Splitting the crankcase

Splitting the crankcase is the last step in the engine dissassembly, and probably the most exciting one along with removing the engine from the bus:

1. Unbolted the six larger 17mm nuts and bolts located around the cylinders. I initially tried to remove the long bolts, but later learner that it cannot be done: plastic cylinders are wrapped around the bolts between the case halves, and if you try to hammer out the bolts, the plastic cylinders will jam. Leave the bolts in place.
2. Unbolted several smaller 13mm nuts and bolts, and removed them all very easily. It struck me that some of these nuts where very loosely tighten, to the point that some could be unbolted by hand. I counted 13 of these fasteners, and despite reading several warnings that people tend to miss many of these bolts, I thought it was not happening to me. I tried separating the two halves, only to realize several times that I missed a bolt here, and another there, and yet another over there. There are 20 of these nuts and bolts that you have to remove before attempting to split the crankcase.
3. I could have done it earlier, but at this point I removed some of the lifters that got slightly stuck with a Magnetic Pickup Tool. Still, there were some that I could not remove, but that came out easily after, once the case was split into two, and they were removed inwards instead of outwards.
4. Once I removed the 6 larger bolts and the 20 smaller ones that hold the case together, the crankcase split into two rather easily. All it took is tapping with a rubber mallet here and there. All what is left is lift the upper half.
5. In the process of splitting the crankcase the, oil pump also came out easily, where it had been stuck earlier. It took some prying using the two ears that protrude on either side.

<

01. Room setup	02. Room setup	03. Engine turned 90 degrees to the left	04. Engine view from the top, with the 6 big nuts removed
05. Initial count of nuts and bolts (and missing some washers)	06. Final count of nuts and bolts, nothing missing	07. Removing the oil pump	08. Removing the oil pump
09. Removing the oil pump	10. Removing some lifters with a telescoping magnet	11. Removing some lifters with a telescoping magnet	12. Engine setup in the room
13. Separating the two halves!	14. Separating the two halves!	15. Separating the two halves!	16. Separating the two halves!
17. Separating the two halves!	18. Done!	19. Crankcase open