Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:32:39 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Transmission Noise ?
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One thing you could and should do is pull the magnetic drain plug on the
trans and see how much metal is on it.
A half inch diameter 'golf ball' of fine metal particles is normal. Worse
than that isn't.
One one trans, I pulled out the magnetic drain plug, cleaned it off, put
back in, and a bunch more metal came out with the magnet immediately.
That trans was toast.
for suspected wheel bearing noise you swerve gentley. USUALLY .....if it's
noisy going straight and left, but quieter going swerving right.......it's a
right side wheel bearing.
You didn't meantion front bearings, but need to consider that too.
And one of our members just had to re-do one of his rear wheel bearings not
long after doing them.......I wonder if you have the same thing going on.
here's another transmission bearing test : Idling in neutral, you push in
the clutch pedal, or let it up, and compare noise levels. There shouldn't be
any noise either way, holding the clutch pedal down, or lettting it up.
If it's quiet when pushed down, but noisy when let up ( in neutral )
..........that indicates noisy and worn transmission input shaft bearings,.
I'm sure Daryl will have more insights on this.........but these are some of
my tried and true bearing noise sleuthing methods.
Also, where anything is 'new' as in recently worked on.........that's where
you look first, and the hardest. *Especially* if someone else did the
work.......
then you should be automatically drawn to looking into it there, where work
was just done. Seriously.
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Houle" <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 8:42 PM
Subject: Transmission Noise ?
> Folks -
>
> I never thought I'd do a "what's that noise" post, but here goes. My van
> started making a new noise. Its a steady droning, almost as loud as the
> motor, and it only occurs at 30 mph and higher. The noise appears to be
> independant of the engine and the transmission. Pushing in the clutch,
> coasting in neutral, and even coasting with the motor off do not have any
> effect on it.
>
> I'm hoping its tires or wheel bearings. However, the tires are about a
> year old Michelin LTX M/S with approx 3,000 miles, and they never made any
> noise previously. The van was treated to new CVs and wheel bearings about
> 500 miles ago, and the rear brakes were adjusted. I put it on stands and
> spun each of the wheels by hand, plus under drive. Didn't feel or hear
> anything unusual, just a light drag of the brake on each wheel. The tires
> also looked fine and true. The transmission, however, is original, with
> 210,000 miles and no service whatsoever except for some very infrequent
> oil changes.
>
> Any ideas what I'm hearing? It really sounds like a bearing going bad, but
> the fact that it happens when coasting makes me wonder. What bearings are
> involved with just the driveshafts turning?
>
> Thanks,
> Walter - 85 Vanagon 1.9 Manual Transmission
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