Case halves won't go together.

[Basilbomb]

Posting for a bud who doesn't have a samba account. He's a young chap, tons of engine experience, not much on VW flat fours. He needed to install a new cam thrust bearing in his 2.1, and now can't seem to get the case to come together. The side he removed tends to wobble top to bottom, seeming to pivot around the crank. He's taken it apart three times yet can't find why the one half won't lie down flat on the other half. He doesn't want to just torque the thing down for fear of cracking or breaking something. Any suggestions as to why it won't come together easily? Is there something small that he's missing? The Bentley isn't helping. Is it possible there there's supposed to be a tight friction fit to the crank bearing shells and the case does need to be torqued down?

[stevey88]

[Wildthings]

Don't force it, to do so should never be necessary and will certainly screw something up badly. He must not have one of the bearings seated over the dowel correctly or something else pretty simple but easy to miss.

[Basilbomb]

So the case should just drop into place and not get hung up? the edges would meet all around without having to force it?

[stevey88]

[Basilbomb]

Thanks everyone. Turns out the very last bearing, at the front of the crank wasn't properly seating on the pin. Very hard to see and the case was only propped open maybe a mm or two, but it was there. Glad he didn't try to force it.