I had already tried when the engine was bare. There was no change. But it was very cold, -5 to 5°C, which may have skewed the result.
If I have to try again now, it's so difficult to access that I have to disassemble a lot of things, so I might as well take out the engine. But I don’t have the courage or the space.
And I don’t understand how there could be an ignition timing issue when everything was reassembled as it was originally. How could it have gone out of adjustment?
The only thing that might explain my combustion problem is my "KLAC" noise. But where did that noise come from?
- A gear tooth that shifted? That’s impossible, right?
- And if something was out of alignment, wouldn’t I be unable to correctly set my timing marks? No?
- And wouldn’t the engine struggle to start instantly? No?
Did I break or bend the camshaft, lifters, or rocker assembly when tightening the bolts with the wrong timing? Since I transferred them to my new cylinder head and still have the issue, could one of them be the culprit?
Yet, the engine starts fine, and when I check my valve clearance, everything seems consistent. Could that still be the cause?
With all my tests, everything suggests a timing issue—first with the injection pump, then the crankshaft, or camshaft.
Besides the timing marks, is there a position sensor on any of them? I can’t find anything!
What else could I do (without removing the engine) to confirm this timing issue?
Thanks!