Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2004 10:15:29 -0800
Reply-To: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <mailinglist@FASTFORWARD.CA>
Subject: Re: Struck Oil, Rebuilt CV's and a Tense Trip Home
In-Reply-To: <002101c4dfa1$f18c77e0$a5b2ab43@omar>
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This has been my experience with rebuilt CVs - NOT WORTH THE MONEY!
Original, new, Lobro units will be slightly more expensive, but they last
literally 100X longer.
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Tom L. Salicos
Sent: December 11, 2004 8:53 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Struck Oil, Rebuilt CV's and a Tense Trip Home
A few weeks ago I posted about finding oil in a rear, inside CV boot on my
Syncro. I had also bought two rebuilt rear shafts I had intended on
installing myself. With the oil problem, I took Ravenous to my mechanic and
he fixed the oil seal. He also installed the "new" shafts. Charged me for
1.6 hours and about $6 in parts, I think.
I put on a couple hundred miles before taking my annual Oregon-Socal
Thanksgiving trek. The trip down was completely fine. Not a drop of
anything underneath when I stopped. Half quart of oil per 1000 miles, no
change at all to coolant. That's at fairly fast freeway speeds (but trying
hard to keep it under 130).
Once there, after 50 miles or so, I started hearing a metallic rattling when
I took off. I also thought my front wheels were scrubbing on acceleration.
I posted this and got a few suggestions. One said he thought I had a CV
joint that was about to leave me stranded.
I talked a gentleman from VW Paradise in San Marcos into listening to my
sound. Thanksgiving Eve, ready for a long weekend, they didn't have much
time to offer. He thought there was a problem, but that the van was
drivable. I decided to drive back home (1100 miles) but baby it all the
way.
Once home, I took Ravenous to my mechanic who diagnosed the sound as a rear
CV joint. When he put the van up on the rack, the axle just fell out of the
bearing assembly. He said the other side was noisy and didn't really want
to leave it. So we put my two original axles back in. By then my most
excellent list vendor was already shipping me a replacement for the first
one.
I will send all three rebuilt axle shafts back. The name on the green box
is "ARI". My mechanic says they are the same ones he gets from NAPA. He
said he checked his records and found that he had 11 out of 46 of these
things fail. He doesn't like to use them, but folks don't want to pay $500
to have just the CV joints replaced. I think this is something I am going
to learn how to do, thanks to a couple of great web sites.
I pick up Ravenous today, so I don't yet know how much I will have spent,
only to wind up with the same shafts.
I guess it is a good vehicle if it gets you back home.
Tom Salicos
'87 Westy Syncro
