Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 21:34:21 -0400
Reply-To: Martin Jagersand <jag@CS.YALE.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Martin Jagersand <jag@CS.YALE.EDU>
Subject: How to swap an engine without an engine lift.
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
-------------------------------------------------------------------
