WITW - Ricky's van attack

[spannerrash]

I have always had a concern that the high torque requirement for the crank bolt might sheer off the end of the locking pin.I tend to try and lock the crank using the old timing belt. That said, I've not done the front oil seal on an a8 yet but have done it twice on a v6 A4 (B6). Timing gear setup is different but crank pulley is the same and torque requirements the same.

[89forever]

Originally Posted by spannerrash

I have always had a concern that the high torque requirement for the crank bolt might sheer off the end of the locking pin.I tend to try and lock the crank using the old timing belt. That said, I've not done the front oil seal on an a8 yet but have done it twice on a v6 A4 (B6). Timing gear setup is different but crank pulley is the same and torque requirements the same.

you MUST not torque up using the belt method, you are putting the full force of the torque against the woodruff key on the pulley which is only a cast piece, you will sheer this and destroy your engine.... the workshop manual and how MJ does it is correct.
The factory way of holding the crank whether V8, V6 or inline 5 are the only way to do the belts...

[89forever]

you must always inspect this area and change the pulley as a matter of course if in doubt... the pulley is cheaper than a wrecked engine...

i speak from years of inline 5 experience and too many destroyed engines sadly.... i learned the hard way... the toothed belt version of the V8 shares a similar pulley arrangement.

[The_Laird]

I wonder if we will ever see a WITW where MJ strips it down to find everything has been done properly before it arrived in her workshop?

I’ve said before that I’ve twice been charged by different ‘Audi Independents’ for Audi parts for a car belt change, to discover at the next change that non-Audi parts had been used.

And I once paid for an indy to my tracking yo find that when I picked the car up that the steering wheel was heck of an angle - they’d taken it around the corner to Kwik Fit as their machine was broken!

Goodness knows what else that I don’t know about. Thank goodness my car’s had a visit to The Doctor.

[tintin]

"The new seal was fitted with the special tool I made for the last engine"

How many "special tools" do you have?

[MikkiJayne]

There's a drawer in the toolbox just for special tools Mostly home made replicas of the factory items, although I do have a few manufactured ones too, mostly for engine timing.

[spannerrash]

"you MUST not torque up using the belt method, you are putting the full force of the torque against the woodruff key on the pulley which is only a cast piece, you will sheer this and destroy your engine.... the workshop manual and how MJ does it is correct.
The factory way of holding the crank whether V8, V6 or inline 5 are the only way to do the belts..."

I understand what you are saying here but I don't think it is so streight forward." Putting the full force on the key" assumes thet the shoulder of the bolt is in contact with the end of the crank. This therefore would mean that any further turning force is trying to turn the crank and (as you say) if the pulley is held by the belt, risks the key shearing off.

If the shoulder of the bolt though is resting on the front face of pulley, is not the inverse true? whereby holding the pulley prevents the turning force from trying to turn the pulley as the bolt bites into the aluminium.

If the bolt bites into the aluminium pulley face whilst the crank is locked, could this not result in the same problem? The bolt will try to turn the pulley.

There is also the washer on the bolt to consider which should help prevent this.

I've also heard stories of the pulley key shearing even when using a crank pin.

I will use the pin in the future if that is what the book says and MJ recomends but I don't think that either way is bullet proof.

[steamship]

Originally Posted by The_Laird

I wonder if we will ever see a WITW where MJ strips it down to find everything has been done properly before it arrived in her workshop?

Only if it's one of her former patients.

[S81]

I recently replaced front crank seal on d3 and I initially reused the bolts and torqued them without difficulty but when I went to do the 2 no 90° turns i only got about 60° on the ist turn and stopped as I was concerned that they would ring off ( seriously tight) I then ordered a set of new bolts which I torqued and did the 2 90° without concerned ,i had thought it was down to the originals being stressed ,i wonder now if they were waxed

[MikkiJayne]

You can see the little spots of wax in this pic. I never thought about it before this discussion - it was just something that happened. Its not there on the V6 bolt afaik, but thats a steel block so a bit stronger. Possibly its on the V8 one to mitigate the effect of the twisting torque on the alloy block? If I remember I will get a better look at the next new one.



New thermostat, the correct way up



Timing gear back on



I had the top water pipe powder coated with the sump since it was pretty scruffy