The idea of this guide is to assist others in carrying out the task of checking and adjusting the torsion value on a 1.9 PD engine.



Essentially the purpose of this to fine tune the timing to achieve a good balance of engine performance and fuel economy. It might only seem like a small adjustment but the difference it makes can be quite big,on my car for example running retarded -5 after belt change caused it to be very lazy revving and difficult to start in the morning.

If you are going to tackle a timing belt change I would advise you to check your torsion value first so you have a good baseline figure to set it to once belt has been done. It is widely reported on VAG sites over the life of a timing belt it will retard the torsion value by 0.5
Also when doing belt change try and get cam sprocket bolts in centre of the slots so you have plenty of room to adjust both ways should it be needed.


In my opinion this is a fairly simple task and anyone handy with a spanner will be able to tackle it with no problems.

On to the guide itself

First thing to do is double check the mechanical timing is spot on by rotating engine by hand and locking it at TDC with the correct tools.







Crankshaft timing mark not visible in picture of the sprocket as its obstructed by locking tool,so added an illustration showing where it is.

Once you are sure the mechanical timing is spot on the engine needs to be warmed up,it is essential the engine is above 80 degrees and the heater,lights etc  are switched off to get an accurate torsion reading, you want the bare minimum of load on alternator so literally just engine running and nothing else.

Now you need to connect VCDS and go to engine>measuring blocks and select group 4. In group 4 the figure you want is in the right hand box,depending on VCDS version it can be called torsion value or synchro angle either way they mean the same. If you are doing this prior to timing belt change then make a note of the figure as you will need it after you have finished the belt.
It is quite normal for the reading to flick between 2 readings for example mine is mostly at 0.5 but does briefly flick on to 1.0.

A retarded reading will show a - before the number but an advanced reading only shows digits.





To adjust the angle the 3 13mm head bolts on camshaft sprocket need to be slackened off so that the camshaft can be rotated without moving the sprocket. Its a good idea to put a reference mark on cam sprocket and large washer under 18mm bolt so you can see how much you have moved the camshaft. White touch up or tippex are ideal for this.

On to the adjustment itself the slightest of movements on camshaft can have a big impact on the torsion angle,for example on mine I moved it what looked like only a couple of mm but it went -5 to +4 it really is trial and error. If you have a reading from before belt change and everything was fine power ok,fuel consumption good and engine idle smooth then reset to that figure initially and see how it runs and drives.
If like me you didn't take a figure then a good place to start is at 0.0 and see how the engine starts and runs,there is nothing to stop you running for a few days at that figure to try it out you can always adjust again if it does not feel right. A retarded (-) figure will give you a bit of a slower pick up but more torque top end where as a (+) figure will give more free revving low down but less up top of rev range in my experience. So its all about achieving that happy medium. My AUY engine seems best suited at +5 this gives good starting and good overall power through whole rev range but also returns average fuel consumption.

don't be afraid to experiment so long as your mechanical timing is spot on then the camshaft can be rotated from one end of slot to other without causing damage, I can say this is the case because I have been from end to end on mine experimenting with different figures

Anti clockwise on camshaft will advance it and clockwise will retard it.
A 5.5 reading is camshaft sensor out of limits if this happens move cam back the other way to get it back in limts.
To adjust use an 18mm ring spanner on camshaft bolt,you can use the counter hold tool on sprocket but just bare in mind doing like that you will have to rotate opposite direction.....anti clockwise to retard and clockwise to advance.

What I did with mine was leave top timing belt cover off,placed air box in without the retaining screw and left the intake pipe on MAF without clip. I then took it for a drive armed with laptop,13mm and 18mm spanners so I could feel how car drove,if I was not happy I parked up somewhere switched off and adjusted the cam slightly. I repeated this process until I was happy with how it drove. Don't over tighten the 13mm bolts just use the spanner to do them sufficiently until you are at a point where you are happy with the setting. once all ready to re assemble the torque figure for these is 25nm.

Timing belt replacement link to refer to for checking mechanical timing. https://www.fordmpv.com/smf2/ford-galaxy-reference-library/ford-galaxy-mk2-1-9-tdi-(pd)-timing-belt-kit-water-pump-replacement/