[Vwdiesel] Problem Solved!

[William Longyard]

My thanks go out to Mark, Loren, and James for supporting me today with 
their advice, experience, and encouragement regarding my stuck crankshaft.

After considering all their advice, I decided to use some cutting compound 
to thin down the rod bearing.  However, just as I was about to start, I 
decided to swap the rod cap that was clamping onto the crank with one from 
another connecting rod.  I as I took each off, I put a straight edge across 
each and found that the sticking one was about .010" shorter on one end, and 
that the bearing was protruding that much.  When I checked the other rod 
cap, I found it completely "swallowed" the bearing, and none of the bearing 
protruded.  It occured to me that maybe I had somehow gotten the caps 
switched.  I took the bearings out, and swapped them to see if the bearings 
were different lengths.  They were the same size because I got  the same 
result when I put a straight edge across each cap.

All this told me that indeed a cap had been switched, and that one of the 
four connecting rods had a slightly longer end.  I looked up at the bottom 
of the first connecting rod and it "seemed" to me that sure enough, the 
bearing was a little bit "inside" it, and not exactly flush.

So I swapped the rod caps and torqued them.  Cha-ching!  The crank rotates 
freely again.

Lesson: Take a number stamp and match stamp the rod parts as you take them 
off.

I should have the engine running again tomorrow.  Today wasn't exactly 
wasn't, not when you learn a hard lesson.

Thanks all!
Bill Longyard