Loks like you may need to topcoat the tub with 2 pack laquer to get a shine like the number plate light. But the experiment results so far look good.

The state of flywheel ring gear on my flywheel certainly seemed to spark much debate. Despite some saying that it could still be used, I decided that it was not something I would ever be happy with, so the flywheel was removed whilst a solution was investigated. Like the rest of the Flat Four VW engines, the T25 lump also relies on having its endfloat set up correctly, and this is where the shims go, around the crankshaft.





After much searching on the internet, and various phone calls, it became very obvious that replacing the ring gear was not going to be a viable option. Trying to find someone in the UK that was willing to machine off and refit the gear was about as easy as getting Gene Berg in the states to confirm that they still stocked the ones shown on their website. Because I had a 210mm clutch, I wanted to try and retain that size of flywheel, which is proving to be the Holy Grail, and a size that no one stocks any more. Going larger or smaller, would mean another £150 or so on a new clutch kit. As luck would have it, Mega-Bug stepped in, and sent over one that they had found covered in cobwebs, and it looked in fabulous condition. I sent it down to the local Machine Shop to have the centre bearing put in, which is a modification needed for the 2 litre conversion, and Farmer Rob kindly let me have a few shims at the ready, just in case they were needed when fitting this in place. New Oil Seal arrived from VW Heritage, and I was finally good to go.





Flywheel fitted, and endfloat is absolutely spot on. Thankfully, I took a reading before I removed the flywheel for comparison, and fitting this new one in place has made virtually no difference whatsoever - the readings are about the same. Flywheel bolts all torqued up, with copious amounts of threadlock applied. Happy days indeed !





I`ve no idea how you would measure the endfloat the old fashioned way with feeler gauges though, there just isn`t any access. I picked up one of these Dti tools with a magnetic base on ebay for £15, and it makes the job so easy. A worthwhile addition to the tool box.

That is exactly how I measure mine with a DTI clock. 

You can use feeler gauges on a total rebuild engine! You put the new thrust bearing on the bare crank, tighten the flywheel to it and measure the clearance in-between the flywheel and thrust bearing with the feeler gauges 

Rob

Clutch reassembled today

Finally, after many weeks of waiting, my new starter motor has arrived. Technology has obviously moved on in leaps and bounds, as this Bosch one on the right is a fair bit smaller than the Chinese one its replacing, and I seem to recall saying how much smaller that one was many moons ago when I fitted it over the original one. Fitted into the hole with no issues, and all the electrical terminals are the same.





Same cannot be said for the "D Bolt" that usually rests against the side of the starter body, that now just spins merrily, but a screwdriver wedged down the side is enough to get it tightened up, and the torque settings on these is pretty low anyway. Now I have the final bolt ready, I can think about putting the engine back in, as didn`t want to hang it on three bolts whilst waiting for this starter to arrive.

Easy enough to fit a hex headed bolt or weld a bit onto the original bolt to stop it turning. In years rocome the jammed scewdriver tightening may not work in reverse it the threads start seizing when you want the motor out or starter off.

Never had an engine in there long enough for bolts to sieze   

Good call though  -  I`ll replace it   

Back when I was playing with the gearbox mounts and straps, amongst the parts that turned up was a rear gearbox strap, and again, its one that many have given up trying to fit, or use very long bolts to pull it into shape. To be honest, I have been unsure about using it, but whilst everything was out, it seemed a good time to offer it up to the gearbox and see what all the fuss was about.

Again, like the front strap, there is a right way and a wrong way to fit this, and the bend in the top that goes around the starter motor is quite subtle. I also put a few other slight bends in place, about 3" from the bolt holes, to bend them inwards a bit, and it made lining up the holes much easier. I stuck it to one side, and decided to think about fitting it once the engine was in.





After what has seemed like ages, the engine is finally back in place. I`m glad I had the Hydraulic Bike Jack to do this one, as it was a little more difficult to get things lined up this time - partly because the clutch centralisation was slightly out, and also because there was no "give" in the gearbox mountings, so not a lot to jiggle about to make things line up. Hadn`t thought about that one.





As far as the decision on the gearbox strap went, I figured that as I now had one, I may as well fit it in place, but really not sure that my style of driving will do it any justice whatsoever.





Really glad I did a mock fitting of this strap a while back though, as without those extra bends, this would have been an absolute nightmare to fit.





