Date:         Fri, 19 Apr 1996 14:56:00 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@gi.com>
Subject:      RE: V6anagon soon to be re-V6'ed


On 19 Apr 1996, Jim Burns wrote:
>Can the indirect method I think you're trying really measure to within say
>1/8th inch?

I'm hoping more like 1/100th inch. Amazing how close you can be when
you're patient. And loaded for bear.   :^)


>I envision dropping the clutch disk into the flywheel, aligning with the
>proper tool, and then taking non-hardening type clay and squeezing a rope
>of the stuff into the edge clearance between the clutch disk and flywheel
>lip.
>
>Install the PP as normal and bolt in the engine. Have someone hold in the
>clutch and while you turn the engine over SLOWLY 4-5 times by hand.  Any
>misalignment should produce an eccentric rotation of the flywheel that
>pushes the clay away from the clutch disk on all sides.

That's not a bad idea! Thank you, Jim-- may be worth a try!

Unfortunately, by the time the engine is installed on the tranny, the
problem is no longer one of linear misalignment, though it probably
started that way. The pilot bearing in the V6 flywheel, has pulled the
trans input shaft over to the center of the engine, from wherever it
started. Since the clutch mating surface is no more than 1/2" away from
the pilot bearing, the clutch disc is essentially perfectly centered on
the flywheel by then. I have a hunch that virtually no clay would be
shoved aside in the way you described.

BUT... since the end of the input shaft has been pulled over the 1/4" or
whatever distance... the input shaft now sits at an angle to the flywheel
and clutch disc, instead of the perfect 90 degrees it should be. This has
slightly bent the hub of the clutch disc over with it, while the rest of
the disc remains clamped flat to the flywheel by the pressure plate. When
the engine rotates 180 degrees, that slight bend is now the other direction.
180 more, and it now bends back in the original direction.

At 3000+ RPM, guess how long it takes for metal fatigue to set in in the
disc hub? I'm amazed this thing went 6,000 miles before it failed. Sachs
brand clutches (made in Germany) are TOUGH little suckers!

If I had a trans input shaft with the last 3/4" cut off, so nothing went
into the pilot bearing, then your method would be VERY useful. The car
would be undrivable, of course, but turning it by hand as you describe would
be an effective test. The shaft does have some built-in wobble from the
transmission, of course, to allow for *slight* misalignment. But I have a
hunch that anything more than a few hundredths of an inch, would quickly
get you into trouble-- as I am now. Yes, I do wonder if there is a maximum
allowable offset. Anybody know?

    _______
   /\ o o o\         Steve Maher   smaher@gi.com   75461,1717
  /o \ o o o\_______   San Diego, California
 <    >------>   o /|
  \ o/  o   /_____/o|      '80 VW V6anagon
   \/______/     |oo|        '66 Mustang Coupevertible
         |   o   |o/       '89 Son Sherwin
         |_______|/
                     http://www.lookup.com/homepages/76242/home.html

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