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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


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