Seat/VW 1400 16v circa 2001 crankshaft question
Discussion
RBWS1964 said:
Hi all. I'm building an Arosa Sport for competition use and planned to strip the engine as a precaution. Having looked into it I led to believe that the crank shouldn't be removed. If the main bearing caps are removed the block should be scrapped/ replaced. What is that all about?
I'd find that hard to believe.A lot of cars are like this. What they usually mean is:
a) the big end and/or main bearings are of the 'cracked' type which for some reason are never recommended to refit once removed
b) no manufacturer's torque settings are available/have been released for the various bolts.
Our garage just rebuilt a Zetec 1.6 with all of the above. It now purrs like a pussycat.
a) the big end and/or main bearings are of the 'cracked' type which for some reason are never recommended to refit once removed
b) no manufacturer's torque settings are available/have been released for the various bolts.
Our garage just rebuilt a Zetec 1.6 with all of the above. It now purrs like a pussycat.
I've never seen a blocked with a cracked cap...but it may be possible.
Either way, rods with cracked caps are perfectly re-usable same as any normal rod.
But one aspect that may make it difficult from a rebuild point of view, some manufacturers are
s when it comes to bearing sizes or availability.
that isnt to say they cant be rebuilt...just parts can be a bloody nightmare
Either way, rods with cracked caps are perfectly re-usable same as any normal rod.
But one aspect that may make it difficult from a rebuild point of view, some manufacturers are
s when it comes to bearing sizes or availability.that isnt to say they cant be rebuilt...just parts can be a bloody nightmare
stevieturbo said:
parts can be a bloody nightmare
I think we have a winner for the 2015 under statement of the year award... 
The bloke that built my engine had to buy five different sizes of big end bearing to find out which one would fit then go back and buy two more of the same size so he could finish the engine as it's only a three pot!
We've got the same engine a Golf and I've seen the comment about scrapping the block a few times - they say the block distorts when the bearing caps are removed.
No idea if that's true or not but there are various issues with that block, including bores going oval, so it wouldn't surprise me. Maybe they do something weird like finally hone the bores with the crank and caps in place?
No idea if that's true or not but there are various issues with that block, including bores going oval, so it wouldn't surprise me. Maybe they do something weird like finally hone the bores with the crank and caps in place?
You wouldn't hone a block with the crank in place because you'd contaminant the bearings with the debris from honing and typically, all the blocks I have come across, honing is the last operation so the block and the caps will be a matched set by that point of the process, so they are left on so they do not get mixed up.
All blocks are scrap, well not scrap, but either need re machining or the order of the caps investigated, if you take the caps of and get the order of them mixed up, because the crank bore is machined with the caps in place.
All blocks are scrap, well not scrap, but either need re machining or the order of the caps investigated, if you take the caps of and get the order of them mixed up, because the crank bore is machined with the caps in place.
I have been doing some reading on this, and it seems there is truth in it. This VW publication, http://vwts.ru/engine/ahw_akq_ajv.pdf, says:
It seems to suggest main bearings are not available as a spare part, then goes on to talk about block distortion, and buying a short engine from VW.
I think this a parts marketing stunt.
VW said:
You must not remove or loosen the crankshaft in the 1.4-ltr. engine.
Even when you loosen the bearing cover screws, the inner structure of the aluminium bearing seat relaxes, resulting in deformation of the crankshaft. If you undo the bearing cover screws, you must replace the crankcase complete with the crankshaft.
At first I thought it seemed to suggest the engine doesn't have bearing shells, and the crank runs directly in the block. Further research shows that is not correct.Even when you loosen the bearing cover screws, the inner structure of the aluminium bearing seat relaxes, resulting in deformation of the crankshaft. If you undo the bearing cover screws, you must replace the crankcase complete with the crankshaft.
It seems to suggest main bearings are not available as a spare part, then goes on to talk about block distortion, and buying a short engine from VW.
I think this a parts marketing stunt.
Sheepshanks said:
If that's right, I wonder how VW's engine plant deals with block distortion when they remove the caps?
They have the torque settings for the bolts - which they aren't letting you have. Or the bolts.
Or the spec of the bolts....
Somebody out there will crack it - if they haven't already, but they won't be telling you.
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