really freakin stuck - rods and rod caps *fixed* thanks - Troubleshooting - VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.

• really freakin stuck - rods and rod caps *fixed* thanks by Smokey Eddy on 31 Dec, 2008 17:53
• No order (that i can find) of caps to rods (with the right sized new standard bearings, with new rings) will the crank turn freely when torqued to 25 ft/lbs
  
  I've matched three caps to rods that when torqued i can spin it by hand with a wrench with "some" effort.
  The final cap goes on and it's impossible to turn. (IMPOSSIBLE)
  
  im hopelessly stuck  
  
  anyone have ANY suggestions?
  
  the head is of course off of the block which makes me think that even torqued down, the crank shoudl still be very easy to turn over.....
  
  the cylinders were just honed, new rings, new rod bearings, pistons are very clean, crank and bearings are spotless.
  
  i can only think that this cap is for a rod OTHER than this one. Are there ANY (ANNNYYYY!!!!!!!) ways of matching rods to caps?
  what can i do???
  Chemical testing? Density testing? % composition testing?
  im so out of ideas and fed up with this whole thing i can't take it anymore.
• #1 by jimfoo on 31 Dec, 2008 19:00
• If not already marked, I ALWAYS mark rods & caps the moment I take them off. Otherwise there is no way to be sure.
• #2 by Smokey Eddy on 31 Dec, 2008 20:00
• Yes as i am finding out the hard way.
  
  After about a billion combinations and the help of a little table i made i finally found a combo that "works"
  whether or not it's the right ones matched who knows?! but it works.
  the oil pan is finally back on but i can't seem to get the two bolts that are closest to the flywheel tight! :evil:
• #3 by dieselweasel on 01 Jan, 2009 09:21
• Quote from: "Smokey Eddy"

  Yes as i am finding out the hard way.
  
  After about a billion combinations and the help of a little table i made i finally found a combo that "works"
  whether or not it's the right ones matched who knows?! but it works.
  the oil pan is finally back on but i can't seem to get the two bolts that are closest to the flywheel tight! :evil:

  
  
  Yaaayyy!  Your persistence paid off.
  
  The two bolt holes near the flywheel may be stripped as they are in the aluminum rear seal carrier.  If that is the case it would probably be difficult to heli-coil them due to the limited clearance.  Might be able to wait until you do a clutch...
• #4 by dillenger1 on 01 Jan, 2009 10:14
• your doing rod caps and your crank wont spin?Or are you doing mains?You may have the wrong size bearing ,plastiguage!
• #5 by Smokey Eddy on 01 Jan, 2009 15:15
• Quote from: "dieselweasel"

  
  
  Yaaayyy!  Your persistence paid off.
  
  The two bolt holes near the flywheel may be stripped as they are in the aluminum rear seal carrier.  If that is the case it would probably be difficult to heli-coil them due to the limited clearance.  Might be able to wait until you do a clutch...

  
  
  
  Looks that way...    Stupid design flaw? My universal doesn't fit in there. You'd need a very stubby socket to use a universal. 1/4" drive of course.
  
  Yeah hahaha my persistance did pay off. It spins VERY nicely now.
  
  Dilly, I had the wrong size to begin with ages ago. I have the right ones now.
  
  The head is on finally ... oh boy do clean parts ever look like they want to make power  :roll:  
• #6 by fatmobile on 01 Jan, 2009 19:37
• You can find what caps go in what rods.
   There is a matching corrosion/wear pattern on surfaces where they meet.
   At least there has always been on the rods/caps I've played with.
   You have to look close.
• #7 by Green79 on 01 Jan, 2009 21:18
• Do you have a rubber oil pan gasket, or is it the stock fiber gasket? I have the nice rubber gasket on mine, and after the rebuild, I knew I was going to be dropping the pan a few times to change/inspect the oil, so I just left the difficult oil pan bolts off. I actually haven't put them back on yet, but the pan hasn't leaked a drop of oil at all. I'll get them in there eventually of course. I guess what I'm saying is that those bolts aren't absolutely critical if you have the rubber gasket. As long as it doesn't leak it shouldn't be a big deal to run it that way until you can fix the threads. Of course, if you have the engine out it would be much easier to fix them now rather than later...
• #8 by Rabbit TD on 02 Jan, 2009 00:13
• On your bearing problem, you didn't mention where you got them other than you said they were the right size std.  I would at least measure that last one with a dial indicator mic. and compare it to one of the other  known good ones no matter if it has the same size stamped on it or not.  A lot of stuff gets through quality control by mistake and some is even known today and gets sold to these discount houses at a real good price and we end up with it.  I just got a 1.9 T/D piston with a 1.6 set a while back. If it's OK  I think I would just get another rod somewhere if the bearing is allright.  Hopefully the other rods will be OK but if this cap is wrong at least one of the others is too.
• #9 by Smokey Eddy on 02 Jan, 2009 10:56
• Hey, thanks for the replies guys!
  
  Well i found an order (of rods with caps) that im fairly confident is the right one because it's the only orientation that doesn't bind the crank. It spins VERY freely now. I put about 4.5 litres of 15w40 in it with the head on, put the belt on and turned it over, i don't know how many times ... consistantly for about 5 minutes or so?
  
  the pump shot some diesel out the return which scared me into thinking the oil pan was leaking. and since the oil is so clean right now it was hard to tell if it was diesel or oil!!! but it was a little too runny for oil :roll:
  
  There is so much compression now with the new rings, new head, newly lapped valves that with the glow plugs in it fired the heat shields out of the injector bosses! I had to catch one!!! I turn it much slower now and i get a very gratifying hhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssssssss on comp. stroke
  
  as for the oil pan bolts I have left the stubborn ones out for now too. I have a new fibre gasket in there. A rubber one would be the fix if it leaked im sure. Thanks for the advice fellas! You're making me feel like taking pictures to brag my hard work!!!
• #10 by vwt4 on 02 Jan, 2009 12:36
• Good work Eddy  
  
  Pics would be good as well of the final build
• #11 by Smokey Eddy on 02 Jan, 2009 12:45
• i r post on my build right now!
• #12 by rabbitman on 04 Jan, 2009 00:36
• Yeah, when I put my oil pan on last time I read in the bentley book something like 7.5ft-lbs. So I torqued 'em down and stripped one of the ones that goes in the seal carrier, then I got smart and put the torque wrench away. Kinda madning. :roll:
  
  Some 1/4 inch drive extensions have a kinda built in wobbly on the end, like instead of being square it's sorta rounded so the socket can wiggle on the end. It works ok for the bolts your talking about.
  
  Good job on your build .
• #13 by Smokey Eddy on 04 Jan, 2009 01:30
• ahh good tip!!! cheers!
  don't congradulate me until i post a video of it running/driving.