Tom Young wrote:

> Hey everyone:
>
> I removed the flywheel (but not the oil seal) on my 2.0l engine to check
> the seal for leakage.  It's not leaking.
>
> I removed the fan hub (but not the oil seal) to check for leakage there.
> It's not leaking.
>
> My manual says the endplay has to be checked anytime the flywheel is
> removed.
>
> My question is: Why?  Since I'm going to torque the flywheel back on in a
> proper fashion, and haven't disturbed anything, and we're dealing with
> mechanical parts, not living tissue, why the insistence on checking the
> endplay?
>
> As far as I know the endplay is OK (engine rebuilt 20k miles ago) and
> since I'll have to use the "bar stock" method, I'd really like to avoid
> doing this, if I can.
>
> Can anyone elaborate?
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Tom Young               young@sherlock.SIMS.Berkeley.EDU
> Lafayette, CA  94549    '81 Vanagon
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

  Hi Tom
    First off, you shouldn't be put off about checking endplay as it isn't
difficult with a little patience.  If you don't have a dial indicator, a
simple method is to measure it with feeler guages at both extremes of
movement against the case.  If you want to get fancy you can make a
"reference" with a bolt, 3 nuts, and a small tab bolted to the motor mount.
    Secondly, you are probably correct in assuming that it is still ok
without checking as the shims and the bearing face should return you to the
same place.
    The question looms: is it worth messing up such an important tolerance
when it is so easy to check and know for sure.  Think of it this way,. racing
engine  builders check this measurement probably 4 times on a build.
Besides, you probably don't want to do a complete case split rebuild just
because the shims didn't go back in right.
     I"m not trying to preach, I just know how many times I've had to do
things over because I thought I had already checked it once.  Kind of like
the cam gear fit in my '81 Westy that has a whine now.  Should have checked
twice....
Good Luck
Mark Rokus