Type 4 engine refitting, bloody thing!! Help!!!

Hi everyone, I'm pretty experienced with various VW engine conversions engine removals etc both air and water cooled. But my 77 with the type 4 engine is the first thing I've had so many problems with doing it single handed!!

The problem I have is the bolt that mounts the gearbox and engine to the chassis. The one over the starter.

Done the others e up with relative ease but the other one is having none of it. Am I right in saying these are done up after the engine is back in and bolted to the gearbox?? I tried to put the engine in with the gearbox bolted up first and it was near impossible, then I saw a thread with Zed's comments saying you need to lower the gearbox down when removing the engine. So that's why I'm guessing you need to bolt the gearbox in after the engine is back in.

But it's just not happening!! Just wasted an hour and a half trying to get this last bloody bolt in and have given up!!

Anyone with experience taking out and putting back in the type 4 engine please help'm

Cheers

Austin

 

So which bolt can't you get in? The gearbox to chassis or gearbox to engine? Don't quite understand your post?

I've done many type 4 and would never drop the box and engine together, too much work.

It reads like you've done half and half?

 

I'd be tempted to whip the engine back out, make sure you've got the gearbox secure in the chassis and start again.

It's right that you need to raise the engine at a very slight angle, line up the two lower engine to gearbox bolts and the input shaft correctly. Once you have these lined up correctly you can then raise the engine cancelling out the slight angle. A shove on the motor to push it all home and jobs done.

Put on the lower nuts but don't tighten fully.

Put in the top left bolt, easy to get to both ends of this bolt if you don't have your rear tinware in place yet.

Then do the upper starter bolt. This has a shaped head, semi circle (sure it has a proper name) which locates at the starter side, then do the nut up, being careful not to push it out. Easier if you can get a helper to do up the nut whilst you're underneath holding the bolt in place.

 

You mean the gearbox hanger bolt?
Yes get all 4 bolts between engine and gearbox done up.
Try jacking that side of the engine gradually (with your leg) while you try with an extension/socket/fingers for when it goes loose.
Or it it's not quite home, add a nut into your socket, put on bolt and tap it through.
Joker - the VW way is to take out the hanger bolts and lower the engine with rear of gearbox. That's what the engine bar/chassis mounts were designed for. Doing it this way saves masses of dismantling, you only have to remove the plastic part of the filler neck, no tin, coil etc. I'd rather do 2 bolts.

 

I do it exactly as Zed describes and have to as I have a towbar fitted. Space is really tight as a result and I can't see how I could get the engine in or out any other way. Austin, The Zed way also means you have loads of access to do the starter motor engine gearbox bolt. You just need to be double jointed to get the gearbox hanger nut/bolt over the starter.

 

I have long thin arms and I can reach round from the other side above the gearbox, but it might help if you remove the starter? It only takes a few minutes.

 

Hi guys, sorry if my original post didnt make sense, was straight as I came in from the driveway!!

Yes I mean the gearbox hanger bolt on the starter side.

Thanks for your help all. Glad I haven't missed something obvious. It may be an idiot question but it's been sooooo frustrating this evening!!

I've tried poking a screw driver through the hole to make sure things are lined up. Seems all good, but I think the only other thing I have left to do is undo the one gearbox hanger bolt I had done up, pull the bolts from the support bar and lower the engine down and see what's going on, something's not right. I'll keep you all posted and I appreciate your help everyone.

 

Maybe loosen the one you got in 1/2 a turn. And jack it up like I suggested, works for me and I do it quite often.
And the nut in the socket allows you to push on the bolt as you ratchet it round. Don't give up.

 

As you were. I read it that the entire box and engine were dropped together...

 

Cheers Zed, I tried this earlier with the other bolt undone a bit and the jack in a few different places, tried hitting the bolt home and in, even managed to get my air gun in to give it a blast with the impact gun in an attempt to get it started. Nowt!

Could there be anything in the way? Could something of bent up when I raised it all back in?

 

My last was a type 4...if your having trouble,just step back,go have a cup of tea or whatever,and approach it in a different light...works first time...Its always best to stop and look at things from another angle...whatever your doing...

 

If its the hanger what is the problem? Is the bolt through? Or is it getting the nut started? If its the bolt I assume you have tried a screwdriver to check things are lined up. Waggle on the jack etc. to get it in. If its the nut starting is the thread OK? Sorry to point out the bleeding obvious but there are only so many things it can be.

I also find that lying on your back under the gearbox and one arm reaching over the gearbox from the near side (opposite side to the starter) is the way to go.

 

Cheers Andy, and yes Bertie, it's the gearbox hanger bolt, don't worry about pointing the obvious out, sometimes it's what you need!! But not in this case, I've done it all right and yet the effing bolt still won't get started!!

Only thing left to do is lower the lot down and have a good look.

I'll take a picture of whatever it is and post it up, as it's so simple, that's what's making it so frustrating to work out what it's not happening!!

 

Have you got the correct bolts? They should have a threadless bit on the end to lead them in.

Get behind the bus 10ft away and look - is the engine level?

 

At which point I wish everyone's gearboxes were like @paradox 's.

 

Indeed.

Swarfega is definitely your friend if you have a bus.

 

And various sized hammers of different materials...

 

Is your bus level jacked up at the front as well as the back ?
Other wise the engine on the jack when your putting it in will be at an opposite level to your noise diving bus which will cause all sorts of hassle.

 

Definitely take the starter out, makes it much easier to get at the bolt.

And as zed said, the bolt should have an unthreaded leading point, this'll get the threads into position as you can't do it by eye. I guess if your bolt hasn't then you could always bodge the leading bit with a grinder and recut the leading threads with a die.

 

Job done!! The most frustrating mission if a so so simple job ever.

Lowered the engine back down this evening to see what's going on, and inside the hole that the bolt goes through there is some kind of insert, and one of the tabs that holds this insert I. Place had bent down preventing me from getting the bolt started.

Here is a naff picture of what I mean, you can't really see because the engine is still mounted to the gearbox.



Now I just have to identify some random cables and where they go and I may even be able to turn the key!! The cables coming from what appear to be the alternator, and there is one red and white 4mm going over the gearbox hanging over the starter motor!!