Help!! 2000 Mk2 Newbie

[Mike Stevens]

To be honest, I just use the 'standard' stuff, whatever 'dot' that is - but don't get it on the paintwork! As the car has been standing for some time, you will need to flush it all through. You may also find the rear wheel cylinders are weeping/siezed etc. Quite common really. Although you can get repair kits, replacement cylinders aren't much more and that saves trying to clean any rusty bores in the old ones!

Most other things seem to be OK.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Mike.

[Simon2000]

Thanks Mike, I have ordered a few litres! Yes I'll remove the masters and clean them out, check the seals and then flush. Thanks

[Simon2000]

OK, so spent yesterday degreasing the engine bay and underneath.
Today in the process of removing the pulley to do the timing chain felt play in the crankshaft.
Dropped the suspension and took the sump off and had a look, so using the feeler gauges measure .95mm taken at the clutch end as shown in the below pic.

Questions..
So not sure if this is the right place to measure or not, assume its an accurate measurement?
I assume this is excessive and that I should fit new thrust washers?
Do you just fit one thrust washer or do they stack?
Is it likely it's just the thrust washer that's worn down with age, or is this something more serous?
I assume I need to remove the bearing cap and remove the thrust washer and fully measure it to work out the replacement
If so do they fit in just one place on the crank or at every bearing cap?
Can fit these without splitting the gearbox or taking the engine out?

Hoping this will be an easyish and cheapish fix!
TIA

[johnconradlee]

Not that I'm anything like an engine expert, but the book of words says acceptable end float on a 2000 is 0.006" to 0.014", whereas 0.95mm = 0.037", so you're measuring a little over 2.5 times the tolerance upper limit.

[Alec]

Hello Simon,

Remove the main bearing cap and the thrust washers ('C' shaped) can be pushed round the journal and removed. Standard thrusts are 0.091"\0.093" (2.31mm) thick when new. It should be fairly easy to see what the crankshaft thrust faces look like once the bearings are removed.

As you are this far it's worth checking the rest of the bearing shells just so you know what you have?

Alec