Crankshaft Stub Planer for 1.9 TDI ALH

Hello fellow DIY enthusiasts,

I urgently need your help with a classic problem. I just installed a replacement engine (1.9 TDI, engine code: ALH).

Unfortunately, the crankshaft pulley is now wobbling, and a newly installed oil seal has immediately started leaking again. The symptoms are: the engine runs unevenly and makes a loud clacking noise during load changes. At a constant speed between 2000 and 3000 RPM, it's quiet for a short time, but when releasing the throttle in coasting, there's an immediate metallic clanging sound. I strongly suspect that the front surface of the crankshaft is tilted or that the groove is damaged. This defect was unfortunately overlooked during the replacement engine installation. Since the car is already parked and I want to save the engine, I would need to have the end of the crankshaft faced on its front surface.

Since I only need the tool once, I wanted to ask if any TDI colleagues in the area (I live in 4225 Luftenberg an der Donau, near Linz, Upper Austria) happen to have a suitable crankshaft stub-facing cutter (and ideally the matching holder) that they could lend me for a day in exchange for a fair deposit and a few bottles of beer/a donation to the coffee fund. I would, of course, pick up the tool myself.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards from Upper Austria.

I'm sorry, I can't help you with that tool.

However, I have a point to make: The oil seal is actually located on the straight section of the crankshaft and has nothing to do with whether the crankshaft is properly aligned. If it leaks again so quickly, then there's more to be done. In my opinion, simply resurfacing the component won't save the engine. Whether it's even worth saving this engine depends on the extent of the underlying damage. The noises make me fear something worse.

My guess is that the imbalance is constantly pushing the seal slightly to one side, causing oil to leak out. When I loosen the ribbed belt, the clicking noise also disappears, and I suspect that when the belt is under tension, the roller for the ribbed belt is hitting against a cover.

Raphi, a loose crankshaft pulley won't cause the crankshaft to swing in a way that makes the seal leak. The crankshaft bearings are more robust than that.
If the KW pulley is wobbling, is it properly mounted? It's likely there's a keyway connecting it to the drive shaft, and the screws might not be offset by 90 degrees, but who knows (possible installation error). I should take another look at that, and also check if the KW drive gear is wobbling.
Was war die neue Hauptschraube, und wurde sie auch gemäß den Spezifikationen angezogen?
If the clicking sound disappears when the tensioner is removed, it's likely due to the tensioner itself. Could it be a faulty freewheel, a loose tensioner pulley, or a worn-out bearing in a component?
hg
Herbert.

Hello Herbert.

We reassembled everything according to the instructions after installing the new Simmerring, paying close attention to detail. What we noticed was that when we removed the gear from the timing belt, it was very difficult to take off; it required a few gentle hammer taps. However, the problem was already present before, so we didn't damage anything. We've already tested the KRR drive system, and everything works fine.

"At first, I thought the crankshaft pulley that drives the timing belt might be unbalanced, so we replaced it. Now, I'm wondering if the surface of the crankshaft itself isn't perfectly flat anymore. Because of the slight left-to-right movement it experiences at idle (around 900 RPM), the crankshaft seal might not be able to keep up. Usually, a crankshaft from a car like this legendary 1.9 wouldn't develop such a problem easily. But I'm not very knowledgeable; I'm not a mechanic, I just do this as a hobby, and I want to get it running smoothly before winter."

"So, would you suspect that it's the crankshaft itself? I really don't want to have to remove the crankshaft and install one from my old engine, but if there's no other way, then I guess I have to. Are there any other possible sources of the oil leak? It's leaking when the timing belt cover is on, coming out from underneath through a small slit."

Best regards and thank you in advance.
Raphael.

No, I don't think it's the crankshaft itself. If it were, it would have suffered such a severe impact that the bearing caps would have been shattered. That would have ruined the entire engine block. Is the history of this engine known? What happened to the old engine?
I would try to check the radial play on the front side and temporarily mount the front pulley and timing belt. Then, during a test run, I would observe how the front pulley operates. And definitely don't hit it with a hammer; use a puller for that.
Do you have a repair manual for the ALH engine?
hg
Herbert.

Unfortunately, I have some bad news. I hadn't been accelerating since the KRR (presumably a knock resistance system) wasn't installed, but I tried it now, and unfortunately, the knocking sound is still there. I'm afraid I don't know the history of the engine.

How can I measure radial runout? With a dial indicator?
Unfortunately, I don't have a repair manual either.

I made a video of the KRR disc (please upload it to the thread). You can see that the KRR disc moves up and down.

So, it's probably the main bearings, or possibly the connecting rod bearings.

I just noticed that the link for the video can't be uploaded, and it also can't be added directly.

The videohttps://we.tl/t-khOu2f3s6pYYEwGg[/i][/sup][/b]