This week I brought my truck to an injection shop to having the timing checked /adjusted due to difficult cold starting that seemed to have started after a botched timing belt job a couple years ago. After botched timing belt was replaced by another mechanic the truck would start okay after cycling the glow plugs a couple times at ~40 degrees. Glow plugs seem to be working fine. Truck still had Good top end speed / power etc. I resigned to mainly driving it in the summer or above 60 degrees out. Once warm truck starts fine.
- Shop said static timing was fully retarded, so they fully advanced it. They never pulled the cover or checked the pulley timing. Though they originally said they had the dial gauge and I thought they would set it that way, they DID NOT.
- I went to pick it up and truck would NOT start. They set it back to fully retarded. Still wasn't starting like it did before I brought it to them. They advanced it a bit. Finally after a ton of cranking and pumping the pedal did I get it to start.
- Tech was going to try starting fluid but I told him off.
- I drove the truck home. Now with timing advanced a bit I seem to notice a ticking sound and I feel like truck is revving a higher / less power especially over 40 mph though I can get up to freeway speed.
- Truck also is harder to start if I let it sit for a couple of hours after warming it up than it was before.
- Shop also noted a leak from the CSD. I noticed it was wet with fuel around it too but didn't see any constant dripping.
My thoughts:
1. Test compression - perhaps unruly use of ether to get it started blew the compression?
2. Buy a dial gauge and check timing is spot on. Isn't off a tooth or 180 degrees or what not as well.
3. Could fuel leak from CSD cause this? Though it doesn't seem like it and I doubt the fuel leak is the new issue. Shop tried to say it's air in lines or loss of prime of the IP?
What would happen if timing is off 180 degrees or off a tooth? Could that be why the IP static timing was fully retarded in the first place? I'm not convinced that's actually the factory setting.
video of ticking sound if you listen carefully.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Apq8I6RDJGY
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Additional details:
Previously I had just fixed a leak in the injection pump at the full load adjustment by replacing the o-ring, this stopped fuel dripping but I don't think it helped my cold start problem (or hurt it).
Years ago when I had the timing belt replaced. Someone screwed it up -- I can't quite recall what happened if they slipped the timing or what. They couldn't get it right so they gave up. I had someone else look at it, I recall them adjusting the static timing and then they took the truck and got the belt changed. After that it started up but always seemed like it started harder. I also distinctly recall the truck sounded louder, but then quieted down as soon as I pulled off. This happened once at the shop once I finally got it started. After letting it idle for a while I did a quick test drive. As soon as I started going I noticed the same 'quieting down'.
My thought recently was to check the static timing, maybe when it got adjusted it bumped it off. After contemplating doing it myself I decided to drop it off at a local diesel injection shop here (master tech). Over the phone they said they had the timing dial and could "time anything".
Monday morning I started the truck up, (cycled the plugs twice), and fired right up.
I ended up calling them about the progress and went to pick it up today. Over the phone the tech said the timing at the factory timing which was retarded so they advanced it a bit though it was still hard to start. Okay I'll come get it. When I got there they gave me the keys and waived charging anything. I went to the truck and it would not start. I tried cycling and cranking a couple times. I went back and talked to them and had them set the static timing back. I guess they said it was fully retarded and they fully advanced it. The tech came over and set it all the way back. I still couldn't get it to start. They tried advancing a bit or maybe half way... finally I got it started after A LOT of cranking.
I was going to try setting the timing back to fully retarded but I don't have the right tools. It seems the nut on the IP flange is rounded and slipping on me with a box end wrench.
I'm a bit out of my realm on a lot of this now and thinking this might be the end of my pup
