Broken crankshaft

[jadney@vwtype3.org (Melissa & Jim)]

>From: "Adriaan Loedolff" <ADRIAAN@norton.ctech.ac.za>

>Heard a story the other day about a VW engine expiring with a helluva
>bang and some smoke in the owner's driveway. After pulling the engine
>out and taking it apart, it turns out that the crankshaft had broken. 
>Now, I haven't seen this motor myself so I don't know exactly where 
>the crank had broken but how on earth does one manage to break the 
>crank of a standard engine anyway? I have worked on this particular 
>engine before and I knew that it needed some rings and maybe a top end 
>overhaul, but there was no indication whatsoever that it was going to 
>die so dramaticaly, so suddenly.

It happens.  Not often, and not predictably, but probably more often in 
higher stressed engines.  I saw one years ago that had broken in such a way 
that the two parts were still somewhat locked together in the case; the 
engine ran poorly but hung together until it was taken apart to find the 
problem.

Every crank should be rung like a bell during a rebuild: if it goes 
"Tiiiing" it is okay, but if it goes "Thunk" it is cracked.  You must remove 
all the parts from it for this to work.

Jim
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       Melissa Kepner                                    Jim Adney
       jadney@vwtype3.org              jadney@vwtype3.org
                             Laura Kepner-Adney
                             Madison, Wisconsin
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