Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2001 15:28:18 -0500
Reply-To: Derek Drew <derekdrew@RCN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Derek Drew <derekdrew@RCN.COM>
Subject: Crankshaft Endplay Adjustment Hits Me Flat
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
While I was changing the clutch I decided to check the crankshaft endplay
to see if it was in spec.
There is an excellent post in the archives on this topic by, I think,
Andrew Martin (agmartin@silverlink.net although he was posting from a
different address at the time).
The thing is that I found that I could not get any measurement during this
process in which I had any confidence.
My procedure was to pound the flywheel as far back as it would go with a
huge rubber hammer and then stick screw drivers under the flywheel at
opposite sides and try to pry the flywheel toward me (toward the front of
the vehicle). I measured the distance that the fllywheel traveled. What I
found was that the flywheel would travel any amount depending on how hard I
pry'd with the screwdrivers. I could easily make it travel 0.04" or 0.10"
or if I pried really hard I went further.
Once I released my screwdrivers the crankshaft went back to within 0.01" of
where it had been at the start. It is supposed to be 0.04" plus or minus
0.01" if I read the manual correctly.
This is a new factory engine in a 90 syncro with about 80,000 miles on it.
So I either have a crankshaft endplay that is too tight or I have one that
is too loose.
I called Dennis Haynes on the phone about this and he spoke with the voice
of authority: "Just leave it. It sounds like it was good and tight. That's
good. When there is trouble is when it is too loose. Don't mess around with
it."
But I am still drumming my fingers a little. What if I actually have only
0.01" of play ? when the spec calls for 0.04."
I was thinking that possibly the trouble was that I used a layer of grease
to make the shims tacky and so they would stick on there while I put the
flywheel back on.
Does anybody think this layer of grease was a mistake and could be throwing
the adjustment off? Should I take them out and wipe them off and use oil
and put the whole thing back together? 81 foot lbs. on the flywheel bolts
enough to squeese the grease out of the shims?
The manual said to use oil, I noticed later.
Comments from the knowledgeable please.
Any reason I shouldn't just bolt the transmission back on and ignore this?
_______________________________________________
Derek Drew New York, NY
CEO & Co-Founder
http://www.ConsumerSearch.com/
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