How do you calibrate the timing on a 1984 VW rabbit?

Answer 1

There's a plastic plug at the top of the transmission's bell housing. Open this up. This is where you will shine your timing light. At the base of the distributor, there is a 13MM bolt that you will need to loosen. Only loosen it up enough to turn the distributor and no more.

With the car running, shine your light into the bell housing hole. You should see a mark on the fly wheel. As you turn the distributor back and forth, you will see the mark move in the light of the strobe.

If you're trying to time a Rabbit that won't start, line the mark on the flywheel up with the hole by turning the crank manually with a break bar. On the cam wheel, you should see a small dot. If this dot is lined up with where the valve cover meets the top of the front of the head then the valve timing is at TDC. If it's not, loosen the timing belt and turn the cam until it is lined up. Take off the distributor cap. You should see a notch in the body of the distributor. The rotor should point to this notch at TDC. If it doesn't, loosen the distributor and turn it until the notch lines up. Once the mark on the flywheel, dot on the valve cover and notch on the distributor are all lined up, your car is at 0° TDC.