Camper Special + kit flywheel weirdness

[docbrown]

I've been spending my summer rebuilding my '81 Vanagon engine using LN Engineering's Camper Special + kit. This is the first engine rebuild for me, if you don't count the Briggs and Stratton in my grade 9 shop class back in the days when the van was almost new. I have learned all kinds of new things and solved a myriad of problems that grad school physics didn't cover, but this one I don't have an answer for:

The old crankshaft that I removed on disassembly had the pilot bearing pressed into it, which is exactly where I expect it to be based on Bentley. The CS+ kit came with a shiny new crankshaft and with a pilot bearing in a little baggy. It also came with a new flywheel which has a pilot bearing already installed in it. SO the obvious question is do I keep the bearing in the flywheel, and if so with or without the bearing in the crank?

The less obvious question that, based on my reading of the archives here reopens the worm can, is where does the felt washer/seal thing go?

Thanks for helping out a newbie

A

[Piledriver]

The bearing can go either place.
Its a LOT easier to replace in the flywheel later on.

Getting one out of the crank (should you go there) involves filling it with grease and generating hydraulic pressure with a cliuch alignment tool and a hammer. Use plenty of rags.

[Clatter]

FWIW, I go with the bearing in the crank like factory.

That way, you can use the felt ring to keep the clutch dust out of it.

Getting the old bearing out of the crank, i never had luck trying the “pack it full of grease and smack with the BFH” technique.
Always just made a mess for me no matter what.

It otherwise takes a hammer and small chisel, small Dremel burrs, cussing, cramped hands and lots of time.
The felt ring goes in after the bearing.
(Push the numbers BTW)

The felt ring will not be precise in its coming home.
It’ll want to loop inward or bunch on itself.
Stuff it in there with a little screwdriver or whatever works to get it stuffed all the way in flat.

Then take your plastic clutch alignment tool and give it a little extra bevel.
Make it so the thing packs the felt ring into place as it goes in.
Once the alignment tool goes in/out without the felt ring dislodging, you can be sure your trans input shaft with do the same.

Good luck.
Let’s see some pics!

['77 Westy]

I also go with the bearing in the crank.
I’ve never had a problem removing the bearing with a tight-fitting wooden dowel and grease, a couple of hits and it’s out. I use a pilot bearing no. 056105313C with an integral seal, the seal extends slightly out of the crank and I machine a recess in the flywheel to accommodate it.
If the bearing is in the flywheel how is the felt seal held in place?

[docbrown]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Ultimately I decided there was no compelling reason to remove a perfectly good bearing in an acceptable location so I left it in the flywheel. I did tap it slightly further in to make a bit of room for the felt seal which is now in place between the bearing and the five-hole washer plate thingie. All bolted up and ready for the clutch and pressure plate.

[Piledriver]

An actual input shaft (as an alignment tool) works pretty well with the grease... You want the ropey stuff... If you have been at this awhile you should have at least one.

...But no need to replace a good bearing, unless you are putting the motor on a t1 or 914/901 trans, iirc the input shaft may not be long enough to reach the t4 in-crank bearing. 914 flwheels have it in the crank, also have thicker flanges and use longer bolts, there is room for the felt pad. Also note the longer 914 flywheel bolts can torque down fine on a bus or aftermarket flywheel without actually holding anything. (they bottom out in the crank)

They once made sintered bronze input shaft bushings... Only ever found a few but they must have worked as they were still good.

[zjack]

For your ’81 Vanagon with the LN Engineering Camper Special+, you should use only one needle roller bearing, and in this setup that means keeping the bearing already pressed into the new flywheel and leaving the crankshaft bore empty—installing a second bearing in the crank would create misalignment and premature wear. The felt washer/seal (often called the pilot bearing seal or flywheel felt washer) goes between the flywheel and the crank snout, seated against the crank to help keep oil and debris away from the bearing; it’s crucial for protecting the 231SM220MA bearing and ensuring smooth clutch operation. With this arrangement, your bearings are properly supported, the seal is in place, and the setup matches what LN Engineering intends for the Camper Special+ kit.