I think thats most of the "new" stuff fitted, and I can now get on with the reassembly of the other bits I took off

I`m fully aware that things have gone a bit quiet on my build thread of late, and I was hoping to have been on here shouting at how well things were going now, and that everything is back together. Thing is, I hit a bit of a snag when fitting the exhaust pipes back on.

My careful measuring and approximations of where everything would sit with the new engine mounts proved to be as near as damn it, spot on, and apart from a bit of judicious banging and bending of the exhaust centre bracket (yes, I know its split) the pipes appear to sit rather well where I hoped they would sit. The centre pipe bracket fits to the engine casing bolt, and it should have been as simple as putting on a nut and tightening it up. Pah! If only it were that simple.

I offered up the old nut, gave it a couple of turns with my fingers to locate it properly on the thread and commenced tightening it up with a spanner. All seemed well, it was turning nice and smoothly until I got to the last bit to nip it up, and all of a sudden, the nut and the spanner hit the deck. At first my heart sunk, as I feared I had sheared the bolt, but it turns out what I had actually done was to wind the bolt through the crankcase and out the other side, and when I ran out of thread, the nut fell off.





The problems then manifested and got significatly worse, as there was precious little on the other side to get hold of to wind the stud back through, and it had appeared to have got itself quite tight in the hole. It does turn, but only just. Solution: Out with the Mole grips then, and just wind it all the way out. The problem here is that by using the mole grips, I have destroyed the threads and it has no option but to come out this way now. Any hardened metal has long since gone, which means the shaft is getting nice and smooth and very difficult to grip. My hands are so sore from clamping the grips on it, that I am now only managing about a quarter turn of an evening. Need to think of a Plan B.





What I would like to do is weld a nut on to the shaft, and attack it with a spanner. Because my garage electrics are still unfinished, I need to get this down the road to my mate Bill`s workshop to use his welder, and hopefully it should also be a lot easier to do this on the ramps than lying on my back in the workshop.

Again, if only it were that easy. Bill is currently at deaths door following a brief spell in hospital for Pneumonia (seriously ill actually) and I`m hoping he recovers soon as the workshop is currently locked. That is of course assuming that everything works and the untested gearbox can drive over there under its own steam. My Plan B, now needs a Plan B.

Would this do the job for you.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-DRIVE-STUD-BOLT-REMOVER-EXTRACTOR-TOOL-REMOVING-DAMAGED-BROKEN-1-4-TO-3-4-/281064415931?hash=item4170bea2bb:m:motIJR-tXOR4Kq0fYsHYjIg

Shaggy,

Not sure if you have ever seen or used one of those extractors, but I also thought the pictures of them look promising.



Sadly though, they are HUGE, and need some serious space around them to turn (something I do not have) but the biggest problem I found when working upside down with them was the sheer weight of them. As its a half inch drive they use, its a very heavy chunk of metal. If they did this in a 3/8 or 1/4 drive, then may be of use, but this was almost too heavy to hold in place.

I recently bought a set of these ones that looked hopeful as they are around the same size as as a Spark Plug Socket



But they only come in 2mm increments. Whilst the 8mm one I bought should have fitted the 8mm bolt I had, where I have knackered the surface, the bolt is now nearer 7mm and this just slides over the top - but is still too large to allow the 6mm one to fit (at the moment)

Thats why I thought about welding a nut on this next, and if that goes wrong, I can slim down the shaft to get the 6mm one on.

If all else fails, I`ll drill it out - but really didn`t want to be considering that sort of action if I can help it. There is a thread there, and it does just about turn.

[My Youtube channel]

But they only come in 2mm increments. Whilst the 8mm one I bought should have fitted the 8mm bolt I had, where I have knackered the surface, the bolt is now nearer 7mm and this just slides over the top - but is still too large to allow the 6mm one to fit (at the moment)

I recently borrowed these off Hunter and I must admit it saved my bacon when trying to remove the broken rocker shaft studs from the cylinder heads in the summer. They were a bit of a pain due to the difference in diameters along the stud length but finally got it out with it.

Rather reminded me of my days as a dental student extracting teeth! 

Rather reminded me of my days as a dental student extracting teeth! 

   

So glad you became a printer   

Hi Dave, you know most of the vw studs are threaded from both ends and not one continuous thread! that is why it has gone tight. As you have stripped most of the thread off the one end, it might be best to try and screw it back the other way, Just an idea, you will have to put a nut and bolt in there anyway now.

Rob