Unable to set timing

Recently had my IP rebuilt, and while I was at it, I changed the time chain and gear set, water pump etc. My injectors were rebuilt last year, and this has been sitting since the hurricanes passed through the area. I have a three year old electric fuel pump and my starter is about two years old, with good batteries and a new 2AWG primary cable to the starter.

My first successfull start produced lots of black smoke and then I had to keep the pedal about a quarter of the way down in order to keep it running. White smoke eventually died down, and it had a decent idle when it warmed up.

Ever since, starting has been a bit easier, but the white smoke stays at start, my idle is a bit rough, but I have plenty of power and can hit 55 MPH easily.

I could not find a soul in Polk County who had the proper equipment to set timing so I had to take it to the Stanadyne shop in Tampa this morning. After fifteen minutes the lead man came out to say they were unable to set timing because the indications were "ranging" too much. He said it might be the electric pump and the fact that I had modified the fuel lines. (I have my own vegetable oil conversion kit, but I'm not using it until I get the truck running better.) He suggested going back to a mechanical fuel pump to see if that helps. Fine, but it shoots a half day just to run it over there and back on the secondary roads. Plus I think I threw out the push rod for the mechanical pump, since I've never seen anything on this site to indicate the electric pumps ever being a problem.

The idle seems higher and a little rougher since I've had it in the shop, and the white smoke was there on start up this afternoon, after it had cooled down.

I've been reading post after post about the timing, and used a shop manual when setting up the gears and chain.

Should I assume one tooth off, like on Mark's post?

Should I just change the electric fuel pump out to be safe or go back to mechanical?

Is there a diagram somewhere showing which Inj lines go to which port, or can I assume, like a gasser that if I find number one and follow the firing order on the intake I should be golden?

Should I put the truck on the street with a low price and hope the next guy is worse than me on diesels?

There is a diagram in the shop manual on the correct ports for the lines . If you look at the pump , where the lines attach , and at the very top , there is a small Allen bolt in between 2 of the fittings . To the left of the bolt is number 8 and to the right is number 7 . From 7 clockwise , 2 , 6 , 5 , 4 , 3 , 1 and 8 .

hello Jon,

I had the same problem as jou have, i also have put a gear set on my 6.5 nova, when i first try to start it (it take some time before the feul is cominig in the injectors) there were lots of white smoke and a tereble running engine. First i have chainst the timing bij the pump it self, after several try`s (it was not enoug)i have chainst the timing one theeth, that helped a lot
the engine is runnig verry good now, and there is totaly no smoke, it is like the engine has a little turbo. well so far. (sorry for my englihs, i hope you can read it) :rolleyes:

I rotated my pump towards the passenger side, using the throttle bracket as a handle, but could only make it move about 1-2 mm. Now it smokes all the time.

Looks like I'm headed for tearing it down to check the gears. Any suggestions?

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Originally posted by Jon:
I rotated my pump towards the passenger side, using the throttle bracket as a handle, but could only make it move about 1-2 mm. Now it smokes all the time.

Looks like I'm headed for tearing it down to check the gears. Any suggestions?

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Rotating the pump towards the passenger's side of the engine retards the timing and increases smoke. You want to rotate the pump towards the driver's side in order to advance the timing. That should help your problem considerably.

Casey

I wished I had read more thoroughly or had waited for the post. I have already drained the water and was just getting ready to pull the WP. What's an easy way to rotate the pump?

As you know they make a special tool to grab the pump and rotate it, but I have found that a pry bar placed carefully between the body of the pump and the engine block will give me enough leverage to move the pump from lock to lock.

I've also read that if you have trouble moving the pump due to the fact that the injection lines hold it in place, you might have to loosen the lines going into the back of the pump, move the pump, and then retighten the lines.

Good luck!

Casey

I made my own tool out of a piece of flattened 4'x1.5" pipe with two bolts in it that lines up with the grab holes on the passenger side of the pump flange. It's cheap and works really well.

Brittanic,

Do you have any pics of the tool?

Rotated the pump back towards the driver side, went a fraction past the marks and smoke went away, except for start up. I have lots of smoke for about 3 minutes. Have had the truck up to 70 mph, with no problems.

If you plan on keeping the truck, I suggest you invest in a diesel timing meter for yourself. They pop up on e-bay all the time with prices ranging from $150-$350 (or less if you get lucky like I did).

I just sold a very nice digital Snap-on mt 1480 meter on ebay last month, I kept my MT 480 for myself. With your own meter and luminoscity probe, you will not have to guess at the timing or try to interpret what a shop tells you.


Mike

From what I've been told, one has to rotate the pump hard over to get the engine to run - if the pump drive/driven gears or chain set are even one tooth off. So, if you're anywhere near the middle of the injection pump adjustment range and the engine runs sorta OK, the gears/timing set must be indexed correctly.

MP

Are the luminoscity probes different for the 6.2 & 6.5 and do these probes come with the MT480? I've located a used MT480 but I'm not sure what is included as I haven't seen it yet. It appears that Snap-on does not offer this meter or any adapters for it.?.

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Originally posted by Subzilla:
Are the luminoscity probes different for the 6.2 & 6.5 and do these probes come with the MT480? I've located a used MT480 but I'm not sure what is included as I haven't seen it yet. It appears that Snap-on does not offer this meter or any adapters for it.?.

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No the luminoscity probes are the same. The probe you are looking for is the MT 160 OR MT 161. One of those part numbers is for the 6.2/6.5 and one is for the Ford diesels. I can not remember which part number corresponds with which motor, but they are interchangeable as the glow plug fittings where the probes install are the same size.

Because the probes for the GM and Ford diesels are the same, you can also use a Ford "Rotunda" timing meter instead of a Snap-on or Kent-Moore meter.

Be careful when buying a used meter. Make sure the meter comes with a probe as the probes are over $200 from Snap-on (if they are still available). The meters themselves are not available from Snap-on any longer.

Subzilla, any update on the meter you purchased?

The truck is still running fine. I just reconnected the vegetable oil to it and am still fine tuning the pump set up. I don't think I'll purchase a meter unless it works on a 6.5, since my 99 burb is the one I'm going to keep.