Hi All, 

Keep in mind, that with hydraulic lifters 

you may or my not have any free play 

at the rockers! 

I always remove the spark plug 

on cylinder #1 to find the compression stroke. 

as you rotate the crank 

just put your finger on the spark plug hole 

and you will easily be able to 

feel the compression building. 

at that point align the timing marks 

to where you want them. 

There actually is a threaded whistle 

that is made that screws into 

cyl #1 to let you know when you're 

on the compression stroke. 

(haven't tried it myself) 

best, 

John C... 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Zoltan" <thewestyman@GMAIL.COM> 
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM 
Sent: Monday, November 2, 2009 8:53:34 AM GMT -07:00 US/Canada Mountain 
Subject: Re: No Spark '90 2.1 UPDATE 

Jeff, 
The engine is working if four cycles. 

You may have the marks correct visually, but they maybe off by one turn. 
Without writing down all the actions that happens at the time of #1 
cylinder's fire in all the other cylinders, here is what you check;  When 
you have the marks, - The crank's mark in the middle and the rotor pointing 
to the mark on the distributor's rim about 4o'clock - check the valve 
positions on #1 cylinder by taking off the cover and see if there is play on 
both rockers.  If yes, that means you have both valves closed.  And you can 
also see that both springs are fully at their length.  That's when #1 is 
firing. 

If not,- your setting is on  #3 cylinder instead. 

If you have it set in the wrong turn of the crank, that would be #3 cylinder 
and it's getting fire in  #1.  And it won't start and it will backfire. 
Sometimes so strongly, that it will bend the connecting rod inside and thus 
causing binding of the pistons.  And if you set timing right after that 
correctly, that cylinder maybe going to have a lot of trouble with 
overheating, burnt in rings, etc. 

This kind of thing happens when one had the distributor shaft out and it was 
installed in the wrong cycle.  Visually they are both the same though.  Only 
the valve positions can tell you where you are.  Because only the camshaft 
is working one turn for two turns of the crank.  (the rotor turns one turn 
for two turns of the crank too, but it can be set to either #1 or to #3 and 
you don't know where you are until you check the valves).  In fact, the 
distributor shaft can be put anywhere.  But only these two positions 
correspond with the marks. 

All this above were unnecessary to write if you knew it already.  But it may 
serve well for those on this List who never knew it. 

Zoltan 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Lincoln" <magikvw@GMAIL.COM> 
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> 
Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 5:20 AM 
Subject: No Spark '90 2.1 UPDATE 

>I wanted tot hank everyone who responded to me on this issue - I now have 
> spark. 
> 
> I triple checked all the electrical connections and everything was hooked 
> up 
> properly. I then went about cleaning the grounds for the second time. 
> While 
> doing that I noticed that the main ground wire from the chasis to the 
> engine 
> was in worse shape that I had noticed before. So I went and got a new 
> one - 
> replaced the screws and bolts that held all of the grounds too. I still 
> didn't have any spark - or fuel pump either now. 
> 
> So I checked all conjnections again - crawled under and checked the 
> starter 
> connections. 
> 
> That wiring is brittle in places and int he process of checking things I 
> broke several wires at the connectors - so I now have many new spade 
> connectors in the engine bay. I'm guessing it was one of these wires (I 
> suspect the ground to the distributor wiring) that was causing the problem 
> because once I repaired the wire with a new connector I got spark. 
> 
> So thank you all again. 
> 
> The bus still won't start but I suspect I have some severe timing issues - 
> I 
> did manage a few really loud backfires but it just won't start up - more 
> on 
> that later :) 
> 
> -- 
> Thanks, 
> 
> Jeff 
> '90 Carat (Grover) 
> '86 (We call this one Parts) 
> '78 Bus (Melissa) Patty's Bus