Have just got it started after head replacement

A little info: JX code 1.6, engine overheated and cracked the head so we replaced it with a good secondhand one. Set injection pump timing etc but can't get it to fire up.

It turns over and over giving little puffs of grey smoke from the exhaust. Getting pi$$ed off with it now.

Theres fuel getting to it (you can see it passing along the pipe to the injection pump and back along the other pipe back to the tank, the glow plug system is doing as it should, fuel shut off works. Run out of ideas on what to try next.

Any ideas?

Edited by Zebedee - 17 Jun 12 at 19:24

 double check timing - cam/pump/flywheel.

Zebedee wrote: Will double check the timing. Pretty sure it was correct but you never know. Fuel filter was filled with fuel and its sucking it from the filter to the injection pump. Not checked if theres fuel at the injectors. Just assumed it has as fuel is heading back along the other line back to the tank.

and you shouldnt be able to see fuel moving in the clear pipe! that means air.

Just thought, how tight should the cam belt be? How much give when you press it between cam wheel and injection pump wheel?

Cheers. Bentley manual says use VW tool etc which is as much use as a chocolate teapot and Haynes doesn't cover diesel.

Got the belt tensioned correctly, rechecked the pump timing and filled the fuel filter with fuel and tried again and it still wouldn't start.
Cracked off the injectors one at a time and the note the engine was making changed and now theres loads more smoke from the tailpipe while cranking (unburnt diesel?).

There is loads of air getting pulled into the system along the fuel line, even after replacing the bits of rubber hose (as some were quite persished) connecting the plastic pipe to tank and filter. No idea where its coming from except for the plastic fuel line itself.

Flattened the battery again so its on charge over night.

Flattened 2 fully charged batteries so far and its still pulling loads of air bubbles through the pipe.

Don't think any hoses are cracked though you never know. Nothing is leaking out anywhere, they are all bone dry on the outside.

Seems the control valve in the return line (the one on the top of the fuel filter) didn't have any O ring seals on it so it was drawing in loads of air into the filter. Added O rings and voila, no more air.

Still won't start though, just makes more smoke while cranking.

What else is there to try?
Fuel - check.
Glowplug relay and fuse - check.
Glowplugs getting 12V - check.
?