1973 standard Beatle 1600 dual port>

My son and I are having a very frustrating time with his bug. We took the> engine out to replace the main seal because it was leaking. We had a very> difficult time removing the flywheel. Whale trying to get that nut off we> ruined the crank pulley, because we were trying to keep the crank from> turning as we worked on the gland nut. We couldn't get the pully off

wrench took that nut off licitly split. Now we are trying to fix a major> endplay problem.>

We have installed the new pulley (though it wont seat completely flush

When we go to the flywheel and check the end play, we get a reading of

this engine ran before we tried to get to that main seal. Now it wont even> turn.(though if the flywheel is removed the crank turns normaly) The

What is happening and how do we get this thing back together properly?>

Thanks for your help.>

Robert>

Ok, that must be the reason why they suggest only using three spacers.> I only knew that there was a max quantity, not the reason.Thanks for> explaining that, Paul. Btw, is there a minimum quantity as well?

What you described in your previous post happened to me: the seat of> the main bearing had machined itself out along the axis of the crank.> The actualy bearing looks ok, strangely enough. Before I had the engine> apart, I actually thought there were four spacers on the shaft, because> I could move the main bearing that much. (I was only half kidding> saying I could measure the slop with a yard stick)> It was so bad that the flywheel was allowed to touch the case and had> actually worn a groove in it.

Jan, Thank you for this info. It sounds like you have found and solved my> problem at least temporarly. Your description is very clear and I think we> can do this. I am not certin of two things though, the bearing thrust> surface must be the surface of the case as you are looking at the Main> bearing, the surface that the shims seat against.

I assume the Bearing> saddle is the machined surface that the bearing sits in. the part that the> outer edge of a bearing would be in contact with. is this correct?>

Robert

You are having to tighten it up with excess flywheel shims and when you do> this it pulls the crank away from it's normal location, and the crank cheeks> are hitting the case.>

You need a new case Robert. It's shot.>

Not the case, but the bearing flange itself. That's what the shims seat> against. The shims, nor the crank, never meet the case.. as long as> everything is right ­>

I'll put some pics up later tonight.>

Jan

Jan are you saying that the metal that is altered with the punch is on the> bearing its self?

isnt that steel very hard

and wouldnt that dammage the> balls inside of the bearing if they received impact?

I have used simular> technique of expanding metal to hold things inside of steel (such as a ball> bearing with a spring inside of a hole drilled into a body of steel for a> notched feel on something that would turn. ) I assume that your technique> you are describing to hold that bearing in place is describing the same> thing.>

is this correct? or am I confused?

Robert Rutler wrote:> >

Yes. The bearing flange gets "punched".>

It's not steel, it's very soft material actually.>

There are no balls, this is not a ball bearing. It's just a solid ring> of very soft metal that "sucks in" dirt particles and has a smooth,> slippery surface. There is always a film of oil between the bearing> surface and the crank when the engine is running, theoretically teh> crank is always floating in oil. So you see, if the oil is missing, you> have metal rubbing against metal that isn't supposed to move, and damage> will occur immediately.>

Well.. the bearing thrust side flange has been eaten thinner. So my> trick makes it "thicker again"... like this:>

before:>

|> |> |> |> |> |> |> |>

after:>

|> |> | <punched spot> |> |> | <punched spot> |> |>

I hope that comes out ok ­>

Jan

John Connolly wrote:> > due to overheating, or excessive endplay, or BOTH, the flywheel main bearing> > is loose in the case.> >

or having the case machined and thrust surface cut to size with a> special oversize bearing. Time for a major rebuild

Of course.. I have a proven backyard mechanic solution for that too (Up>here in the north we don't have easy or affordable access to new cases,>so we have had to learn to make do with what we have) but I'd rather>keep the secret to myself. John Connolly there would cringe for sure ­>LOL (Yes, another band-aid solution... but if it's a rare case that>you must use due to historic value or something...numbers­ matching car>etc. )>

Jan

The stock saddle width here is 22mm. The saddle sides often wear too,> when the bearing gets sloppy, and as Peppe said, the bearing saddle is> then> thrust cut to next undersize. Like 21mm. You get a bearing with 21mm> "Flange spacing" instead of the stock 22mm.>

On TOP of that the saddle probably is worn on the face side too, so you> have to line bore the case.> Then you need a bearing with bigger outside diameter. They are available> in increments of 0.50mm up to 1.5mm oversize.>

If your case needed to be bored beyond 1.5mm oversize, it's definitely> trash, you can't get any bigger bearings.> Even if you could, the saddles have started to collapse anyway and the> case is doomed to have a very short life. So there's no point in trying.>

Of course.. I have a proven backyard mechanic solution for that too (Up> here in the north we don't have easy or affordable access to new cases,> so we have had to learn to make do with what we have) but I'd rather> keep the secret to myself. John Connolly there would cringe for sure ­> LOL (Yes, another band-aid solution... but if it's a rare case that> you must use due to historic value or something...numbers­ matching car> etc. )>

Jan

you should start a new consulting firm Jan, "GR Solutions". ­>

John> Aircooled.Net Inc.

On Tue, 15 Mar 2005 19:42:34 +0200, Jan Andersson> <bugfuel@rocketcom.­mail> scribbled this interesting note:>

Keeping secrets again???