Hello listers, I just reread my message and realized how damn long it is so here is the short version followed by the original. I've also had problems posting this to the list so forgive me if you've seen this before.
<short> The lower timing belt gear, under/behind the harmonic balancer, that bolts to the end of the crankshaft, it's key is mostly worn away. This has also rounded the keyway on the crankshaft a little leaving about a quarter inch of play. I will be getting a new timing belt gear and cleaning up the end of the crank. Should I : Use JBWeld/locktite so it won't move and hope for the best. I'll probably be putting a 2.0l in it once I step up to SP in a couple of years, so it won't have to last forever. Try to file/grind a new keyway exactly in the right place (maybe 180 deg. off?) so that the harmonic balancer's timing mark will be right or at least the teeth will be in the right place. Stop whining and replace the crank. Also is this timing belt gear a dealer only item? Thanks, </short> <long> A couple of mechanic friends of mine are going over my '89 GTi 16v with me "helping". We are finding lots of evil previous owner stuff. They are good mechanics but haven't worked on VWs or CIS since they had A1s in the late 70s and early 80s. I've learned alot from this list and from reading the Bently and the Bosch FI manual so I'm trying to fill in VW specific info. I'm not much of a mechanic myself yet so please forgive my description. The lower timing belt gear, under/behind the harmonic balancer, that bolts to the end of the crankshaft, it's key is mostly worn away. This has also rounded the keyway on the crankshaft a little leaving about a quarter inch of play. We're pretty sure that this is where my weird timing issues are coming from. My friend has come up with two solutions short of replacing the crankshaft. Both of which will include getting a new timing belt gear and cleaning up the end of the crank. The shadetree solution would be to use JBWeld/locktite so it won't move and hope for the best. I'll probably be putting a 2.0l in it once I step up to SP in a couple of years, so it won't have to last forever. The machinist solution is he thinks he can file/grind a new keyway exactly in the right place (maybe 180 deg. off?) so that the harmonic balancer's timing mark will be right or at least the teeth will be in the right place. What do you guys think of these solutions? I can't really afford the labor or parts to replace the crank right now so if I have to do that my car will be off the road for a while. Also is this timing belt gear a dealer only item? We can't seem to get it at the local german car parts place. Less critically, I seems to be leaking oil from lots of places on the passenger side of the engine. Could this be due to a PCV valve being clogged? We are replacing the crank and intermediate shaft seals, valve cover and oil pan gaskets and maybe a few I can't remember short of the head gasket and tranny stuff. Any advice would be appreciated. One day I hope to be able to give back to the list as much as I have learned but right now I'm just a neophyte with his first VW, :-) and I'm hooked! Thanks a lot in advance, </long> Dale LaRoe -- [email protected] '89 GTi 16v <-(LP5V) _____________ List Sponsor: http://www.netsville.com To remove yourself from this list, send mail to [email protected] with 'unsubscribe a2_16v' in the body of your message See us on the web at http://www.a2-16v.com Visit the 16V Homepage at http://www.gti16v.org
