Engine re-build, seized during break-in

slow36hp · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 9:53 am Post subject:

not hammering,no noises, top end looking ok, oil before seizing.. i guess rear main bearing and rear seal gone from improper end play. but it is all guesses untill it is apart. good luck might just cost you a set of bearings...and a few advil for the headache
_________________
1958 custom camper
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=483656

1958 deluxe Parts needed
1 rear hatch
2 rear pressed bumper trim
3 locking t handle
4 safaris
5 front hurst

Stitch59 · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 2:20 pm Post subject:

A liter is nearly the exact same volume as a quart (1.000L/1.057qt). I drained off 2 liters. The 36HP holds 2.5 liters. Therefore, I lost 0.5L along the way.

I'll drop the engine today. I'm not sure I'll be able to get the flywheel off by myself, but I should be able to tell if it has/had oil sprayed all over it.

Stitch59 · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 2:33 pm Post subject:

Here is a video of it running, the first time I started it. The next day, I adjusted a few more things and took it for its ill-fated break-in drive.

http://youtu.be/wCJvD8pyNJg

Stitch59 · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:42 pm Post subject:

Engine is out. Here is what I've discovered:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Nothing...

I'll see if I can get the flywheel off later today and then split the case.

There were no signs of oil leaks anywhere and the pistons all had oil dripping off of them.

Stitch59 · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:55 pm Post subject:

So what caused the oil to stop circulating, if that is indeed what the route of the problem was?

Here is my best guess. The pressure release valve piston jammed. What does everyone else think? It didn't drop out when I opened it up. Just the spring did.

Teeroy

How hard is it to turn over? My guess is the endplay was too tight, and once it warmed up it seized at #1 main.
_________________
Pres. Rivercity VW Club www.rcvwclub.org
Founder Derr Wheat Panzers (DWP)
ARR #3
www.autosportsnorthwest.org

Stitch59 · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:13 pm Post subject:

Its impossible to turn over now. When it was running, or prior to me putting it back in, it wasn't terribly difficult to turn over. Turn it over then, seemed to be mostly limited to compression.

Stitch59 · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:55 pm Post subject:

I take that back. I thought it was impossible to turn over until I tried to take the flywheel off. I guess 200+ lbs of torque will turn it over.

Stitch59 · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:23 am Post subject:

Split the case. There was some oil around the front seal. I'm guessing that is where it all came out. The split bearing as the one that seized. Don't know why though. Doesn't seem to have done any severe damage. I'll post pictures.

But what caused it?

The oil pressure valve piston dropped out when I was splitting the case. So it wasn't jammed.

slow36hp · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:19 am Post subject:

could be a bad line bore or bent crank.
_________________
1958 custom camper
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=483656

1958 deluxe Parts needed
1 rear hatch
2 rear pressed bumper trim
3 locking t handle
4 safaris
5 front hurst

Max Welton · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 9:29 am Post subject:

What was your measured clearance on that bearing?

Max
_________________
"Someone" told him it was true. That should be good enough for anybody.

Tdog71 · Samba Member Joined: November 01, 2011 Posts: 453

Stitch59 · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 2:39 pm Post subject:

I didn't have it line bored. Same crank and bearings went back in. Machine shop said they checked out fine. I don't know the measurements.

Anyways, I don't think it was any of those things that caused it to seize. I believe it was an oil circulation problem.

#1 wasn't seized. Only the split bearing seized.

Tdog71 · Samba Member Joined: November 01, 2011 Posts: 453

Use compressed air, remove the bearings and blow out the oil passages. Make sure the dowel pins are the same length as the old set. If they are new, they may be long and will pinch the bearing against the crank main journal if the case was line bored in the past. This burned me before. I had to shave the dowel pins.

Snort · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:27 pm Post subject:

I would be tempted to pull all the plugs from the oil passages and do a complete case cleaning. Personally, I've never done this but if my 36hp went through what yours just went through then I would be reading up on this process and purchasing replacement threaded plugs for the job.

Max Welton · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2012 5:28 pm Post subject:

Absolutely. Gritty metal filled oil went through the entire engine.

Max
_________________
"Someone" told him it was true. That should be good enough for anybody.

Stitch59 · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:47 am Post subject:

Looks like gritty metal fillings may have caused the problem. Take a look at the split bearing. The others are fine.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

The depressions coming out of the oil holes aren't suppose to look like that. The other bearings don't look like they were starved of oil.

Doesn't seem to have done much to the crank though...

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Donnie strickland · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 11:38 am Post subject:

That looks almost like the split bearing was too large on the crank side. Do you know what size it was?

Stitch59 · Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 1:27 pm Post subject:

Crank was original, had not been machined. Bearings were also original.

Why do you think it looks to large?

>Help >Donate >Buy Shirts >Register >Log in	See all Samba banner ads \| Advertise on TheSamba.com

Engine re-build, seized during break-in
Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4 Next

	Forum Index -> Beetle - 1958-1967	All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time Goto page Previous 1, 2, 3, 4 Next
Page 2 of 4