fuel starting issue

I read through your whole post. Three things stick out to me, both have been mentioned. Posts #43, #45, and #47. Many good ideas from KLXD and Marty.
I would however discount the front crank pulley moving affecting valve timing. You have checked it several times. The mark is on the flywheel. The flywheel would have to move to throw the mark off. Before checking, yes, but after, no.

Leakdown test showed that valves, head gasket, and rings to seal. Good.

So the three things that I question are,

Am I getting an accurate compression reading? They sound consistent, but are they accurate? If after several gauges were tried, measuring protrusion would nag at me, but only after eliminating gauge inaccuracy.

The second, since you had a belt jump, would be the pulley slipping on the injection pump shaft. This would alter the the slot that static times the pump. As I am sure you know, it does not take much movement to drastically alter timing.

Have you ever gotten any smoke out of the exhaust during all this?

The third, oil pressure over pumping lifters.

I feel for you, gotta be frustrating. But from an outside view, that is where I would concentrate my efforts

Actually a fourth scenario that has been mentioned, lack of intake air can also affect compression readings.

So, to condense and clarify, I would first chase the compression issue, because those readings are way too low. In this order, gauge accuracy, intake restriction, excessive oil pressure, before even considering pulling it apart.

Being the feller that was flogging the walking crank sprocket idea I gotta say you're right. Doesn't matter where the crank sprocket is. As long as the cam was set up to the flywheel mark it will be good. Unless it subsequently moved but cam timing's been verified after the compression came up bad.

Den, any chance a phony flywheel mark was used? Did you have any trouble finding it?

I don't think high oil pressure's been mentioned before but is it likely at cranking speed?

Yes, although I don't believe you'll get much oil pressure while cranking.

I think Oilhammer brought the oil pressure issue up in a recent post. If memory serves (and it doesn't always), a relief can get stuck shut and the lifters pump up too hard.

As for the flywheel mark being accurate, that could be verified by using the glow plug hole I believe.

I think Oilhammer brought the oil pressure issue up in a recent post. If memory serves (and it doesn't always), a relief can get stuck shut and the lifters pump up too hard.

As for the flywheel mark being accurate, that could be verified by using the glow plug hole I believe.

I meant it hasn't come up in this thread, apologies if it has. Den's problem has been going on for a while and I've stopped going back over everything every time.

I know it's been talked about in other threads.

Oilhammer's comments will always supersede anything I might have to say......

KLXD said:

I meant it hasn't come up in this thread, apologies if it has. Den's problem has been going on for a while and I've stopped going back over everything every time.

I know it's been talked about in other threads.

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No apology necessary, I understood

Nero Morg said:

So to clarify, you set crank timing by using the lock, not the timing mark through the transmission inspection hole? It could be out of time still.

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Used the timing mark on the flywheel and had a slot right at the pointer. cam lok went right in as did the ip pin and the crank lok, with number one glow plug out piston was a tdc. Had valve cover off and cam was positioned correctly.

As I see it the only way to loose compression on the cylinder head is to seat the valves to deep, but a 100 or so psi loss ????

jmodge said:

The second, since you had a belt jump, would be the pulley slipping on the injection pump shaft. This would alter the the slot that static times the pump. As I am sure you know, it does not take much movement to drastically alter timing.

Have you ever gotten any smoke out of the exhaust during all this?

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I'm wondering if he hit the correct slot with the pump lock.
I did that once.
The lock pin went in a bit farther when I had it correct.
Car started up instantly.

Has anyone ever confirmed the pump hub can slip with a engine lockup?

Not that much rotating mass in a pump. I don't think it would.

Still wouldn't splain the low compression.

Everyone keeps saying timing or rag in intake... If you had a timing belt catastrophe, maybe restricted exhaust? Seized turbo causing air restriction? Grasping at straws now. Maybe try doing a compression test with the rubber elbow off at the EGR valve. See if your results change.

Pull the intake and look for stuff in the intake ports...if there's nothing to see, pull the head...I'm ready to know what caused this

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I apologize but I didn't read the whole thread.
There's a notch on the harmonic balancer that matches up with a divot on the lower timing belt cover when at TDC. A good sanity check to see if you have the right flywheel or flywheel mark.


My friend's ALH started up one tooth off on the IP but I don't remember if it was advanced or retarded. It smoked a little and ran a little rough but started just fine.


12V at the IP?


I have now read the thread.

Are these the same injectors as before?

I'm having second thoughts about something blocking the intake. I'm thinking it would cause a compression check to take longer to reach the correct max reading but it would get there.

UPDATE, well we used two compression testing gauges to assure were getting the right number, the compression comes right up after several revolutions , about 5 psi variation between gauges.
Thought it may be a fueling issue, rebuilt the injectors, no start. then thought the pump may not be putting out enough pressure to pop the injectors, no way to test so changed the pump out with a running tdi, no start.
Thing is, the only thing I changed on this engine was, besides the normal belts and tensioners and so on was the cylinder head and a new alternator.
This isn't my first rodeo, this car ran super until the alternator pulley came of causing the timing belt to jump 6 teeth. IF the only thing changed was the cylinder head it has to be the problem??? BUT how, what and why? Looks like that is the only thing left but to pull it. duhhhh.
BUT a BIG thanks to all who have replied to my issue, I will post whatever I find even if it's changing out the whole engine. yuk.

Sorry but I'm cornfused about what happened. You used two gauges to get the "right" number. Can you clarify?

Right as in retested and the two gauges agree with the 150 number you were getting before so it was right? Or that you are now getting the correct pressure for a TDI?

You then changed the pump so it seems you were satisfied with the compression but now you're pulling the head. Why if the compression is good?

At this point if the retest showed good compression I don't see why you'd pull the head but if bad why'd you bother with the injectors and pump?

Did you ever check to see if your lifters were not bleeding off and keeping the valves from completely seating while cranking?

Well here we after everything on my engine has been checked and re checked. I kept telling them the only thing i changed was the cylinder head BUT they could not believe that was the issue. SO, after about one year of screwing with this thing i purchased a new cylinder head, told them to install it,
so they broke down and put the new cylinder head on the engine, bled the IP, hit the starter and god bless AMERICA it started right up. We drove the car around and it runs ok, BUT not a sharp as when it had the pp injectors in it but that's ok. it runs and no one can believe it, one year lost because no one would believe me, oh well problem solved, my Jetta is back on the road. AMEN

Oh my God! What a trip. What was wrong with the head?

Stupendous60 said:

Oh my God! What a trip. What was wrong with the head?

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At this point im not quite sure, but all i actually know is the milled the head .005 and seated the valves and replaced everything but the cam and valve springs. I need an expert to evaluate this head and tell me what is wrong.

You can see the ip hole with a flashlight if you get eye level with it. Noticed that on my last tbelt job. Not sure if that was before i lowered the engine. You can always teach yourself something

Stupendous60 said:

Oh my God! What a trip. What was wrong with the head?

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the rebuilt head is back at the shop that did the re build. waiting to see what they find out and say.