Date:         Sat, 3 Jul 2010 13:42:20 -0400
Reply-To:     Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Edward Maglott <emaglott3@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: My AT Rebuild
In-Reply-To:  <004a01cb1aca$f9b5d370$ed217a50$@com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Daryl,
They said they had trouble finding the parts for it and it took a
while to get them.  I hope they used quality parts.  I am wondering
if they did anything with the valve body or even had the means to
thoroughly check it out.  The thing that is most worrying me now is
the different behavior when cold.  Other than the slippy reverse,
which is not every time, it does not slip when cold.  What it does in
D or 2 is it shifts at higher speeds and more abruptly.  Like will
not go from 1st to 2nd until about 15mph even if I accelerate and
take my foot off the gas.  2nd to 3rd is about 33 and again stays in
2nd even if I take my foot off the gas.  Once warm, it will go into
3rd at about 20mph if I take my foot off the gas.  Also noticed
yesterday, I was testing kickdown/WOT climbing  a hill.  I was foot
to the floor about 30mph, kicked down to 2nd and stayed there until
top of hill at about 45mph.  Maybe 20-30 seconds.  Lifted foot off
gas and it stayed in 2nd.  Stepped back on gas to confirm it actually
was still in 2nd and then lifted off and it went to 3rd.  Do those
symptoms sound like valve body to you guys?

Like I said I can almost give non vanagon repair people a pass on the
sloppy work.  It's not right but I guess it's more understandable.

Edward

PS, makes me smile to have you back with us on the list!



At 12:15 PM 7/3/2010, Daryl Christensen wrote:
> From my own limited experience with cold slipping...The seals of an old
>trans get hard and brittle and it takes some heat to "seal" them so things
>work correctly. On a rebuild, it might be a similar thing..A seal was not
>repl or dinged on install so the internal pressures are not high enough at
>first to properly engage things. There is an accumulator piston for reverse
>and if a cheap one was used it may never seal right (or they didn't change
>it)...
>
>As far as the sloppy work..All too typical these days it seems with guys
>that don't work on the old stuff much. They just have an "its an old van"
>attitude and not the our pride and joy.
>If I refer someone to a shop I am not intimately familiar with...I feel
>responsible for the outcome and call the shop and tell them this is one of
>my guys and take care of them or else and no more referrals...(hollow threat
>of course, but it seems to work)
>Daryl of AA Transaxle
>425-788-4070
>"On the cutting edge of Old technology"
>86 Syncro Westy with a Zetec in the trunk
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
>Edward Maglott
>Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 6:54 AM
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: My AT Rebuild
>
>Scott,
>
>The sealer between the AT and final drive is not blue, and does feel
>silicon-y.  I may see if he'll throw in free extension of the
>warranty to 2 years based on all the things wrong with it and the
>damage to the interior when I got it back.  If it continues acting
>differently when cold than hot, it may have to go back anyway.  If
>the lack of attention to detail on those things extends to the inside
>of the trans, I will need that longer warranty and shouldn't have to
>pay extra for it.
>
>A few years ago I had a kind of major crash in my 2002 golf, $6500
>damage.  Man that body shop was terrible.  You should have seen the
>list of messed up stuff I had when I got it back.  Stupid obvious
>stuff like the seatbelt was routed through the back seat backwards or
>something, the fuel door release did not work, and there is no manual
>release, on and on.  I took it back to them and left it for another
>week and there was still stuff not fixed.  Like the fuel door and the
>greasy hand prints all over the headliner.   I was pretty angry that
>time.  Now I am sort of used to it and just irritated by it.  On the
>Vanagon I sort of expect it when I take it to a place not familiar
>with such an odd vehicle.  Surely not that way I would do things
>though,  if I were in that business.  I worked in a computer/printer
>service depot once and I would clean the outside of the case in
>addition to doing all the repairs properly.  People would get their
>old whatever back and it would be all clean and almost new looking in
>some cases.  People really liked that.  Alas you are right, if you
>want it done right, do it yourself...