Just split my case, trying to pull the crankshaft from the case half but on the flywheel mounting side it does not want to budge at all from the case! The impeller side is free, but all my efforts of trying to break free the other side did not prevail. Even tried turning the case upside down, with helper holding the crank from the bottom, and me giving some good wacks with the rubber mallet to the top of the piston rod closest to the flywheel from the top, hoping gravity would help, but that still didn’t work... anyone else come across a tight crank that would separate??

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Better I think to tap the flywheel bolts than the piston rod. Mine was stuck this way too and that did the trick. Don't beat it up too much!

I tried that as well actually. First just hitting the flywheel bolts with the rubber mallet, but not a lot of room with the engine yoke arm below, so then put a 2x2 piece under the bolts and used the yoke arm as leverage and wacked the end of the wood, didn’t budge...

you are not hitting it hard enough.

Maybe use a hoist to hold up the crank so the whole stand is an inch off the floor and hit the case with a rubber mallet.

There are just pins and old age holding it in there.

You could also use a long pry bar with a pile of rags on the case and put the bar underneath the rod cap.


rich

Pick up the impeller side, wiggle it upwards to break the seal???

I just pulled mine from my destroyed engine, I had to stand on the engine stand, no mallet, but a couple of good yanks and it popped out.

Thanks for the replies guys. Sounds like I need to just pull and pound harder. I’m trying my best not to damage any parts or sealing/bearing surfaces - case and crank are still in great condition (was rebuilt less than 5K miles ago with line bored case etc) only taking all apart to find missing valve spring piece, which I don’t see in the case now that it’s open, but better safe than sorry I guess.

Im gonna try to put some ice packs on the case section around flywheel area and hope that half hole contracts enough to allow me some wiggle room!

Mount the flywheel again and try hard tapping on the flywheel.

Why not just put int back together, looks like the F & R main bearing locating pin holes are still aligned correctly

... clearly no bits of anything still in there....

Yes I certainly have been entertaining that idea...the issues I have that are currently preventing me from pulling the trigger on that route are: 1) the crankshaft end seal (impeller side) needs replaced since I used that seal as the sacrificial lamb to help me do the initial prying open of the case halves to get it started to not mar up my sealing case surfaces. Can that seal be replaced with the crank in its current position? I haven’t done much research on that but with it being behind the impeller mounting hub and from what I can see on the exploded view diagrams on how the crankshaft is assembled I couldn’t exactly tell if it would be possible. 2) the rear bearing looks aligned, yes, but I’m not sure it is exactly as I know it spins freely when trying to wiggle the crankshaft out. Would I just have to try and get it as close as possible to what would be the correct position and hope it slides into its mating pin upon careful reassemblly?? 3) I was really hoping to do reassembly with the 3/4cyl side case half as the starting half to hold the guts. Right now the crank is stuck on the 1/2cyl side. I watched the Bug Me episode 8 video with Jake Raby (very helpful tutorial, can’t believe I didn’t watch that before my first engine rebuild) and being able to get the distributor gear also lined up nicely with the case split seamed much more ideal.

Thoughts??

Pull it apart, now you need to know why it is not coming apart with all the effort you have put into that end. Even when mine grenaded, the crank came out with little effort. No more than a few whacks normally.

Did you get the crank out ? suspect with a linebore it may have had dowel pin repair work and be a bit tight on that bearing,I don't see how a piece of valve spring could migrate down a pushrod tube....but you never know so carry on the way you are going,good luck.

Yes finally got the crank out! Attached the flywheel, turned the engine upside down on the stand, had someone holding the crank from under while I gave a really solid whack with hammer and brass drift to the top of the flywheel, boom popped out.

I agree completely. Since it was lined bored and had custom over side journal bear I gave and F/R main bearings made, all done by Headflow Masters, I suspect the tolerances were very tight, and definitely were not intended to be pulled apart after only 5K mi of wear...

Also agree that I thought it very unlikely for the spring piece to make its way through the pushrod tube, especially since there were no scratches on the pushrod tube... but the local VW shop Paradise Motorsports said there was a chance it could be in there and better to be safe than sorry I guess...

Thank you for everyone’s input and help getting me to just whack a little harder and a little smarter

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Why did the engine require disassembly?

I am trying to crack the case open and came on this thread.

Detectives are always trying to crack the case open

Good one, former owner was a detective in MA

I had a valve spring break, and couldn’t find a chunk of the spring in the valve train area... so couldn’t be sure that it didn’t somehow make its way into the engine.. so decided to play it on the safe side just crack it open to find the piece... never found it. Engine is still split open, I have all the fresh parts needed for reassembly (all new valves and valve spring) just need to finish cleaning the piston heads, rebuild the valve train, rebuild the carbs, and then reassemble it all. Was busy with the holidays and recently been working weekends for work so haven’t had time yet for reassembly, hoping to get to it next month!

A piece of the valve spring is missing? where could it be? or did the spring break and not shatter. Were the springs bound?
Good luck with the rebuild