timing belt, cam/crank timing, PD150 TIP

Hey everyone-

So I just finished doing the timing belt and installing a pd150 TIP that I got with my 6-speed conversion from RyanP. With my transmission, I got the the OEM Sachs clutch/flywheel for the PD150 that Ryan offers. This flywheel does not have a TDC mark on it. My answer to this was to mark the pulley on the crank. I used proper locks on the cam and IP, and checked everything often during reassembly to make certain that everything was in it's right place. Everything is back together, re-timed and running great.

Simultaneously, I installed a PD150 TIP.

As I said, everything seems to run/work great except that it seems to me as though I may be lacking power when at higher speed. This doesn't make any sense, does it? In lower gear/speed, the PD150 TIP seems to have made quite a difference in higher-rpm boost but once I get to 3rd and 50mph or so, it seems more sluggish than before. The turbo also definitely lags quite a bit more (run 1st gear to 4k or so, shift to 2nd and there is a full second before boost appears to build).

My concern is mostly that my crank may be a couple degrees off from my cam and IP. As I said, I marked the crank pulley during removal of the old belt but that positioning was based upon the assumption that it was correct before. I also did not loosen the IP pulley until I adjusted the timing, so assuming that the old timing belt was not significantly stretched (it didn't seem to be, based upon the position of the old tensioner), the crank and IP would be timed exactly the same in relation to each other as they were before Is there any way to check the absolute crank position without actually dropping the pan and having a look?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

First things first.... Did you check timing with VCDS? You said "retimed", but just making sure you did it with VCDS....

blu_jet_92 said:

First things first.... Did you check timing with VCDS? You said "retimed", but just making sure you did it with VCDS....

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This, and double check the cam to crank timing again

The MAF will be reading lower due to the larger size, the tune needs to adjust it

blu_jet_92 said:

First things first.... Did you check timing with VCDS? You said "retimed", but just making sure you did it with VCDS....

Click to expand...

Yes, with VCDS. It took some back and forth, but I got it "dead on" according to the TDI timing plugin.

JFettig said:

This, and double check the cam to crank timing again

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Perhaps my original post was somewhat unclear but this is precisely my question - how can I check the cam to crank timing when I have no timing mark on the flywheel? Based upon my paint pen mark that I made before I took everything apart, it's correct (I checked at least 10 times, rotating the engine 5 times total and rechecking at each rotation - I was nervous about the lack of timing mark). What I'm concerned about is that the paint pen mark could easily look dead-on and yet be 3-5 degrees off...

ryanp said:

The MAF will be reading lower due to the larger size, the tune needs to adjust it

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Ok and I have to just let the ECM take care of that over time? There's nothing I can do with VCDS to calibrate it to the new MAF more quickly?

There is a mark on the timing cover and notch in your harmonic balancer.

If you didn't upgrade your MAF with the TIP, nothing needs to change, if you upgraded the MAF with the TIP, you need a different tune. It does not update over time nor can it be calibrated with VCDS.

JFettig said:

There is a mark on the timing cover and notch in your harmonic balancer.

If you didn't upgrade your MAF with the TIP, nothing needs to change, if you upgraded the MAF with the TIP, you need a different tune. It does not update over time nor can it be calibrated with VCDS.

Click to expand...

Ok. By timing cover, you mean the lower metal timing belt cover that is right behind the harmonic balancer? I'll take a look but, given the somewhat in-exact method of attachment of that cover, it wouldn't be any more accurate than the mark that I made. I'm worried about a couple degrees here - I'm just worried about a slight difference causing premature wear on the rings and/or valves...

I did change the MAF but I don't have a tune - should I just run my OEM MAF unless I get a tune? I was thinking that it felt kind of like driving it just before the old MAF started throwing a DTC...

EDIT: wait - isn't PD150 MAF a different diameter than the OEM ALH?

The one you made could easily be off as well. I've only checked a couple but every time I checked the harmonic balancer mark, it was right on.

Yes, run the ALH maf until you get your tune. PD150 MAF is larger.