2.2L GoWesty Rebuild

[peasant]

Thanks for the clarification, that link is really good too. That one is bookmarked.
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89 wolfsberg weekender carat
89 Westfalia

[67r69s]

This is just general advice but don't assume anything as far as measurements go. Measure that crank and ensure that your clearances will be correct with the new bearings. Measure everything, even new parts. It's a pain and it takes time but it can prevent a lot of heartbreak. and yeah, you'll need access to a micrometer.

[Zero419]

I love these threads, thanks for the write up.

I did the same thing a couple of years ago. I hope you have better luck then me. Mine lasted 10,000 or so miles.
Bad cam or lifters, not sure which, but they ate each other up.
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1987 Westy Auto Bostig 2.0 Ztec

[the man with the van]

Ok I will take the advice from stevey88 and 67r69s and measure my crank as soon as I can find a micrometer that will fit... harbour freight has finally failed me

The only reason I wasn't being very precise on the measurements before ordering my bearings is that as far as I can tell they only have 3 sizes: Standard, + .25mm, and +.50mm... But it sounds like you should always make sure your crank is to spec.

[stevey88]

[the man with the van]

And finally it hits me, the bearings are oversized to fit on a crank that has been ground down. Wow I've definitely had the whole thing backwards. Thanks Stevey for persisting to get this through to me. It makes me wonder though, why doesn't GW just include bearings in their rebuild sets? They should know better than anybody what size they are grinding the crank to. I guess if they made it too easy everybody would be doing it.

At least I have a one in three chance that the right bearings are coming in. I need to try and find a micrometer locally, I'm tired of waiting on shipping. Hopefully somewhere cheaper than Grainger

[Zero419]

Because your case could be bored (rare) and that would require a different size bearing.
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1987 Westy Auto Bostig 2.0 Ztec

[dobryan]

Since he's already got the bearings on the way could he install them and the crank and then use plastigauge to see if there is correct clearances? Might be an alternative to getting a micrometer at this stage?
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[veloandy]

[dobryan]

[stevey88]

[tencentlife]

Right. You need only a caliper to find out if a crank has been ground undersize because the undersize increments are 0.010" (0.25mm) per grind, for such a gross measurement any vernier caliper will do.

Same goes for assessing whether the case has been align-bored, then the increments are even larger, 0.020" (0.5mm).

But both those things can be determined more quickly when an existing engine is torn down, though, by simply reading the markings on the back of the bearings. I have detailed in earlier threads how to decipher the markings.

The micrometer comes in when it's time to assess the accuracy of the crank grind, measuring the journals for oval and taper requires higher resolution and repeatability than can be attained with any caliper. That, and to take dimensions in order to transfer them to other instruments.

To assess the accuracy of the main bearing saddle bores for oval and taper, you need either a dial bore gauge to measure directly, or quality snap gauges and a micrometer, but using snap gauges requires very experienced hands.

To use the dial bore gauge, you first dial the mic to the target dimension, then transfer that to the dial bore gauge and zero it there. Then probe the bores to find out how far off that dimension the saddle bores are. You use this same technique to check the rod big end bores. Both these checks are done sans bearings, what you are checking is the accuracy of machining of the bearing housing.

Then to measure bearing oil clearance, the main bearings must be mounted in the case and the case fasteners fully torqued. For rod bearings the bearing shells must be installed in the rods and fully torqued. Then you mic each crank journal, transfer that dimension to the dial bore gauge and zero it there. Probe the ID of the mounted bearings to determine how much each bearing internal dimension differs from the diameter of the journal that will run in it. The measured difference is the oil clearance.

A full-circle main bearing will not be round in hand, it must be clamped in the case saddle and fully torqued to assume its running shape. It should also have an interference fit in the case saddles of about 0.002", which is easiest to assess by feel. Once again, a caliper measurement of a main bearing is too coarse for determining anything except whether it is std. or off size.

Once clamped in the case, a bearing ID is not a circle, the main bearing ID should be about 0.001" larger in the horizontal axis than the vertical in a boxer engine (for engines in general, it should be larger in the direction of force). Same goes for rod bearings when installed in the rods and fully torqued; 0.001" larger ID along the rod axis, or direction of force.

Plastigauge is swell if you don't have proper instruments, but it can only be used on split bearings, there is no method to use it to check oil clearance on full-circle bearings.
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[the man with the van]

Heating up gears in canola oil

I had everything ready incase some force was necessary

They heat up pretty fast and had reached 220f when I first checked on the temperature. They slipped right on with zero effort

[Zeitgeist 13]

I use an old Krupps coffeemaker hotplate for that same task ^
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH
'01 Weekender --> full camper
NEAT, no ICE.

[the man with the van]

Measuring camshaft endplay

Crank, camshaft and distributer driveshaft in case. Distributer is installed to hold the driveshaft in place. Sorry about the blury pic

Here's a closeup of the pulley end.

Closeup of flywheel end. I put more assembly lube everywhere after taking these pics

Timing dots on the Crank and Camshaft gears lined up

Sealant on the right case half

Enigne sealed. Do not try to do this by yourself... it was hell

[the man with the van]

[Zeitgeist 13]

Yeah, I just set the gear on there until it gets nice and toasty, and it slides right into place. No fuss no muss.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH
'01 Weekender --> full camper
NEAT, no ICE.

[the man with the van]

[Robw_z]

So what size main bearings did you end up going with?

-Rob

[Mark]