Originally Posted by
Smac770
Could be a really expensive $100 breaker bar. :-P Need one of those torque multipliers. But some of these +° specs, seems like they were made for impacts. The bottom rear damper bolt, the lower curved to subframe bolt, the crank bolt. You know the factory isn't using breaker cars.
Not much happening due to waiting for FCP Euro to resolve an issue, so I did some reading about installing the crank bolt. The 2.0T is a bit easier than some cars for removal and install, but the 100 Nm plus 180° installation torque spec when using a grade 10.9 bolt is still a monster.
I ran across a few anecdotes about it - no tragedies, just difficulties. In one cat's story he mentions how much the car moved (but not the bolt). So jack stands are a bad idea.
I watched a video where a guy finished off the +90° (different engine) with an impact gun. I'm pretty certain that's the way the pros do it on the clock. But he overshot it, and that idea does not sit well with me. There are a few other high torque applications in the garage, so Smac's suggestion of a torque multiplier tool (TM) started to make sense to me, and I ordered one. I'll blame him for my wife's disappointed in getting only a new set of coasters for Christmas. It'll be a couple of weeks before the Fluidampr install, but if I remember to do so I will post an update here on how it goes.
If you are unfamiliar with the TM...
The TM has been around forever. In modern day form there are some models specifically for lug nuts/bolts for big rigs and such, and others are for hand tools. They use a planetary gear set and a reaction bar (more of a counter-reaction bar, actually) to multiply torque, and they can be had in different ratios and drive sizes. I'm unsure of the math, but apparently there is some loss in the planetary gear system, so on my 4:1 gear model the actual torque multiplication is 3.3. That means 100 Nm of input will yield 330 Nm of output, and each rotation of the bolt will take 3.3 rotations of the input driver. TM's can be used for both installation and removal, and they are a much more elegant solution than a large buddy hanging off the end of a cheater pipe. There can be some loading that can spring back and bite you, so any force on the tool should be released slowly.
A torque multiplier is on the pricier side for a tool. Even used, a known quality brand will still sell for more than $300 for just the head (no bar). If you are lucky your auto parts store might have one for rental.
I bought a 1/2" drive input, 3/4" drive output, with a 4 to 1 gear set. It's a tool I'll use maybe a dozen times before I die, so I was comfortable going with an independent brand I found on E-Bay (Mammoth Brand). That cat has a decent story, and the tool comes in a kit with a couple of different reaction bars, plus an articulating 1/2" ratchet and a 3/4" to 1/2" impact reducer, all in an injection molded plastic case for $218. It was the last one in stock of the 4:1 ratio for now, but he also makes 12:1 and 16:1 gear sets. At 16:1 you could just about install the crank bolt with a screwdriver, but it'll take 4 days to drive it in. I also found good deals on quality NOS 3/4" drive impact sockets - a 24mm (Williams brand) to work the crank bolt, and an 18mm (Apex brand) to work the X-brace bolts. The X-brace is another reason I bought this TM tool.
I will set the 100 Nm initial torque with only the torque wrench, then use the TM with the 24" Gear Wrench 1/2" ratchet for the +180°. What would you guess the 100 Nm +180° yields as a final torque? I'm guessing about 450 Nm, which means I'm guessing I'll still need 136.36 Nm on the input side of the TM. That just sounds way more manageable to this twice attacked heart. The tool's rated torque max is 1000 Nm, and has been tested as high as 2000 Nm (not by me).
Here's a video (of a Ford 9:1 tool) of how I imagine the tool I ordered will work on the 2.0T. I won't have the fancy dual-duty bracket shown for the Ford tool, so I will use a jack stand to support the tool and the frame rail to brace the reaction bar. I also will not use a flywheel lock (as shown in video), but instead use the standard VW tool to counter hold the crank pulley. You can skip to 1:54 minutes to get to the meat.
Here is the kit I bought:
PSA: Gen2 2.0T crank bolt has new torque instructions, 8.8 vs 10.9
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Too funny. Yeah, I have a couple of those.
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