Engine Removal Technique

[dtrumbo]

where is the fresh oil?

It's all along the left (driver's) side under the wheel well and down along the side of the transaxle. It's so far forward that at first, I thought is was gear oil from the transaxle. After feeling and smelling it, it appears to be engine oil. The oil cooler appears dry, but further inspection is in order.

[dtrumbo]

O.k I finished cleaning up the bell housing. A clean bell housing is a happy bell housing.


I'm still thinking my main seal is o.k. In the following pictures, you can kinda see behind the flywheel nice clean engine case which I would think would be covered in oil if the seal was leaking.



This last one shows the weep hole at the bottom. Lots o' gunk on the outside of the case, but not on the inside.


While I'm waiting for my engine stand to arrive, I'm cleaning up some PO's mechanic's wiring. I'll also be replacing the sound deadening panels in the engine compartment as one is missing and the other two are brittle and cracked.

These cars are so much fun to work on, no wonder I'm addicted!

[vdubyah73]

oil leaks travel downward and toward the back of the car. Gravity and wind. If your transaxle is wet, it's leaking. perhaps it is only a plugged vent hole on the nose cone causing the transaxle to leak. If the vent is plugged, the warmed up oil expands and the pressure has to go somewhere. That somewhere is usually noticed as a leak. the vent hole is just a tiny drilled hole on top of the nose cone.

[dtrumbo]

oil leaks travel downward and toward the back of the car. Gravity and wind. If your transaxle is wet, it's leaking.

This is exactly what I thought when I crawled under the car to see where the oil was coming from. I guess I talked myself out of it when the oil I found was relatively thin and had no noticeable smell. If it turns out it's the transmission leaking, no biggie, I'll check the vent hole you mentioned and also the hockey-stick seal and output flange seals.

Thanks for the reality check!

[dtrumbo]

So in my ice-age like progress, I've got the transaxle clean and back in. I'm betting Bill was right with a plugged vent as there was a 1/4" thick layer of muck totally encasing this transaxle. Apparently a previous owner drove on dirt (actually clay) roads a lot as the muck was mostly hardened clay. Two days with the degreaser, garden hose, plastic scraper and Gumout for the really stubborn spots finally got it cleaned off.

With that done, I'm repacking the original VW CV joints and swapping sides to glean a little more wear out of them. I ordered Febi boot kits from my favorite online vendor AutohausAZ and what came in the box is a little interesting. As ACR would say, feast your orbs on this:



The flash obscures it, but it says 'Made In Germany'. Hopefully that means something.




Does anyone know what the serrated concave washer and the funky nut are for? BTW, I REALLY like the grease that was provided in the kit. It comes in a bag similar to an cake-icing piping bag. It works great for forcing the grease into the joint.

[spiffy]

Be sure to index your clutch and fly wheel before you take it off. Good idea to check the end play at this point as well and tighten up if needs be to be nice to the saddles.

The collar that the TO bearing rides on is a brilliant later model additition that I wish my bus had. Getting the TO bearing centered without the collar can be a PITA.

[dtrumbo]

Be sure to index your clutch and fly wheel before you take it off.

Not takin' it off since I'm reasonably sure my leak was transaxle related and not engine related.

The collar that the TO bearing rides on is a brilliant later model additition that I wish my bus had. Getting the TO bearing centered without the collar can be a PITA.

Isn't that nice??? I just cleaned 'er all up and put just a smidgin' of grease on that collar and she's good to go again.

Anybody have a guess on what the serrated concave washer and the funky nut that came in my boot kits are for? C'mon, anybody??

[Hippie]

Anybody have a guess on what the serrated concave washer and the funky nut that came in my boot kits are for? C'mon, anybody??

The nut is for screwing onto something threaded and the serrated washer goes between some parts.

[dtrumbo]

Anybody have a guess on what the serrated concave washer and the funky nut that came in my boot kits are for? C'mon, anybody??

The nut is for screwing onto something threaded and the serrated washer goes between some parts.

Yaaayy!! We have a winner! That's about all I could come up with too!

[Hippie]

Glad I could help!

Seriously though, I looked at all the exploded diagrams I could find right then, and I got nothin'

[Amskeptic]

Anybody have a guess on what the serrated concave washer and the funky nut that came in my boot kits are for? C'mon, anybody??

The nut is for screwing onto something threaded and the serrated washer goes between some parts.

Yaaayy!! We have a winner! That's about all I could come up with too!

Late to the party here, serrated concave washer goes on the driveshaft splines before you send the CV joint down the driveshaft. Outside of concave washer sticks out towards the CV joint. This applies pressure to the side of the circlip that you will be installing once the joint is on all the way. The concave washer will prevent you from getting the circlip seated until you smack it good with a big socket and hammer.
Colin

[dtrumbo]

I used the non-serrated concave washer and smacked it with the 22mm socket and hammer to get the circlip seated. This is how the joint was when I disassembled it, so I just put it back the way I found it. Bentley concurred.