Flywheel on wrong

[Rabbit TD]

I saw a thread a while back where smeone was advised to check their flywheel for being installed wrong with the timing marks in the wrong place.  I wrote back that how is ths possible because it only will bolt up one way but was told ways it could be done.  Well I'll be damned if I didn't find out how to do one of them, whichone I don't know.  I took my pump off the N/A engine today to put on the T/D for a while and just for kcks thought I'd check the timing again on it becaue it always ran so good.  The crank mark was way off  an I guess I did it somehow last Summer when I put a new clutch.  I still don't see how it's possible even though I did it even with the pins, ofset bolts and all and it all bolted up fine and nothing fealt wrong at all, in fact that's the only position it would go on but it sure ain't right now and runs like a top, glad I was't timing the engine when I did it but I'd definately like to now what I did cause I might do it again and screw up the valves or worse.  When I did check the timing with the crank where it was with number 1 ready to fire , pin in the pulley and the cam locked I just put a punch mark on the crank where it was.  I used that mark, checked the timing and it was still 1.0, same as 3 years ago when the shaft seal was put in, what did I do and most of all how? I have a feeling it has something to do with rebuilt pressure plates not assembled right in relatinship to the crankshaft bolt holes therby putting the flywheel in the wrong position then which is the only way it will go on. it was an Autozone kit. From now on I'm putting a mark on the pulley end to verify things before I ever put a clutch in again.  I think tha's been problems for us at times and we didn't know what caused it:roll:

[burn_your_money]

The pressure plate can only go on one way, however if the guide pins/dowels are missing or installed correctly it would be possible to put the flywheel on in the wrong spot.

[Jettagli16v]

I would swear that on my last transmission removal (98Mk3 GTi ABA)
that there were 6 bolts (stretch bolts per VW) retaining the flywheel to the crank
and they were not evenly spaced, so you could only install it one way.
Perhaps that was only in the later iterations of that block, though...
-Brad

[the caveman]

I've seen the older style flywheels that had the dowels come out for machining and not put back in the same spot, which led to it not being bolted to the same spot on the pressure plate= where did the timing mark go ?? oh well take out the tranny again and figure out where they should have gone.

[AudiVWguy]

You can use your dial pump timing gauge through the #1 injector hole. You will need to extend the shaft to reach TDC, I very tightly taped a straight piece of wire/rod to get the length. Next you have to hold the gauge above and into the hole securly. You will get VERY ACCURATE results as to what TDC is and make a mark on the flywheel.

[Rabbit TD]

You can use your dial pump timing gauge through the #1 injector hole. You will need to extend the shaft to reach TDC, I very tightly taped a straight piece of wire/rod to get the length. Next you have to hold the gauge above and into the hole securly. You will get VERY ACCURATE results as to what TDC is and make a mark on the flywheel.

Thanks Again and I do have marks on the new T/D engine on the crank pulley that I wanted to verify the flywheel with when I took it off the stand and put the flywheel and clutch and trans on.  The clutch in question was an Autozone rebuilt one and had pins which only went one way and went right in when the right position was found but the pressure plate is not indexed or whatever you want to call it to the crank bolt holes by over 1/4 turn,I just want to make a note that things like this can be causing others on here problems that can ruin an engine especialy a poor new guy doing his first clutch and belt change. We have a place near here that actualy rebuilds alternators, clutches and brakes ect {Ray-Lock} they just closed up recently but I can tell you for sure that their assembly line wasn't what you think it would be especialy dealing with our reverse clutch and flywheel system, that pressure plate has to be right forst or it's all down-hill from there possibly junking the engine if a person doesn't hand rotate the engine after doing something like that to catch the problem befor the starter does.

[Rabbit TD]

You can use your dial pump timing gauge through the #1 injector hole. You will need to extend the shaft to reach TDC, I very tightly taped a straight piece of wire/rod to get the length. Next you have to hold the gauge above and into the hole securly. You will get VERY ACCURATE results as to what TDC is and make a mark on the flywheel.

That's a good way also but I think I would do #4 as it's in the same place and more room to work with as long as #1's valve lobes are up but the more people that know this stuff the better.

[Rabbit TD]

I would swear that on my last transmission removal (98Mk3 GTi ABA)
that there were 6 bolts (stretch bolts per VW) retaining the flywheel to the crank
and they were not evenly spaced, so you could only install it one way.
Perhaps that was only in the later iterations of that block, though...
-Brad

Do they have the reverse clutch-flywheel like the MK-1's do.  You actualy bolt the pressure plate to the crank first which locates the flywheel.  If the flywheel isn't assembled right after a rebuild it can't locate the flywheel in the correct position althout it will all bolt up fine but the mark is off, mine was over 1/4 turn, I won't trust them again  without verifying another way first to make sure it's right.

[burn_your_money]

the ABA has a 020 tranny so it's the same as our old IDI diesels.

The pressure plate bolts to the crank (only one way) but if the pins that are pressed into the presure plate are in the wrong holes, then you can put the flywheel on wrong, which is what has your timing marks on it.

[Rabbit TD]

I would swear that on my last transmission removal (98Mk3 GTi ABA)
that there were 6 bolts (stretch bolts per VW) retaining the flywheel to the crank
and they were not evenly spaced, so you could only install it one way.
Perhaps that was only in the later iterations of that block, though...
-Brad

 On these older MK1's the pressure plate actualy is the part that bolts to the crank which only bolts up 1 way too.  Then the flywheel is located with pins and if they are still there which they are in this case it will only go on 1 way also.  This tells me when the pressure plate was rebuilt it wasn't assembled with the correct engine corresponding parts, gas to diesel or whatever which mislocated the mark or by some other assembly error putting the pressure plate together.  This engine was assembled and run and had timing belts  changed, pump timing set numerous times using the o mark on the crank, things changed when the clutch went in this past Summer again only 1way.

[Rabbit on Roids]

my flywheel/pressure plate has 9 bolts arranged in 3 sets of 3 bolts. spaced even. and thats how every ABA ive ever seen is set up. usually only 190/200 mm setups have 6 bolts holding the fly to the PP.