Mrvos,
That`s awesome, sounds like you already have sorted things out by reading a lot about these engines AND that you have the willingness and courage to tackle it no matter what. Sounds like you have the idea about these engines and your car will run just perfect in not time if you get some d24 tools together and open up the Greenbook.
That car is considered being in a
lucky situation being yours because others would have scrapped it for poor running (blame the bad fixers) a hundred times already.
SAVE IT!
My answer will be short this time not just bc I have some bricking to do but bc there`s a huge priority for you here.
Your pump timing absolutely must be rechecked and set right.
As suspected at first, sounds like that is your problem.
Based on what you say about the `
mechanics` who played around the car and the length of efforts it took them to get it `running`(3days), I bet your engine is set to super- retard or overly advanced to the point of crappy running. 3 days of agony? I`m rolling my eyes and i`m glad (and surprised) that this car even runs with those kind of mechanics.
You really must do the timing and set it to f
actory specs or a little above but i`d leave that for later... until after it gets set first and checks out and runs fine.
Taking
3 days, is
absolutely not normal and it tells us the (lack of) quality of skills they had to set the d24 up.
These motors do take some skill and mechanics who think techniques are the same to dealing with it like it was a gasoline car should stay away from it.
For a good, known old-school diesel mechanic or a weekend enthusiast VW dieseler with good skills and some experience on these motors plus a good coffee, doing the pump installation is not a huge job but it does take some time but definitely not 3days, closer to 3hours.
And you can do it yourself, yes. The
Greenbook goes through the entire process and clearly details every single step doing it the right way.
Answer to your question to whether or not the inj pump belt could be replaced without resetting the fuel timing after the job...
Yes, in a
very very rare occasion the timing will stay correct or nearly the same
but in most cases
No the timing will be totally off and car will not run or it may run very badly and sound like crap and run the same. We are talking about tenths of a millimeter making a big difference in how it runs so go figure it out how important it is to check timing and set it right.
Precise German engineering here, not a 1961 dumptruck.
but the d24 can sound the same
)
So
whenever the rear belt is replaced or adjusted, yes, the timing must be rechecked (and probably re-set).
There are also easier ways to set timing than what the Greenbook says.
Worst part of the job is that you`ll need some tools fabricated (or found at VW shops or even at volvo places to borrow? idk) and you will be able to do it pretty much in minutes. Some VW diesel timing tools CAN be used and if the vacuum pump is removed you could use the vw tools to set the timing by the book. With the Volvo timing tool, the vacuum pump can stay on which is more convenient. Finding tools for vw diesels will be easy for you there where you are (timing tools, a dial gauge etc).
To install the injection pump itself, yes, you need to have tools (to hold pulley, to reach the pulley nut, etc) and it isnt a nice process when done in-car but yes absolutely you can do it in-car and you should be able to do it yourself.
I`m happy to deal with this on the engine stand though today or tomorrow. makes life easier, especially bc in the 200 cars the space remaining between the firewall and the engine is very limited. Volvo even made their own tool to deal with the hard to reach bolt that secures the ip pulley where the belt runs on.
Good luck and stay in touch as you said. Your car will be night and day once you set that timing to what the car needs. Collect some more info, hit up the Greenbook at the injection timing section and prep yourself for a long afternoon of action.
Take videos :*)
PS. Good that you took time answering the lengthy text because we do know now much more about what you are dealing with. Your dad didnt really work on this car? You said you had it for so long! Nice. But he never took it to a diesel shop to get valves adjusted? I think he did it himself but you were a kid and cant remember. I think he would if he did. LOL.
Setting the valves is really nothing if you know what you are doing. And it gets done so quickly. The shims your car +may+ need, are widely available and even gasser audis and vw cars used the same setups over the bucket type valve system. You`ll find them no problem and they arent expensive. Valves need to get adjusted
omg never done on this car since you had it for 100s of 1000s of miles? Try to do it ASAP!