VW385 tooling question

[tocobill]

Does the dial indicator for the tooling need to be 3mm or will a 5mm etc dial work? My understanding is you set zero with the gage block to 66.30mm before you wipe the dial across the pinion plate. A 3mm dial would give you 1.5mm travel either way or a 5mm would be 2.5mm. So this should still be within reason ... Correct?

Also the dial extension 385/53 is nla. I am going to source a sutable replacement. My thought is to just cut another starret extension doen to 14mm or close to it. This doesnt have to be exactly 14mm either if my understanding is correct above.

Penny for your thoughts. Thanks.

[MBEngineering]

HI tocobill
you should be OK with a Std extension cut down, just make sure the end is a good round end, check the thread on the extension and the holder

this is the one I have



and the dial guage with a Std end for the readings



hope this helps

reagrds mike

[tocobill]

Thanks. Thats what i figured. As long as there is enough travel in the measuring devices it ahould work when zeroed on the 66.30 gage.

[Peter Zimmermann]

Remember, you're setting your dial indicator with 1mm pre-load, so your small needle must point to "1", and your long needle must point to zero.

[tocobill]

Roger. So do you see anything wrong with my thinking?

[Peter Zimmermann]

Porsche Wiki

Sorry, the instructions only cover pre-load and backlash, but I figured that my Tutorial would help you. Try to not overthink it, all you're doing is calculating shim thickness.

[Trackrash]

Has anyone DIYed the tools to set up a pinion?

Don't mean to hijack. It seems that there are those that have changed out pinions with out the official tools? I have done this with VWs, but only when you know the pinion depth on one case/pinion.

Any old threads on this?

[tocobill]

Originally Posted by Peter Zimmermann

Porsche Wiki

Sorry, the instructions only cover pre-load and backlash, but I figured that my Tutorial would help you. Try to not overthink it, all you're doing is calculating shim thickness.

Thanks. I understand your looking to find the +/- depth from the 66.30mm. Once that is found the difference is the shim thickness. I have 5mm dial already i didnt want to have to buy a 3mm one too. The 385/53 is nla when i bought the tools. Ill have to make that but finding a 14mm extension is tough as they are either long or shorter. I would imagine as long as your set the 66.30mm by the gage with 1mm preload on the dial the end result will still be correct shim measurment. The gear set is being swaped from one case to another so thats why i am checking it to assure the pinion depth is right.

Your right. Im prob thinking to much into it. Its just strange how porsche goes about getting this measurment. It should be simpler.

[Peter Zimmermann]

^^^Porsche used to be so anal about noise, that every ring & pinion was tested to find the best set-up number. The 915 is a pretty compact design, so thinking this through the system does make sense. The cost of the tools is what always got me; I think that I paid more than $3K for the pinion depth tools, so I had to repair a bunch of transmissions in order to amortize the expense.

[tocobill]

Im in at 1k for all the tools new so im ahead of the game. I local pcar shop wanted 600-700 to set the pinion up after i rebuilt the tranny.

If i had to pay 3k for the tools then id have a shop set it up.

[Peter Zimmermann]

^^^Times change! I'm surprised that you got away that cheap, I bought my tools about 40 years ago, and most are actual "P" tools with the number engraved on each tool. Assenmacher Tools in CO filled in the gaps with pieces I couldn't get elsewhere.

[dsfnctn]

Originally Posted by Trackrash

Has anyone DIYed the tools to set up a pinion?

Don't mean to hijack. It seems that there are those that have changed out pinions with out the official tools? I have done this with VWs, but only when you know the pinion depth on one case/pinion.

Any old threads on this?

I built this jig to measure the pinion depth.

[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads25

[Geary]

Tiny washers will allow you to use a slightly shorter extension.


I found one of the more satisfying upgrades to be a reversible gauge that can be zero'd on the standard, allowing the "r" value to be read directly.

[dsfnctn]

Originally Posted by Geary

Tiny washers will allow you to use a slightly shorter extension.


I found one of the more satisfying upgrades to be a reversible gauge that can be zero'd on the standard, allowing the "r" value to be read directly.

please tell the story how you came upon such a treasure?

Do you rebuild transmissions. If I had that tool I would be all over it.

[tocobill]

These tool are still available. You can source the vw385 tooling at your local vw, audi, or pcar dealer. Thats were i sourced mine. Just not a cheap tool.

[Geary]

A new set from Germany replaced my old set a couple years ago ..

[Walt Fricke]

I did it once, but was able to borrow the tool. Couldn't do that the next time, so had a shop do it.
I've heard you can do it with blueing, but that seems to call for a lot more judgment than reading dials.

[Trackrash]

Originally Posted by dsfnctn

I built this jig to measure the pinion depth.

[img]http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads25

Nice, how did you calibrate, or zero your dial indicator?

[dsfnctn]

Originally Posted by Trackrash

Nice, how did you calibrate, or zero your dial indicator?

No dial indicator. I took the total depth subtracted the diameter of id of bearing which I machined the tube to and then made the spacer and used feeler gauges to fine tune depth

[dsfnctn]

Originally Posted by Geary

A new set from Germany replaced my old set a couple years ago ..

Woa! does that all come under one part number ?