[Vwdiesel] VE Injection pump diagnostic question

[Bret R Ledford]

A small amount of axial movement is normal.  Excessive movement 90 degrees
to the axis of the shaft indicates worn bushings.  Seal leakage can result
from this wear because shaft is allowed to move far enough from centerline
to allow a space between seal lip and shaft.
Best way to remove seal is tear pump apart and drive or pull seal without
shaft in the way.  If seal is leaking, worn bushings are probably the
cause.  However, I have pulled and replaced seals while pump is on engine.
I made a set of tooling to accomplish this fairly easily.  I used a plat
piece of steel about 2" long X 1" wide X 1/4" thick.  Drilled and tapped
the center to screw on exposed threads of pump shaft.  Just to each side of
the center hole I drilled and tapped for two 5/16-24 hex head bolts (one
each side of the threaded center hole).  I took the two 5/16" bolts and
drilled through their center axis a thru hole large enough to slide a long
sheet metal screw, I think a #6 size.  The screws must be long enough to
slip through the bolts and reach through the front face of the seal with
the tool screwed onto the end of the pump shaft, and the 5/16 bolts screwed
all the way into the tool.  Use an Awl or Ice Pick and poke two small holes
through the front face of the seal equidistant from the OD and ID 180
degrees from one another.  these will be your "Pilot Holes" to thread the
sheet metal screws into.  Thread the tool onto the pump shaft with the 5/16
bolts screwed all the way in to the tool (tool must be designed so that the
centerline of the bolts line up with the "Pilot Holes" you make in the
seal).  Then slip the sheet metal screws through the holes in the center of
the bolts and screw them into and through the front face of the seal.  Not
too deep, just need to get them in past the taper on the point of the
screw.  Now, one at a time, screw or turn the 5/16 bolt out of the flat
steel tool while holding the sheet metal screw from turning, just enough to
start to pull one side of the seal from its bore in the pump body, then
switch to the other 5/16 bolt and do the same.  Work back and forth and the
seal will soon be out.  Using the 5/16 bolts to do the pulling helps to
prevent the screws in the front face of the seal from "Stripping Out".
I also made tooling to install the seal so that the seal will not be
damaged and drives into the bore straight.
I used 2 pieces of aluminum bar stock.  One large enough to drill and
thread for the end of the pump shaft (the pilot)(this part may be a couple
inches long), and the other (the driver),  large enough to be bored out in
center to slip over the pilot and slide back to drive against the face of
the seal (this must be long enough so that when pilot is screwed onto shaft
and driver slid over pilot one can still strike the center of driver
without interference from protruding pilot)(I machined a blind hole in the
driver for the pilot to go into so that I would have a solid and thick
striking surface to hammer on while driving the seal).  Machine both ends
flat so there is a flat face to contact the seal, and a flat surface to
hammer on.  This will also insure a perpendicular angle from the pilot bore
to the seal face.  It is important that the seal starts and presses in
straight.
Place new seal over shaft back against face of pump seal bore.  Screw pilot
onto end of pump shaft.  Slide driver over pilot and back against face of
seal.  Tap with hammer until seal is inserted and driver comes into contact
with face of pump.
Dimensions of the tooling was from memory, just to give some sense of
proportion.  Your designs and dimensions may vary.


Bret Ledford
Blanchester, OH
Machinist/Maintenance Tech