Got the flywheel on today. It is quite a bear to get the gland nut installed with the necessary force of 400-450 foot lbs of torque, per the box from Stoddard. An enormous breaker bar and a friends seems like the old school way to do it. Another case where the right tools make all the difference.
There are more than a few sad stories where people have tried to use a stud on the case as a leverage point to prevent flywheel rotation and broken their case. I created a makeshift flywheel lock. Using a piece of angle iron, I drilled a couple holes matching the holes in the flywheel. The angle iron is long enough that it sticks through the arms in the engine stand yolk to prevent rotation. I think I read about this in the How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive book.
There’s still the small matter of how to get the necessary 400-plus foot pounds. Enter the Torque Dude, which multiples torque via a gear mechanism. Voila, 45 lbs. becomes 405. The match up of the gearing was a little sloppy, but best I can tell it did its job.
Pulley oil seal went on without a hitch. Another case where you can try to wing it, but a special Oil Seal Installer tool will make it easier and give you more confidence that it was done correctly. Here you need a consistent 1/16th inch inset.
I am going to end up with a box of very helpful, but special, tools. Meaning I may only have one or two occasions to use them. Sigh. Maybe there should be a Porsche 356 / 912 tool lending library.
Learned of another subtle difference between years of 356. The early cars secured the generator stand to the block with 2 bolts 14mm ATF in the front, and studs and nuts in the rear. Consistent with photos I took before disassembly. Later cars had four bolts, which is what the parts catalog currently lists.
