Date:         Thu, 8 Aug 2002 14:58:25 -0400
Reply-To:     "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "G. Matthew Bulley" <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Organization: Bulley-Hewlett
Subject:      Re: Why this type IV engine caught fire,
              spun the mains and ruined everything.
In-Reply-To:  <20020808.122259.952.0.wilden1@juno.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

On my very first Type4 rebuild (1984) I left out one of the crankshaft
dowel pins. Couldn't find it, and thought "hey, I'm smarter than VW...
the motor can do without some tiny little pin..."

I was right, for about 30k miles. Then, I found that if you drive at
about 105 mph for 20-25 minutes (it was in a 914), the stresses and
clearances are sufficient for that shell bearing to float back and forth
in its saddle, eventually blocking its own oil galley, then all
expensive hell breaks loose.

It was the formation of Bulley Rule #1:
On a VW drivetrain, even part counts for something; nothing is
superfluous. If you doubt rule number one, be prepared with your
checkbook for the consequences.


Developing business and guiding change since 1996,

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Marketing & Communications
Business: www.bulley-hewlett.com
Phone: +1.919.658.1278


-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
Of Stan Wilder
Sent: Thursday, August 08, 2002 1:23 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Why this type IV engine caught fire, spun the mains and ruined
everything.

This picture is for would be rebuilders of all VW engines.
http://www.williamwareagency.com/forsale/stanvan/pin.jpg
This was a simple error in snapping the case halfs together.
The phone may have rang, the installer may have stepped away for a drink
of water, whatever.
The results are the same, the bearing was deformed and lost oil pressure
causing burned out bearings, ruined crankshaft, ruined case, ruined the
heads and worst of all an engine fire that destroyed the Vehicle.
The number 3 bearing and oil slinger at the fan were welded to the crank
shaft.
This is one of the few engines I've seen that I just hauled to the
dumpster so I wouldn't ever be tempter to use any of the parts. The fire
caused the heads to have slight melting and the case showed slight
deforming in the oil galleries across the back of the engine, the oil
cooler was melted as was the engine fan shroud and cooling fan. All of
this heat was enraged but firemen hosing down the burning magnesium fan
shroud before they identified the enhanced fuel source.
It is mandatory that you have an oil pressure gauge after a rebuild to
avoid this scenario. The low oil pressure would have set off your alerts
and saved this Vehicle.
I can't speculate about the rebuilders but he did install all quality
parts and this was the only known fault I discovered.

Stan Wilder
83 Air Cooled Westfalia

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