Heres one - crankshaft

[CovKid]

Those familiar with bugs should be able to follow me on this but I'm at a loss to understand. Friend (some miles away) is removing crankshaft pulley to replace tinware behind (two screws hold that bit of tinware if I remember rightly). Apparently pulley difficult to remove so I think he's used a puller. However, he says crankshaft is pulling out of block??. Not sure how that could be. Its going nowhere without flywheel and the pressures involved to break a crankshaft in two like that would seem beyond the capabilities of a puller. I'm just wondering if he's misread the situation. In 30 years I've never heard of it. Thoughts?

[itchyfeet]

maybe an optical illusion, tinware moving?
get him to take a vid.

[CovKid]

I'm intrigued to say the least. I just cannot see how it could physically break like that. You'd need a chain of elephants surely - and even then.

He claims it moves an inch! Spoken to a few I've known for donkeys years and they've never heard of it either. I'll take a drive up there tomorrow but trying to get a video tonight if possible.

Optical illusion seems possible. He did say he'd reached the limit of the puller and used packing washers but surely the weak link is going to be pulley or puller.

Mind you: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... ?p=5103776" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[CovKid]

Food for thought

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/929380.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[itchyfeet]

snapped crank at the pully end is the only other possability I can think of but sounds so unlikely

[CovKid]

Would have to be before the first big end. If he has, he's killed that engine.

[CovKid]

ok, got video. Hold fire. Just uploading. Hard not to laugh

[CovKid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO7JQ5dFlNg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

hehe. Boy are THEY relieved!

For those not mechanically minded, that shiney bit behind pulley IS the pulley 5 minutes later, he wobbled it off. To be fair anyone new to it, wouldn't know.

[mrhutch]

[silverbullet]

The lack of a pulley bolt was a dead giveaway!
Lump hammer mechanics...

Sent by Morse code from the bunker

[CovKid]

Feisty little buggers those pulley wheels. Tend to be worse on the type1 engine as they get pretty hot.

[itchyfeet]

maybe an optical illusion, tinware moving?
get him to take a vid.

So optical illusion then, just not what I thought.
I did think to myself if the puller was on the limits the pulley must be moving.

[CovKid]

You'd have thought that if he'd exerted enough force to break the crankshaft, the puller would have gone first and had his eye out

Glad for him though.