I believe that there are two marks, and the marks are on different flanges of the pulley. The mark you want to set timing on, is the pulley flange closest to the block.

Good point.

Marshall Ruskin
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Paul Borghese 
  To: Marshall Ruskin ; vanagon@vanagon.com 
  Sent: Friday, April 13, 2001 11:25 AM
  Subject: Re: Help with Timing of Vanagon

  Should my Van have two marks or only 1 mark?  Usually you have 1 mark to represent TDC and a second to represent optimal timing.

  Thanks!

  Paul

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Marshall Ruskin 
    Newsgroups: groupstudy.vanagon
    Sent: Friday, April 13, 2001 1:08 PM
    Subject: Re: Help with Timing of Vanagon

      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Paul Borghese 
      To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
      Sent: Friday, April 13, 2001 7:24 AM
      Subject: Help with Timing of Vanagon

      To set timing, do this:

      1.    unplug idle stabilizer connectors from idle stabilzer, and plug the connectors into each other;
      2.    use plug wire number one to drive your timing light; (passenger side, closest to headlight end of van)
      3.    timing is set when mark on pulley lines up with the line where the two case halves join - that is the other mark you use;
      4.    performance is often better when pulley mark is a bit to left of case mark.
      5.    When timing is set properly, reconnect idle stablizer connectors to idle stabilizer

      Hope this helps,

      Marshall Ruskin
      84 Westy

      I have a 1.9 L 1985 Vanagon Engine type DH.  I believe the Bentley shows timing should be 5 ATDC.  But this causes a few problems. 

      First the pulley does not have any timing marks that show 5 ATDC.  Only a single mark to show TDC.  I did notice the pulley does have some partial holes in the back of the pulley that might represent something.  I believe this is for a special electronic tool used by the VW dealers.

      Second, the engine runs really bad at 5 ATDC.  It seems to run best if the timing is BTDC.  In fact, the more I move the timing BTDC (Rotate distributor counterclockwise) the better the engine runs.  Eventually the distributor hits a side and can not rotate any further.  Also when I reconnect the Idle Stabilizer, I noticed the timing jumps all over the place.

      So, what am I doing wrong?  Any ideas?

      Take care,

      Paul

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