When you have the pump off grab hold of the timing device and check it for lateral play, thats what took out the V/P on one of mine. Theres a bushing in back of the timing device that wares. Epically a good thing to check with all those miles.

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1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

I have stripped the Vac Pump, cleaned and replaced the bearings and plate valves twice since I bought this car in 1982. That works out about once every 10 years or 200,000 miles which I believe is a fair interval. I treat my car the same as my airplane - I prefer to fix things before they break!

The yoke is very flimsy when the bearings and roller have been removed and I have found the best way to assemble it is as follows:

1) Use a couple of sets of feeler gauges to fit tightly into the yoke.

2) Press in one of the bearings. A 14mm socket should sit nicely on the bearing outer ring.

3) Press the 6mm pin through the other bearing until it protrudes about 0.2mm. Support on the inner bearing ring.

4) With the feelers still wedged in the yoke press in the other bearing with the 14 socket.

5) Remove the feelers and insert the roller. It should snap in and locate on the protruding pin.

6) Press the pin through the roller and other bearing taking care not to side load the ball races at any stage

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Beagle

Then you should disassemble your car annually!!!

Doesn't everyone???

I know plenty of folks who don't even raise the hood that often. Just as well, they would probably top the brake fluid reservoir off with power steering fluid or pull some similar stunt.

While I must confess my car does not have a valid Certificate of Airworthiness it IS Jet propelled. It hasn't seen a single drop of diesel for the last 14 years - I run it exclusively on "contaminated" Jet-A1.

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Beagle

I've done that quite a bit on my Rabbits as well when I'm out west.


Also, I've never heard of a mechanical failure on a 617 vac pump either.
I haven't had a merc diesel in a few years, just happened to poke in here.
Seems like there are quite a few other things that ought to go before those bearings.

Late rotary VW vac pumps last forever, early one's last half of forever, then need a rubber diaphragm, then they do the second half of forever.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K