where to get the special tools for doing this?

Thank you all very much in advance.

D24N/A

[v8volvo]

The motors and the tools needed to work on them are the same save for the Audi having a slightly different balancer with only one lug for engaging the crank locking tool where the Volvo has two. If you didn't take the timing belt and the balancer off, and you're sure the balancer bolt is already tight enough, you can do without that tool and all the rest of the stuff for doing the cam and the pump should be identical. OTOH for those tools it's also possible to substitute the bits for a 4cyl (eg 1.6L) diesel with only minimal difficulty, and you may have a much easier time laying hands on those. The 1.6 cam locking bar needs slightly modified so that the ends will fit around the rear valve cover studs on a Volvo or Audi (or take those studs out if you're borrowing someone else's tool), and the 4cyl IP timing dial indicator holder is shorter than the extended one for the 5/6cyl so it is necessary to remove the vacuum pump in order to screw it in -- not a big deal. The main places where you really have to have the right tools are for valve tappet depressor, crank locking tool, and in the case of the Volvo which has the back of the engine jammed tight against the firewall, a special wrench and counterhold tool for the rear cam sprocket -- however in the Audi IIRC there is a little more clearance behind the motor so you can probably use a regular socket and a generic counterhold for a TDI, etc back there. You do need to have a counterhold tool of some kind in order to accurately set the pump timing since it's done by rotating the rear cam sprocket relative to the cam.

What's your location? If a member is nearby and has the Volvo tools then they may be willing to loan them, which would probably be your easiest solution. If not, the VW 4cyl stuff is easy to buy and will serve you with minimal hassle if all you need to do is time the cam and pump.

For the procedure -- there are a number of links on the forum to pages where information from the excellent Volvo factory shop manuals is posted that details the process. We have been talking about making an FAQ here on the forum that will make that info a little more organized and easier to find but haven't gotten it done yet -- in the meantime you should be able to search and find it without much trouble, or try looking at www.k-jet.org in the Greenbooks section where you'll probably find an engine manual scanned that has the info you need. The procedure and the timing setting spec should be identical on the Audi.

[D24N/A]

Thank you, I actually have the car at a shop that doesn't normally work on diesels and they are at a point now with the car to do the timing of everything. They basically admitted to me they didn't know how to time it.

Since the Audi diesels are so rare in comparison, I thought I might be able to find the process on the internet and thought of this site as a potential for some help on what needs to be done to help them out so they could finish it.

Well, It was a funny thing after I posted this the guy at the shop called me to tell me he found a person who just so happens to be an old Audi mechanic and has the tools and knowledge to time the car.

It was a freak meeting I guess, that Audi mechanic just happened to walk into the shop on a different matter and seen my car there. He asked whose car it was and the shop owner told them it was a customer of his and that he was having a hard time figuring out how to time it.

The Audi mechanics face lit up and said he could time it and he had done it a thousand times. So he is hopefully going to do that this next week.

I want still what to learn how it is done as I have (2) D24T motors and (1) D24 that will need their belts replaced at some point.

Thanks again
D24N/A

[v8volvo]

Sounds like a lucky outcome, but I would still carefully watch over what this shop does with your car. It's always a warning sign that folks have questionable judgment if they accepted the work and then realized partway through that they didn't have the knowledge or equipment necessary to finish it. Setting timing is a critical step that always needs to be done when performing top-end work on any VAG diesel -- if they didn't recognize that from the beginning before they ever put a wrench on it, suggests they took on the job without really knowing what they were getting into at all!

Now might be an good time to ask a few other questions before the work goes much further, e.g., did they use correct information and procedures when installing the head? Did they use new TTY head fasteners as required and torque them correctly? Was the correct thickness head gasket selected using accurate piston protrusion measurements? Etc.... You would hate to have any of these things turn out to be a problem further on down the road. If this shop didn't understand from the outset that they would need to time the motor as part of this job, there may be a number of other important particularities that they might have been unaware of in the assembly of the motor that can make a difference in how it runs and how long it lasts.

Not trying to unfairly criticize since we don't know this shop and they may in fact be fully honest and competent -- but "professional" mechanics and repair shops have killed many, many otherwise-healthy Volvo/Audi/VW diesels over the years by to attempting work on them while lacking necessary familiarity/skills/equipment. At least these folks did admit to you that they didn't have the ability to time it, rather than forging ahead and trying to fudge it without telling you anything -- but this is not the only place where it's possible to make serious mistakes on one of these units if a mechanic is trying to work without proper information and knowledge, so now's the time to go back and check everything else. Maybe this old-timer who is going to time it for them can also verify their work on the rest of the motor, if he's got the knowledge.

Good luck!