1.9tD still dead.. but progressing

[StealthSteve]

Okies the long and short of this is the car died one evening after being driven unusually sensibly.

The only symptom was the car not starting, trying to crank over but only with very minimal compression.

Oh, and it was spitting water out in drips underneath.

So I got it home after a week of being stored at a mates and started to work on it, about 3 months on I've taken the head apart, got a new head gasket, timing belt and head the sent off to be skimmed since it was ever so slightly warped.

Just about bolting it back together and was advised to make sure I had the 'caps' and 'spacers' for the valves/cam right; but they're all the same size?
I was told the fronts were 8thou and the backs 16 - so since they're all the same do I just whack 'em back in whatever hole slot I want and be comfortable it'll work?

Pics:





Thanks.

[Tom]

Sure they're all exactly the same size? They may well be ever so slightly different.. you should put them back in exactly that same places they came from..

[Ruan]

They're all completely different.

They're to set the valve clearances, so you'll need to mix and match until you get all the valve clearances correct. You're talking a few thousandths of an inch difference, you won't be able to see by eye, you'll need vernier calipers to detect it.

Also make sure you put the cam caps in the right place, they're numbered from the FLY end 1,2,3...

[StealthSteve]

I got it slapped back together, took half a day and 2 batteries to start then as you's pointed out, there was problems..

I'm spending tomorrow taking the rocker cover back off, cam off and checking over the shim caps and getting the old man to help me work out which goes in which.

Thanks for the info so far