Date:         Sun, 18 Dec 2005 17:22:02 -0500
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott@BUNCOMBE.MAIN.NC.US>
Subject:      Re: replaced tranny but no move. What next?
In-Reply-To:  <43A5CC6E.9070304@verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

That's a good point that Mike makes to check the pump shaft.  Does it do
anything when you put it in gear?  Have you confirmed that the selector
lever on the trans is moving?  Have someone shift it from park to the other
choices while you are under the van and listen to hear if anything is
happening in the trans.  clunks, changes in the whirring noise, etc.  If
nothing, and the selector linkage is working properly, then I would vote
for the pump shaft not turning the pump.  You will have to pull the
transaxle back out to fix that, I think...

I had a similar discouraging transmission experience.  Got a trans that was
supposedly working fine when it was pulled from the van.  But it had sat
outdoors for at least a year, and didn't even have the pan on the
bottom.  I then went through it and replaced clutches, seals, etc.  Put it
back in and it didn't really work worth a damn.  I think it only had 1st
and reverse.  I went so far as to check the pressure at the test ports on
the trans and it was just all over the place.  I suspect the valve body had
problems from wear or corrosion from sitting outside, and out of use.  I
was disheartened.  I talked to my trusted VW guy and others, who said the
sitting unused was really bad for an auto trans, much less exposed to
moisture.  He got me a used one out of a running van and put it in for me
for about $750 I think.  Then I was happy again.

Edward

At 03:54 PM 12/18/2005, you wrote:
>Was the long shaft that turns the pump put back in and properly seated?
>
>Mike
>
>
>al sinclair wrote:
>>My first big job VW has come to grief -- is there hope?
>>
>>After far too many days of painfully inexperienced labor I've finally
>>replaced the badly-leaking auto tranny in our '81 vanagon with a purchased
>>used-believed-good one.  Engine fired up fine, shifted into gear but nothing
>>at all happened. Not a trace of movement. (The van _was_ on the ground
>>again, with the wheels unblocked and the brake off.)
>>
>>It's a huge disappointment: hair-tearing time, planned Xmas jaunt down the
>>tubes, all that time plus money on tools wasted, elimination of confidence
>>in being able to own a westie, etc.
>>
>>I've rechecked the fluid level, TC bolts, gear & throttle linkage, axle
>>bolts. Everything looks in order.  Anyone got suggestions?
>>
>>I guess the next step is to buy a rebuilt auto tranny, or maybe rebuild the
>>one that I took out, have it put in by someone who knows what they're doing,
>>and move on (tho today I feel like junking the beast, teach it a lesson) but
>>if there is any hope, anything I might have overlooked, any hidden knobs on
>>the tranny that might bear twiddling please tell me.
>>
>>Al
>>aka Aaarrgghh today :-(