Plugging oil galleys article...

[bartman]

if the bearing hole is 2mm and the saddle orifice is 3mm would that not lend some credence to what piledriver is saying? what's the point of creating a restriction when there is going to be a greater restriction downstream?

[tstracy39]

Finally got around to taking some pics of my AE case. I dug about one ounce of dirt out of the galleries after pulling the old plugs.

I tried to swage one of the plugs in place but it turns out I suck at it. Does anyone know how tight I should torque the plugs if I'm not swaging them in?
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[Type 5 Joe]

Swage Plugs? I would not do that....

I just use locktight and snug them up good.

In your 1st photo the large plug *might* be sunk in too deep.... Make sure it does not cover the small oil passage that intersects it. The one that leads to the front cam bearing (you can see the outside of it in the casting).

I usually leave that plug above the surface.... It does not come close to the flywheel.

You should check all oil galleys for this intersecting block-off scenario.... I have drill rod in different diameters I use to gauge tapping depth. I run them in the oil galley and install the plug.... Tap a little deeper... etc.

It looks like you missed the small plug by the full flow fitting... This one collects crud in the restrictor.

Also check that the oil relief plugs don't hit the valves... Remove any burrs that might have been created.

It looks like alot of your plugs are in a bit further than needed... I would check all intersections, and remove stock from the end of the plugs as needed. Next time try to be a bit more conservitive on the tapping depth.

It is easy to get in trouble... A couple extra turns of the tap sinks the plug in alot.

Good Luck, - Joe
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[ALB]

Good info Joe; it's easy to install a plug too deep and restrict the passage.

Tracy- you'll find if you round off the corners of the brass fitting with a file all you need is a small bump in the pulley tin to make it fit. You can take a fair bit off the fitting and not compromise it's strength.
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[tstracy39]

Already made sure none of the galleries were blocked by the plugs and removed the burrs in the relief cylinders with a scalpel. The pully tin on the car has been modified by welding a convex shaped piece of steel where the concave dimple normally is, so no need to grind the elbow fitting any further. I'm not a veteran VW gearhead but I've been drilling and tapping stuff since I could pee standing up, so I mostly know what I'm doing. I left the restrictor plug in place because it looks like the jury's still out on what the best way is to replace it, the engine won't be assembled for a long time so I'm not in any hurry.
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[Type 5 Joe]

That Large plug in the 1st photo is blocking off the cam front oil passage. I suggest you check it and do whatever is needed to remedy it. This is advice from an ACVW vetran... One who is about to retire.

What do you mean by "swaging" the plugs?

Just pull the little galley plug and drill and tap it.... I have been doing this for over 25 years and never had a problem. Don't wait for any "jury to get out".

Sometimes you have to look at a mechanical problem and resolve it on your own. The oil hole in the bearing serves as a restriction.

Anyone having oil blowing out from behind the pulley area has other issues.

Good Luck, - Joe
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[billkoolguy]

I have a question. I overtapped one of the small oil galley's below the rear main seal and now i have an oil leak weeping down my new engine. I put the plug in as far as I could but it still leaks and I already tried RTV and it won't plug up. I really don't feel like splitting the case again to re-tap another size up. Anyone know of a fix for this? Mabey an over sized tapered plug of some kind? I'm open to ideas. Thanks.

[Pascal]

I'm rebuilding a 2.1 WBX and it also had the exact same #4 bearing restrictor plug (same P/N). So I'm guessing that VW must have thought they were needed even with engines that had oil filters.
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[Gary Massin-Ball]

I'm pretty sure the #4 bearing is restricted to reduce the volume. As there is no positive seal at the pulley excessive oil volume would not drain fast enough to not be thrown out.

As for piledrivers resonse about "bearing clearance" being the effective restriction I think you have to take into account where all that oil goes after the bearing has used it. The volume coming from the total circumferance and width of the bearing is volume that ends up against the slinger and drains out the bottom of the slinger cavity. not having a restriction of volume before the bearing would definately cause oil to come out the pulley.

Another little mod that works well is to de burr the drain at the bottom of the slinger cavity this is where any excess oil has to either drain or exit past the pulley. I always make sure I deburr and even port that drail a little to make sure it can keep up.

When sealing the case you have to make sure this "drain" does not get filled with sealant as well.

I like the idea of a small pipe plug in the galley with a small hole it it if you have to remove the restrictor it's a simple but effective solution.

I have spent hours hot tanking and solventing blocks to try and clear the goop that collects in this restrictor and mant times this passage can be completely blocked due to sludge.

Gary.

[RockCrusher]

On the new Aluminum blocks there is no restricter in the passage. Haven't had an oil volume issue there with the AL block....the bearing hole is pretty small and we add a mirror of the original drain channel in the other case half just for insurance.

