not starting and smoking...have tried everything..desperate!

[antonia]

Please please help. My partner recently bought a 1996 transit 100 (which should have been luxury for us because the other two we own(!) are ancient and falling apart. The water pump went a couple of weeks ago and so whilst replacing this with a new one he chaged the CAM belt as well becuase we didn't know how old the other one was. Since that moment the van is very difficult to start first thing in the morning when it is cold, we often have to use easy start and end up having to jump start it. When it does start it pumps out white diesel smoke and sounds awful. He has tried everything he can think of:
The timing is perfect, he has had it checked by several people
Changed the fuel filter
Checked that none of the fuel lines have leaks (no air getting in overnight)
Changed the lift pump
Changed the fuel pump (getting deperate by now!)
Reset the tappits (sound improved a little bit but not much)

Has anyone come across this before or do you have any ideas what the problem could be? We really are depairing now. Hope all the above made sense,

Antonia

[MrMPuk]

If it was fine before the cam belt was done I would say it's timing!

[rover]

It sure sounds like timing to me too!


I know you have said its perfect but like MrMPuK says, if it was ok before then it should be ok now, the only thing I can suggest is that the old belt had to be put on slightly off the mark to get round the problem, look for any secondary marks that may have been put there by the last person that replaced the belt.


Rover.

[MrMPuk]

Also if you haven't been using the easy start long stop using it now!!

[FredTransit]

sounds like the pump timing has been knocked out when the cam belt was done. Did you lock it up before starting? Easy start can develop a dependancy, which is why MRMP said to stop using it, also in this case it will make the engine start/fire in the wrong place and could do damage to the valves or pushrods.

[Luke]

are you certain you put the correct belt on?

[madmark]

the way to do this is to slacken the pump and adjust the time a little by hand then see what happens, some engines dont like running bang on the timeing marks! also did he time it for the corect setting ie bosh or lucas?????!

[antonia]

He has tried moving the belt on and back one notch just incase but that doesn't help. It is driving us mad because everyone say "timing" but three people who know about such things (one a friend who used to service transits for a living) have checked it and said its fine!

We know easy start is bad but when you have to get to work in the morning...

We have counted the number of teeth on the old and new belt three times each and measured them, have checked belt is same one as it said on box and have checked with supplier that the belt was the correct one for the model. We have even tried replacing the old belt just in case.

(if any of this doesn't quite make sense its because I know very little about mechanics although I am learning fast!)

[rover]

What you are saying makes sense.

But, what Mark is saying is that the pump is adjustable....without taking the belt off.

If you slacken off the pump bolts you will find that the holes are elongated and will allow for a certain amount of adjustment without removing the belt yet again.


Rover.

[madmark]

yes , thats what i ment i have had di,s before were they smoke white and are a bag of nails , and have mest about with the pump timeing and got them ok! if the van was fine before you changed the belt then it can only be timeing! i would of thourt!
and as you say the belt is the corect one as around that year there was a change ! but if you checked the teeth on the belt then that should be fine!
when you are changeing the belt are you useing all the locking pegs,or corect drill bits, are you also putting the one in the flywheel and camshaft??????

[TRANSITBILL]

Hi Antonia , .start at the begining....................get your chap to remove the front,viscous fan,timing case cover etc..........bring the engine round on a 18mm socket or 36mm if its an early one.......fit the timing pegs...large one under and to rear of fuel filter,one in camshaft on front.......release the timing belt...............fit timing pin to injection pump,lossen either 3 0r 4 13mm nuts on the inj pump drive wheel,(directly below timing pin) centralise the hole in flange so timing pin is in centre, tighten the 3 or 4 13mm bolts..refit belt.........remove all pins ,turn engine 2 full turns via crankshaft 18mm or 36mm socket , refit and check timing pins fit.........................remove pins..............see if engine starts on key............... if not you can adjust the pump timing buy retarding or advancing until its spot on................to do this loosen the 3 or 4 13mm bolts on injection pump ,useing a 22mm ring spanner advance a nats nacker at a time..........if this does not start her,recentralise and retard a nats nacker at a time ......... hope this helps...best wishes Billy

[DazC]

I would advise you fit the timing pins. If you rotate the engine and insert the crank timing pin first (into the flywheel above the starter and bellow the fuel filter) then try and insert the pins into the cam and pump gear. If you can fit the pins then the timing is out.

This is how I fit DI cam belts.

With all the crank, cam and pump pinned up, I slacken off the 3 or 4 pump gear bolts. I fit the belt making sure that the pump gear is central in it's elongated holes and the tension the belt. I then tighten the 3 or 4 pump gear bolts and remove the pins. Then I rotate the engine 2 times to make sure that there is no piston to valve contact.

If you have had the timing out it may be possible that you have bent a push rod slightly....

[gemini]

why do you slacken the pump bolts??

[MrMPuk]

Not the bolts that hold the pump on but the bolts that are on the pulley!

[transitgeoff]

if you dont slacken the 3 or 4 13mm bolts on the pulley you cannot tension the belt between the fuel pump pulley and the cam pulley. so putting the timing out