Date:         Fri, 16 Jan 2004 22:14:22 EST
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Syncro Driveshaft Vibes
Comments: To: cmoney@MAIL.AMERITEL.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 1/16/04 6:46:21 PM, cmoney@MAIL.AMERITEL.NET writes:

<< The driveshaft from the transaxle to the front differential seems to be
causing some
vibration from mild to not so mild while driving.  . . .  I took the van into
the local VW dealer, they charged me $85 to take a look, them told me they
couldn't find anything wrong! >>

cmoney,

In my experience, either a U-joint or the driveshaft damper could be queefed
out or the yoke pilot within the damper end of the driveshaft needs greased.
The vibration could be caused by other things, such as a dislodged balance
weight, but, as I said this is in MY experience.

I would suspect the U-joints first, then the damper.  As I found out, it is
not always possible to tell if a U-joint is worn out on a Syncro with the
driveshaft in place.  They first time I encountered one, it checked out as having
no slop while it was mounted, but as soon as I dropped the driveshaft I could
tell that one of the U-joints was so worn that it had almost no freedom of m
ovement.  You would want to drop the driveshaft and run without it anyway to
isolate it as the source of the vibration.

Contrary to the popular misconception, Syncro U-joints can be renewed with no
thought nor need of balancing the driveshaft once done.  As I have described
in depth before, it requires some careful measurements and dressing the
circlips to an accurate thickness, but it is doable.

On the other hand, a spent rubber damper is easily uncovered by the numerous
cracks running through it.  If you decide you need to replace the damper, do
not cut off the metal retaining band of the new one until it is completely
secured.

Frankly, I don't know how to determine if last thing I cited, the pilot
needing grease, is the cause of the vibration without wasting the rubber damper.
To check it, the damper must be undone with no good way to put it back into
place.  I imagine that with enough determination, it could be compressed by some
manner of banding enough to be refitted, but, I would rather spend the $40 for
a new one rather than to venture down that uncertain road.

George