Re: type3-d Digest V2007 #191

[Phil Hof <philh@scvnet.com>]

>call it a novice mistake, but i loosened my rear engine mounts to try  
>and clean them up a little bit before putting the engine in tomorrow.
>
>as i read through my bentley tonight, i come across a note that says  
>that these should never be loosened or else the engine must be  
>recentered on installation. what is involved in this "recenetering"  
>process? did i blow it majorly by removing the rear mounting?
>
>i guess i need to read before i mess with anything. it seemed so  
>innocent at the time.

There is a VW tool for this purpose (of course!)  I bought on on ebay, but
you can make do without it.  You can see it on the Sambe:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/tools/360.jpg
and also in use the brown Bentley manual.

The idea is to make sure the centerline of the transmission is the same
distance from each outer CV joint face.  This is needed to make sure the
"end play" in the CVs are adequate to allow for the movement as the
sus;pension is loaded an udnloaded.  If it is not right, the engine and
tranny mounts get stressed as they "give" to allow the movement.

There are tow adjustments you can make.  One is to move the large shim
washers at the inner mounting pivot of the diagonal arms.  This gives you a
few mm adjustment.  It will take pretty much all day, since you disassembly
much of the rear suspension to do it.

The other method (which you have inadvertantly discovered) is to reset the
two rear carrier mounts.  Since you alreade moved them, you may as well
start with this (the easier) method.  Using a straight yardstivk, try to
measure between the center transmission casting rib and each outer CV
joint.  They should be the same, and if not, you can loosen and "scootch"
the engine/tranny assembly left or right, after putting a jack under it.
If yu can do it safely, put the rear up on jackstands, since the
measurement is preferably made with the suspension completely unloaded.  If
you get it within 3mm or so you are probably close enough to not have any
problems.  Good luck!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~