Question on splitting the case:

[FP1201]

I'm trying to split the case in two and it doesn't want to budge:
The motor is a VW Factory remfg. 2.1 with "Brown" sealant....and after consulting the Bently Manual I'm 99% sure that I've removed all the nuts & bolts.
One other issue: this engine was used in area that was heavily road salted and there is oxidation on top and some of the fasteners, but they've all been removed.
I need to split the case, but sure don't want to bust it in the process, any suggestons?



For a little background:
I have a '84 Westfals with a tired 1.9 (oil pressure starts out at 50psi then drops to ~10psi at hot idle, and ~20psi at high idle hot) Still runs great! (isn't that what the all say just before it blows)
I pulled the engine from a '86 Van that turned out to be remanufactured by VW of Canada and according to the log book and odometer it had <30K on it, however it had sat for a very long time with the intake & ignition removed....it had sat so long the water pump was stuck. I removed the heads in anticipation of going through it as a replacement for the 1.9l
There is some pitting of the heads: I dis-assembled and glass beaded them, and will post pictures for evaluation a little later, for now it's teardown, inspection, and ordering parts.

[tencentlife]

There are parts of the case at the top rear (pulley end) like lugs that stick up, and there's a spot there you can easily get a screwdriver to lever these lugs apart. That will break the case seal, but it can still be a bitch to get the halves to spread, There is one one other place along the bottom where you can lever against parts of the case that extend out a bit, without ever prying against the sealing surfaces, which you want to avoid, obviously. I have some plastic prytools made for getting interior panels off, I can use those once I get a little gap between the case halves and they don't mar the sealing area.

[FP1201]

I seem to have forgotten what I always tell the boys: "There's always one more bolt in there" sure enough there were a couple nuts inside the case that I didn't see.
It was a little tough getting the case halfs seperated, but it's apart now.
There was really only one thing that was disturbing inside: the rear main bearing was dug up inside like an oil related failure and it didn't want to rotate freely or come off the shaft. I took it off by hand, but it didn't slide right off. Still there isn't any damage to the crank and if I had too that bearing could be polished up and reused.
Also: is it normal for the cam thrust bearing to only have the thrust ring on one half?

[tencentlife]

One thrust half-shell is normal, that's the way VW did it. It's good to buy a double-thrust set for your rebuild, though.