About to start another WBX

[silverbullet]

I took a few minutes to get inside this and check the cam wheel size. The camshaft is in the process of early lobe failure and the gear it's a +3 which is currently NA, so I think that I will buy the cheapest going and make a batch of new rivets to re-use them in the future. I have experience of this kind of critical work for the Railways, so I know that they will be reliable in service.
Pic in a bit...

[silverbullet]

You've got to love these wbx cranks with their induction-hardened journals! Does this look like a crank pin that had run its bearing?
[img]http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/10 ... 6839fa.jpg[/img]

[toomanytoys]

Don't know.. cant see the pic.. LOL

[silverbullet]

Oh ffs... it's very shiny, smooth and otherwise free of any scoring.

[ghost123uk]

Here you go =

[Aidan]

what's the bearing shell look like then ? or is it ovalised rod eye ?

[silverbullet]

I think that I put up a pic a good while back. Shell down to the copper but rod eye is still round when torqued up. Nothing short of amazing.

[silverbullet]

Removed the oil gallery plug and pickup pipe. Essential if you want to get everything as clean as possible. I replace the alloy plug with a 3/4" domed steel core plug.
My diy tool for knocking the oil pipe out is a long coach bolt with the head turned down:

Then I found out the cause of the big end failure...f*#$!¥¿ SILICONE choking the strainer!!! And a cam follower clip! And a chunk of gasket!

All of which reduced the big ends to this:

[Atomic]

I've just finished building another 2.1WBX, this time for my '90 Caravelle, but your comments about the lack of web on the alternator boss made me look at it again and the other 5 x 2.1DJ engines I have around (I've had a 2.1 WBX in the Beetle for 12years now, so collected a few) - so out of 6 blocks only 3 have that rib. All are proper 2.1 cases with the late part numbers on the side and thin wall bearings. Interesting that on the side of the block the ones without the rib all say "WWO Germany 025-101-102B" while the ones with the rib all say "WWO 2 Germany 025-101-102B" (for the right side of the case of course) e.g. There is a "2" on the cases with the rib, so maybe a second casting iteration of the "B" case? To my mind the easiest way to ID the case as early or late bearings is actually the fatter ribbing on the top and the M10 nut on the case seam by the flywheel end, next to the diagnostics TDC sender. Early cases with thick wall bearings had thinner ribbing and and M8 nut there. It means you can tell at a glance.

I note you say the Syncro-only pulley seal is NLA, but you can buy it genuine from VW Heritage here: https://www.vwheritage.com/shop/025105249A/

I always put 30mm pumps in my WBX. The engines I've seen rattle their big-ends have all been with 26mm pumps. To my mind the 26mm pump was marginal on this engine.

BTW I have some NOS WBX rods if you are interested - ready bushed, new stretch bolts, ready to go.

[silverbullet]

Thanks for the tip-off on the crank seal and the other info, I'm just an amateur really and without any Aircooled background to draw on!
I had also noticed the way that the cases had different styles of lettering for each side, as though that change had a staggered introduction between left and right halves.
I haven't seen any really early engines to know about the M8/M10 detail.

[Simon Baxter]

WWO just an internal code for VW, it just means VW built it and didn't buy it in.

[Atomic]

It's the extra "2" in the code that I was pointing out - not the WWO

[itchyfeet]

To my mind the easiest way to ID the case as early or late bearings is actually the fatter ribbing on the top and the M10 nut on the case seam by the flywheel end, next to the diagnostics TDC sender. Early cases with thick wall bearings had thinner ribbing and and M8 nut there. It means you can tell at a glance.

interesting, not noticed that before, I assume the numbers punched on the cases in the pics indicate the matched pair of case halves?


Late

Early

[Atomic]

Yes - the numbers on the top web are stamped when the case halves are first put together and machined.

[silverbullet]

Just like the numbering/lettering of main bearing caps to match them to the block on inline engines.

Back to this one, the oil pressure relief spring in this one looks a little short too...

I recall that the replacement VW one in Aidans engine was a good 3-4mm longer than what came out. Better buy a few in on the next parts order.