Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:52:17 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Faintly disturbing noises beginning behind...('84 inline gas VW
with 5sp)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
The noises are faint...and not really very disturbing yet..in fact, I may be
imagining the noise or my ears may be deceiving me altogether. But I have
another road trip planned for next weekend, involving some rapid and
somewhat sustained high velocity back-country driving. For my own peace of
mind, I want to check out a few things.
This weekend, Saturday I boogied down the interstates about 300miles round
trip to a bike race in Albany, Or. Going about 70mph for 2.5hrs each way.
Sunday, another bike race up on Mt Hood..a short but steep commute, again at
fairly high speeds..Not on the bike..in the van.. Lots of time to sit
there, listening to all that whirring and buzzing going on during all
that boring interstate driving...Didn't hear much this morning (quite cool
at elevation and a fairly steady long uphill from sea level to 4400', then
back downhill to home) But this morning, I had out my "Hawk-ears" and every
seam in the pavement was drawing my attention....
At full cruising speed I can't hear much but when I cut back to loafing
along speeds I "think" I am hearing some extra mechanical noises from the
rear end of the bus/Van (for all you 'purists' who say a Vanagon is not a
bus). I 'opine' something in the drive line..The trans seems fine.. no
shifting or gearing problems..recent new Redline no metal filings...Probably
not that. The wheels feel right..no play when you do a "wheel bearing
push/pull test. Brakes redone about 5k miles ago, so that probably is not
what I "may be" hearing. It is no different accelerating or
decelerating..maybe slightly more pronounced under 'steady throttle' but no
real load.....or maybe I can just hear it better...if indeed I am really
hearing something significant and worrisome..
I did the CV joints last fall, maybe 15k miles ago..I am thinking it may
be one (or more) of those. I had on hand and installed only two new ones,
replaced two that were obviously shot. The others were kinda
questionable...a little 'heat-blue' with some minor 'galling' and pitting
on a couple of the balls, which I changed out with the better ones from the
left over CVs. The cages looked serviceable... Reassembled everything and
it sounded good (maybe till now?) and drove smooth. But now I am recalling
those 'iffy' parts and thinking that may be what is starting to draw my
'ear'.
Is there some way to 'test' the CVs without taking them out and looking
again? That was a messy and long job that I would rather do (completely,
this time) when I have all the parts in hand and no 'pending bicycle event
deadline' like I have for next weekend. I will probably order ahead two
more CVs and just plan on putting them in sometime soon. Until then, can I
stick the van up on jackstands and run it in gear or push pull the axles, or
pry them up and down to get an idea whether I might be about to lose a wheel
or something? I am not worried about that really...the CV joints were much
worse sounding before...but I can't recall if I ever heard just this 'exact
sound' ..
Anyone have any quick and dirty diagnostic tricks for something like
this?..
Thanks,
Don Hanson
|