Date:         Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:08:24 -0400
Reply-To:     Daniel O Stevens <dosteven@SYR.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Daniel O Stevens <dosteven@SYR.EDU>
Subject:      Re: some guidance please, 86 autotrans torubles
In-Reply-To:  <63020442147D40CF9508B8CDC2D407F7@daryl01>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Thanks to Daryl and all who helped and answered my slight distress call.

The trans is back together and made the weekends camping trip to the NY
Adirondacks and back.

I'll compile the helpful insights with some images and offer a write-up
for this 2nd gear band cover plate.

Biggest cost was to sanity as I was in the midst of a 9 day swap (1.6TD
to 1.8 Digifant) on my own van in preparation for our monthly Empire VW
camping club outing. 

VW calls the 2 O-rings a "SEAL" and the local big equipment hydraulic
shop calls them $.83 O-rings. 
VWs says they're 91mm x 3mm  I used 89mm x 3mm as that's what the
hydraulic guy had.

You DO have to drop the pan and valve body if the cover plate pops out
any at all. 
The 2nd gear band 'pops' outta place and you need a hook tool (dental
pick) and a 3rd hand (when it's in the vehicle)
I used a wood working bar clamp to assist in the compression of the
springs under the plate and that allowed easy installation of the snap
ring.

I'll submit my write-up to the vanagon BTDT page. And probably a post on
www.thesamba.com/vw 

Again thanks to everyone 

Dan Stevens
VW club of Central New York
www.vwccny.com




-----Original Message-----
From: aatransaxle [mailto:daryl@aatransaxle.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 1:19 PM
To: Daniel O Stevens
Subject: Re: some guidance please, 86 autotrans torubles

You got it..The spring on top of the valve body is for the Rev setup and

jsut sits on top and goes into the famale part of the rev right above 
it...That and you have to twist the valve body a bit so the little rod
gets 
into or out of the shift setup...Easy to se when you've got the pan off.
Not 
a big deal if you back off the band adj..then the cover goes into place
much 
easier...have fun.
Daryl of AA Transaxle
(425) 788-4070
aatransaxle.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel O Stevens" <dosteven@syr.edu>
To: "aatransaxle" <daryl@aatransaxle.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 9:57 AM
Subject: RE: some guidance please, 86 autotrans torubles


Daryl,

Thanks I was hoping you would offer some advice.

While I'm not terribly afraid to deal with a trans issue, we're trying
to make this weekends camping trip
So your advice to drop pan and valve body will save some time of our own
figuring out and such.

Again we have a dissection and experimentation donor on hand.

I was 'hoping' to do this in the car and use a 'pipe clamp' like for
wood working to offer some slight press in pressure while I fight cuss
and bleed over the snap ring.

We do have a 'spare' known good trans but that'd be a last resort if
tonight proves too much.
If so then tomorrow we swap a trans.


Thanks.
Dan



-----Original Message-----
From: aatransaxle [mailto:daryl@aatransaxle.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 12:40 PM
To: Daniel O Stevens
Subject: Re: some guidance please, 86 autotrans torubles

Been a while since I was into one..but...That plate is for the 2nd gear
band
operation..It may be that the rod on the bottom has come loose from the
dimple on the band itself..That plate is a bugger to get compressed at
best
and takes some serious leverage and 3 hands to get back into the spot.
Likely, your going to have to drop the pan and remove the valve body to
get
it back into the spot on the band. You can loosen the adjustment screw
on
the other side (the one adjustment on the trans) so get some slack on
the
band to make it easier. The valve body is not hard to deal with..Just
the
shift lever and there is a spring on top that you have to pay attention
where it went...sounds like fun to me..
Daryl of AA Transaxle
(425) 788-4070
aatransaxle.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Daniel O Stevens" <dosteven@SYR.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 6:40 AM
Subject: some guidance please, 86 autotrans torubles


I'm hoping someone has btdt and is a little more familiar with the VW
automatic to give me a little assistance.

Mom coming into a VW family gtg our 86 automatic came rolling in
SMOKING.....

Oil everywhere. smoking off the hot exhaust.

inspection shows a round cover plate on the Drivers side infront of the
axle with a LOOSE SNAP RING.

I removed the snapring to clean, and the cover plate pops out.. this is
I believe the 2nd gear actuator assembly.

well after tracking down NEW O-rings
VW has to order, they are a 'seal $19ea'  I go to a big equipment
Hydraulics shop and they are $.83ea
and the guy @ the counter is an old time VW guy (went independant in
77), far more helpful then the dealership parts counter..

but I can't seem to compress the spring by hand to get the cover in
place to set the snap ring..

any hints tips tricks or just find ???  I was going to rig up a 'pipe
clamp' to apply some even pressure
I do have a 'spare bad VW autotrans' to dissassemble that part and learn
but was hoping for some VW experiance advice.

Thanks


Daniel Stevens