TheSamba.com :: View topic - checking end play using drive shaft pulley

Thu Jun 28, 2018 1:46 pm

Anybody got any tips I might overlook?

I replaced my tranny in February and only just got around to recycling the gear oil from the old tranny. I was horrified last night to find the beefiest of the end play shims at the bottom of the drain pan. somehow, some way (beer?), must've fallen in; I don't just have extra wasserboxer end play shims laying around. I had set the end play very carefully in 2015 and I vaguely recall using TWO of the larger outside-diameter shims because thats what the swiss-mfg dial indicator called for in this case. Since using two isn't standard, I must've thought I had all of em.

Speaking of dial indicators, anyone know if the chinese-mfg Harbor Freight magnetic dial indicators are worth bothering with? I hate it that HF is the only place in town I could find such a thing when I'm willing to shell out the cash for quality I can generally only order by mail at the expense of time. Using their "hardened" punches just cost me my Bosch distributor on Tuesday.

Also: racking my brain wondering if loose end play could cause the premature rev limiter weirdness I've had since doing that tranny swap. I'll be cruising down the freeway and suddenly the rev limiter kicks in despite that I'm at 2k.

thx guys

Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:03 pm

You can accurately check the engine play on the pulley. If you lost a shim, then you should even be able to feel feel the endplay with your fingers. Have someone bar the pulley forward and back repeatedly as you hold on to the pulley. If you can feel movement you have a problem. The barring will slightly bend the pulley, but this isn't the movement you are trying to detect. If you have a manual you can bar the pulley forward and then push it back using the clutch.

Thu Jun 28, 2018 6:51 pm

What year and what engine? Doubt its related to any operating behavior you describe, and no WBX I am aware of has a rev limiter. Also could you describe what shum you mean as there are two types plus a large diameter retainer.

Thu Jun 28, 2018 8:15 pm

Hey guys. Thanks for chiming in.

Wildthings wrote: Have someone bar the pulley forward and back repeatedly as you hold on to the pulley. If you can feel movement you have a problem. The barring will slightly bend the pulley, but this isn't the movement you are trying to detect. If you have a manual you can bar the pulley forward and then push it back using the clutch.

Just to be sure, you men using a crowbar or similar lever right?

IdahoDoug wrote: What year and what engine? Doubt its related to any operating behavior you describe, and no WBX I am aware of has a rev limiter. Also could you describe what shum you mean as there are two types plus a large diameter retainer.

This van is a 1986 2.1 manual. I wasn't sure about the rev limiter effect. I sure hoped such a function was programmed in (and that my problem was electronic) because the issue i'm talking about is that distinctive noise/knocking feeling when you're speeding along and the RPMs go too high (usually in 3rd). Following the installation of the newly rebuilt tranny, this happened a few times in 4th gear at much lower than 3k RPMs. This is starting to sound like an issue w the rebuilt tranny itself. Joy.

Re: shims: the shim I found in my drain pan is the B shim from image 13-770 in the Bentley. Come to think of it, I probably didn't use two "B" large-OD shims when I set the end play in early 2015.

Thu Jun 28, 2018 10:31 pm

So, the recent tranny replacement in February. You did not remove the flywheel from the engine, so since 2015 this shim has been in a container in your shop, right? All you did in Feb was unbolt a tranny and bolt one back on. If that's the case then likely you have been running with a large amount of crankshaft end play all this time. And the way to see if that's true is to pry/push the main pulley in and out. There's a lot against this being possible as the correct way to do it is with so little resistance that VW even specifies the test for end play be done without the rubber main seal in place. And you're tryijng to find play against the clutch pressure on the fly wheel, all seals in place, etc.

But if you can indeed make the main pulley clunk the shaft in and out then you've confirmed you have waaaay too much end play and will need to make a painful decision. Unfortunately, if you cannot feel any clunk of play it may simply be that it's not possible to do with the fully dressed engine and connected to the trans. So the condition of "no clunk" is not helpful. Reading between the lines, if you think a spacer THAT thick was supposed to be in there, then there's no choice if you intend to keep running this engine. It's gotta have the trans removed and the end play adjusted.

On the other issue with the feel of a rev limiter - that's going to be unrelated but that dramatic of an RPM limiter is likely spark-related vs fuel. Hopefully it's consistent vs intermittent and with such a dramatic symptom it should not be hard to figure out.

Doug

Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:00 am

Thanks for your substantial response Doug! I adjusted the end play three years ago, but then had the shims out again several months ago when my tranny crapped & I re-did the seal because I read gowesty’s thing about how only their special non-OEM seals work (I no longer believe this). This shim has been out since February, and I’ve actually driven the van very little since then because of a separate cooling system issue. Thanks for your input about the rev limiter. I’m hoping that my new spark distributor will answer that issue because the hall sender plastic on my old one was super brittle and the connector was hanging loose off of it.

Most worried about the end play. I basically have no choice but to remove the tranny and redo the seal, regardless of whatever movement I see with the dial indicator today. hopefully, if I can get my VW fox running so I can get over to the harbor freight.