RC
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[mark tucker]

there shouldent be a problem unless you have exsseve blowby. the cam gear has a oil scraper and sends the exsess back to the sump. how big was the oe orifice in the "old" bearings?? was it biger than what we have today in our # 4? is anybody but me partial groving the #4 bearing to where the load is?? I likes extra lube where the wear is or just before it so it can do it,s job.
just look at a used #4 bearing where is the wear?? not neer the oil hole. but that is where they had to get the oil from so that is where the hole is.add a gruve about 140 deg and it should be just fine. or match it to an old bearing.( remember the belt is pulling on the crank also alond with the gears witch naturaly try to spread apart.hmm and that would be about the same direction as the belt pulling imangine that. be sure to orient the bearing befor you gruve it the wrong way. and dont grove it all the way around like the effed up rocker shafts that have full grooves.the oil will naturaly go out where the most clearance is.and that isant the part that needs oil pressure. why cant these parts manufactures make any thing worth a shit???job security?? built in obsolessence??fucking morons??oops sorry that slip'd out, whooda thunk it??

[RockCrusher]

What if you just re-orient the dowel hole in the bearing and groove the back of the bearing from the case outlet to the oil hole which could now be right at the high wear point? Then you have direct pressure where it's most needed. Who cares about the location of the drain off area of the bearing? Just a thought.
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[gerg]

My fix from a page or two back, two years ago, has been working fine for over 2 years and countless thousands of miles (speedo stopped clocking most of the time until recently)

That was an aluminum case circa 2006-ish. It had the restrictor plug for sure as I found the remnants that Ollies removed in error.
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[Pascal]

Here is what I did for the restrictor:

That set screw was very hard to drill and I ended up using a diamond engraving bit from my rotary tool set to make it. The hole is 3mm diameter.

Still working on the motor so I can't say how it works. One thing I like about this is that I can check to see if it's plugged with crud anytime I want.
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[bugninva]

that's alot of work to do what the bearing already does... I prefer to use this to restrict the oil flow... notice the outline of the oil galley around the tiny oil inlet hole:

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[lnrbry]

so sorry to resurrect this thread (and I know it has been beat to death) BUT the currently available kit for the plugs (EMPI 16-9515) has 12 plugs, that are sized, 7 each 1/8" NPT plugs, 2 each 1/4" NPT plugs & 3 each 3/8" NPT.
The huelsmann site (http://www.huelsmann.us/bugman/FilterTech.html)has four 1/16" plugs, one 1/8" plug, four 1/4" plugs, and two 3/8" plugs. for a total of 11. Which is weird. I don't want to buy the EMPI kit, I am going to buy the fittings from a dealer that sells Fragola. But how many do i need? and which sizes?

Does the EMPI kit just make you tap the holes larger so they all fit? why the extra plug?

Anyway, I have searched, and searched about this topic and found that there are all kinds of sizes being thrown out there. Can I get a concrete "buy this many of this size, and that many of the other size" from someone out there? just some sort of laundry list of the plugs, 2 each of the taps (one to grind down) the reamers (if you want them) and whatever loctite you guys are using. that MAY help some of us newbies And yes I read the huelsman site and if that is the list, then so be it. just confusing looking for the plugs and finding conflicting info.
I also read the warning about the #4 plug and will figure something out. This is for my AS41 and my AS21.

[Ian Godfrey]

This may be some help....
I bought a bunch of plugs from 1/16 to 1/2 (for the big plug at the back of the oil pick up) and 1 tap for each size. I was able to get all plugs flush in the case with no reaming and no cutting the taps shorter. I drilled carefully tapped a bit checked with the plug until all were good. Bit slow but i learnt a lot.
I used loctite 567.... less strength, higher temp resistance and more Teflon so there is less possibility of galling for stainless/aluminium plugs
Don’t use much, you don’t want Teflon in the oil system.
Mine was a Brazil AS21

[lnrbry]

[Dangermouse]

This any help?

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=132558
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[lnrbry]

cheers to the man from Beautiful New Zealand! your work from 6 months ago is very clear and concise on the procedure itself but it too uses different sizing than the Huelsmann article. Which again is slightly confusing. Did you skip the 1/16" tap because you could not find it?


however I will most likely follow your lead (and if you don't mind) and post the items you purchased here in a list form
TAPS
• 1/8"-27 NPT National Pipe Taper HSS Pipe Tap
• 1/4"-18 NPT National Pipe Taper HSS Pipe Tap
• 3/8"-18 NPT National Pipe Taper HSS Pipe Tap
drills
• letter R drill (which is .339) HSS Drill Bit
• 7/16" HSS Drill Bit
• 37/64" HSS 1/2" Shank Drill Bit
plugs (which i am guessing on)
• 5 each 1/8" pipe plugs (4 if you are going to skip #4 Bearing plug)
• 4 each 1/4" pipe plugs
• 2 each 3/4 pipe plugs
• 3/8" elbow if going full flow (requires some clearancing of the adjacent boss to allow it to wind down)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
All the above taps are also available (at a much higher cost) as interrupted thread taps, which place less torque on the material being tapped (and less chance of cracking the case)

Taper-Pipe Reamers are also available to "clean up the holes" and seems to be encouraged for the 3/8ths holes. Again to reduce the chance of cracking, but again this is up to the user.