As promised a few days ago: (I finally got it off my laptop and onto the work computer) /m ---------------------------------------------------------------- How to swap an engine without an engine lift. In the old days swapping engines on VW's (the aircooled ones) was easy. The engines were light, held by the transmission only, and they could be pulled out straight rearward by unmounting the rear apron. Today's watercooled bus engines are heavier, have more stuff hooked up to them and there is no removable rear apron. Swapping one of these is a little more involved, but as we shall see quite easily doable in a few hours in the driveway.
parts: Jack(s): The standard one is fine. Two jacks is better. Two jackstands and/or wood blocks with a combined height of about 2x 50cm/20in. Garage creeper or similar platform with wheels. The standard method of pulling an engine is to jack up the bus and then use an engine hoist to lower the engine below the rear apron and pull the engine out below the bus. The main insight needed to pull the engine without a hoist is that the engine must be moved up and down, but only relative to the bus, hence we can move the bus instead! The basic idea is to lower the bus and engine down so that the engine rests on the creeper, then unbolt the engine and lift the bus up so that the engine can be pulled out backwards. WARNING: It is tempting to lift the bus using only two jacks; one in each of the rear jackpoints. Don't do that. It is an extremely unstable condition and the bus can fall down sideways. Steps: 1. Empty fluids and disconnect all hoses and wiring from the engine. See the factory manual for this. Remove coolant expansion tank and oil filler tube on a Diesel. 2. Block front wheels. 3. Jack up the rear. Support on jackstands and take off rear wheels. Loosen the pivoting bolt on the front transmission mount. 4. Lower down a few cm (couple of inches) each side at a time. Support with jackstand on opposite side. When the jackstand are too long to fit use wood blocks instead. 5. When the rear brake drums are just above the ground slide in a wood block under them and lower onto the block. 6. Continue lowering until the creeper just fits under. Slide in the creeper and support the engine on it with wood blocks. Adjust jacks so engine rests on the creeper. 7. Undo the bolts holding the engine carrier to the frame. On a Diesel these are on the rear inside and forward on the frame rail just when it bends to widen for the engine. 8. Lift the bus by the same procedure as in 4. The engine will pivot on the front transmission mount, and the creeper will slide inward somewhat. 9. When there is enough room slide in under and support the transmission end on the creeper and then remove the transmission mount from the frame crossmember. If only engine is pulled, but not the tranny remove the bellhousing bolts instead aand support the tranny with a sling chain fastened to the bus. 10. Continue lifting until there is clearance to pull the engine out under the rear bumper. Installationn is the reverse of this. When the bus is lowered onto the engine and the engine is level with its mounting points it can be aligned by pushing the creeper around. In the backwoods the creeper can be substituted for a piece of plywood or similar provided it is put on some low friction bedding such as a pile of leaves. Otherwise it is difficult to pull it out. /martin -- Westy 1.9l Turbo Diesel Quantum 1.6l Turbo Diesel Martin Jagersand email: jag@cs.yale.edu Computer Science Department jag@cs.rochester.edu Yale University Slow down and visit the VW diesel Westy page: WWW: http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/jag/vw ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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