Date:         Fri, 13 Jun 1997 09:04 -0600 (MDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         BLAINE_BACHMAN%PL-01M3@ccmail.plk.af.mil
Subject:      Re: Input Shaft Woes

     Lon-
     
     The information other list members provided as to replacing the input 
     shaft on your car coincided with my experience on a "bread-loaf" bus 
     with Type IV engine.
     
     What's probably screwed up the shaft is the pilot bearing in the end 
     of your crankshaft (I'm really surprised that no one else caught 
     this!) is hosed.  You can get it out without removing the flywheel, 
     although it's easier with the F/W off.  If you've got access to a 
     slide hammer with a "J" hook end, use that to pull it.
     
     Put the new one in with tools that won't damage it (I use a 
     "dead-blow" mallet until it's flush and then I "shadetree" it the last 
     few millimeters with a suitably-sized socket used as a drift between 
     the bearing and the mallet).  
     
     Jam a fingerfull of axle bearing grease in the "hole" after its 
     installed (and before you install the engine).
     
     On the off chance the vanagon air-cooled input shaft is the same as 
     the bread-loaf Type IV input shaft, verify that you have the right 
     part.  Reason is, 68-71 bus trannys are outwardly identical to the 
     72-79s, but the earlier input shaft is shorter.  If you accidently get 
     (or have) a 68-71 input shaft, it barely touches the pilot bearing and 
     will nuke it in short order.
     
     -Blaine