Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:installing i-shaft bearings
From:Bradley Flubacher
Date:Wed, 4 Sep 2002 12:31:43 -0400

Hello everyone,
After much care, I've just finished installing a new set of intermediate shaft bearings in my 1.6L NA block. I test fit the shaft only to find that the bearing nearest to the oil pump is way too tight.  So tight in fact that I had to weasle the drive gear through it. Once I got it past the drive gear, the bearing was of course too small for the shaft journal.

I installed this bearing from the cylinder #4 side of the block. I removed the little "freeze plug" and used a bearing installation tool. I'm wondering it should have been installed from the other side, and maybe I screwed up the bearing by installing it from the wrong side?  I don't think this should be the case, however.

I bought the bearing set from my local foreign car parts store. It came from Beck-Arnley (014-6350). Inside the Beck-Arnley box is a Dura-Bond Bearings box "Cam Bearing Set No. VWG-1 Interchanges with 1726M SH1209S 2C1209S"

Can anyone offer advice? I've used some dykem blue to find where it's binding. I see a constant ring right where the journal begins it's taper. It seems like I'll have to fit this bearing quite a bit...

I'm inclined to go and buy a brake cylinder hone and remove some material...  Comments?

Brad