Finding Top Dead Center (VW Golf 1)

To perform various operations on the engine and fuel pump, the piston in the first cylinder must be at the top dead center (TDC). This means that it must be at the point of maximum lift. In a four-stroke engine, the piston comes to the top dead center twice in each working cycle: once when the intake air is compressed, and once when the combustion products exit. Usually, the position is determined according to the compression cycle:

Remove the valve cover.

Turn the engine over manually (see previous section) until both are right (in the direction of movement) the camshaft lobes will not point upward.

For greater accuracy, turn the crankshaft until the mark on the flywheel is exactly opposite the vertical arrow in the inspection window near the clutch housing (see picture). In this way, the exact location of the top dead center of the first cylinder can be found.