North America's First Turbo Diesel VW Fox

[JGWarner]

It should be between .037 and .043 INCHES

Fixed it for you.

That's a metric dial indicator. The official spec is in metric: .93mm - 1.07mm, which roughly translates to your standard values. My setting would therefore be ~ .040".

Sorry for the confusion!

[JGWarner]

Lot's of updates in the vortex thread

[JGWarner]

fixed it, thanks.

[JGWarner]

Test fitting...





Anyone have the VW special tool for removing the pilot bearing? I'm stuck until it's remains are out. 

[rabbid79]

Scanned the last couple of pages of your thread on the Vortex and didn't see anything about the pilot bearing.  I probably just missed it.  What problem are you having?  Is there one in the end of the crankshaft or something?  Some Audi's have this issue depending on the transmission.

If by chance this is the problem, there is a special little tool that can be used to remove it.  However, there is something else someone discovered to remove the bearing without the special tool.  If I understand correctly, you can fill the hole and the area behind the bearing completely full of grease, and then used a shaft that's the same size as the hole in the bearing, and tap it in there with a hammer.  This way the bearing is "hydraulicaly" removed from the hole.

[R.O.R-2.0]

Scanned the last couple of pages of your thread on the Vortex and didn't see anything about the pilot bearing.  I probably just missed it.  What problem are you having?  Is there one in the end of the crankshaft or something?  Some Audi's have this issue depending on the transmission.

If by chance this is the problem, there is a special little tool that can be used to remove it.  However, there is something else someone discovered to remove the bearing without the special tool.  If I understand correctly, you can fill the hole and the area behind the bearing completely full of grease, and then used a shaft that's the same size as the hole in the bearing, and tap it in there with a hammer.  This way the bearing is "hydraulicaly" removed from the hole.

you dont tap it with a hammer, you smash it as hard as you can 99% of the time.. usually takes about 4-6 whacks to get it out..

[R.O.R-2.0]

You can get a loaner pilot bearing puller for free from chain stores.  If worse comes to worst, you can cut the outer shell using a dremel.

does it have a big enough bore to get one jaw of a slide hammer in there? last pilot i removed, i had to use a slide hammer, and it still BARELY came out..

if you can get one jaw of a slide hammer in there, thread in a fairly large screw beside it to take up the slack, then pull it right out..

the one i had to pull was full of roller bearings, and the races disintegrated and the needles went everywhere.. it was a pain to get out..

[JGWarner]

the one i had to pull was full of roller bearings, and the races disintegrated and the needles went everywhere.. it was a pain to get out..

This.

I've also been told a pipe tap can help. I also dug up a pile of small chisels. I've got a few hours to chip away at it tonight, let's hope it gives in. Only the outer casing of the bearing is still in there, without much to grab on to. What the hell is it made of?? Titanium? I wish I'd left well enough alone.

Also the started bushing I ordered appears to be too small... is the diesel starter bushing a different size than the gasser one? Doesn't seem to make sense.

[JGWarner]

Productive night. (copied from the vortex thread)

Got the #$%&@ pilot bearing out:



I resorted to chisels, drifts and a small sledge. No fun for either of us, but it eventually yielded to such persuasion...

Got the flywheel, clutch and pressure plate on. Good thing I went with the 5 speed, I didn't realize the new parts I got is for 210mm clutch, not the 4 speed 200mm. Unanticipated bonus. By the way, these were from a VW clearance deal last year, $10 each, genuine Sachs OEM. Don't you wish you owned an obsolete model VW wants to erase from their history??



I wanted to remove the oil filter to make installation easier (something I learned during the test-fitting) but she wouldn't budge. I nailed a screw driver through the brand new filter to torque it off. Oh well, I bought two but my cheap swamp yankee genes recoil at the thought of wasting $6...



So she sits until next Monday at soonest. My cousin is getting married this weekend, we'll all be busy with family n' sitch. All that's left is to drop the motor in, sock down a few bolts and she's goot to be towed back home, where I can button her up and get her running without driving 100 miles a day.

[Quantum TD]

I guess you don't know the drift+grease trick to get the pilot bearing out...

 

[theman53]

I guess you don't know the drift+grease trick to get the pilot bearing out...

 

x2...I thought he had tried it, but I guess not.

[JGWarner]

I did not know about the drift+grease trick until AFTER I had already destroyed the innards of the bearing.  

[R.O.R-2.0]

I did not know about the drift+grease trick until AFTER I had already destroyed the innards of the bearing.  

SOMETIMES, not even the grease-drift method works.. i had a stubborn roller pilot in a 4.3 V6 chevy once.. it WOULD NOT come out.. it almost didnt even come out with the slide hammer i had, and it was a BIG slide hammer.

[JGWarner]

Yeah, this whole project has been a study in "Leave well enough f***ing ALONE!"

[R.O.R-2.0]

Yeah, this whole project has been a study in "Leave well enough f***ing ALONE!"

lol, atleast its gonna be a sweet car when you get it all done..