Date:         Mon, 5 Mar 2001 12:07:53 -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 Defies Me--Please Help
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

The email below asks whether it is better to violate Bentley by

a) having only one C shim controlling crankshaft endplay even through
Bentley says it is important to have two C shims, or

b) whether it is better to drive around with a crankshaft endplay reading
of zero (which it would appear my van has had since I bought it new in
1990) despite the spec in the manual that says crankshaft endplay should be
0.004"

I cannot, apparently, have both at once, so I have to choose between the
lesser of two evils. Alternatively, I could try to sand down the edge of
the flywheel that sits against the motor to provide the desired endplay.

Please help with comments--more detail below.

====================

About a month ago I referred to a case where I could not get a reading for
crankshaft endplay which I was checking while I was doing my clutch.

The list helped with several comments, principal among them were the
recommendations that:

1. No oil or grease should be installed on the shims at all or it can throw
the reading off

2. The crankshaft endplay measurement should be taken at the center of the
flywheel, not the edge of it

Boston Bob was particularly helpful with comments, which he delivered to me
over the phone. Dennis Haynes, who I consider a real pro, told me basically
to stop messing with it and leave it the way it was.

Seeking to resolve this matter, I went back in there this weekend and
reinstalled everything with no oil or grease on the shims and took another
measurement. The result was that I was still effectively getting 0 (as in
ZERO) crankshaft end play. I could get a crankshaft endplay only by flexing
the flywheel, but after letting go of the flywheel the flywheel would go
back to where it had been.

In order to see if I could find out more, I decided to remove the two shims
identified in the manual as the C shims (these are the ones that come in
various thicknesses) and then remeasure to see if I could get an endplay
reading. This worked, and for the first time ever I was actually able to
measure an endplay, which was 0.00875". I then installed my other spare
flywheel and got a reading of 0.012".

The problem is that both 0.00875" or 0.012" leave such a small space in
there that installing the two C shims the way you are supposed to leaves
Zero crankshaft endplay.

Either the two C shims that the factory had installed were too large (thus
violating their own spec) or I have been losing crankshaft endplay during
the engine's first 80,000 miles of life. This later event does not usually
happen, however, since the endplay usually increases instead of decreases,
according to Dennis and other reports. This is the same engine that came
new with the vehicle in 1990. I was composing an email in my head to send
to Germany along the lines of, "Yo dudes. You boobed the endplay on my
engine!" Sending such an email is not likely to result in a great benefit,
so now I have to decide what to do.

Under one strategy I should put those two factory shims back in there,
which I determined to be 0.012" thick, and drive around with Zero endplay
notwithstanding that the manual says to have at least 0.003" of endplay.

Or I can decide that the factory goofed and try to put in C shims that
provide the correct endplay of 0.004, plus or minus 0.001". Unfortunately,
the smallest available C shims are 0.0096" and if I put just one of these
in the vehicle, it will bring my endplay down to zero again with the
resurfaced flywheel I have, and closer to being correct with the other
flywheel I have. But the manual is somewhat strident in saying that you
must use *two* C shims, not just one. Says the electronic Bentley,
"CAUTION! Always install three shims to obtain correct crankshaft endplay."
(They say three, because they mean to include a third shim that is there.)

So I have to violate one rule or the other: I either have to install the
two thinnest C shims, which are 0.0096" thick each and have zero endplay,
or install just one shim and have the correct endplay but be in violation
of Beneley's spec that says to use two C shims.

Note for reference that I did these measurements with the seals out and not
in the way.

THERE IS ONE OTHER ALTERNATIVE:

I guess I could take the flywheel over to a resurfacer and ask that they
remove a layer of the metal that rests up against the shims. This way, by
making the mating surface of the flywheel less, I can use two C shims and
also meet the manual's spec. Alternatively, I could rest the flywheel on a
piece of sandpaper I have here, and spin it around for awhile to see if
this technique would cause the desired reduction in thickness of the
flywheel by, essentially, sanding it away. Not sure if this is something I
can do in my garage or whether it requires a special machine to make it
super flat. Possibly I could do it with a file.

Any and all expert or inexpert comments solicited.
_______________________________________________
Derek Drew                                            New York, NY
CEO & Co-Founder
http://www.ConsumerSearch.com/
===========================
"Best Expert Review Site"
for product reviews on the Internet
Jan. 2001, PC World Magazine
==========================
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