Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2011 07:22:56 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: More fun with mechanics
In-Reply-To: <BAY152-ds8DFF7F84117CB9AB1E60BA0A00@phx.gbl>
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I'll add it to the list 'o things to check. Thanks!
On Sun, 2011-04-03 at 10:10 -0400, Dennis Haynes wrote:
> Has anyone checked the rear wheel flanges for fit, proper torque?
> Once they loosen the flange splines will wear eventually making enough play for various thunking noises. Eventually thing will wear enough for a failure.
>
> Dennis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Rocket J Squirrel
> Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 12:10 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: More fun with mechanics
>
> I took Mellow Yellow to see a new doctor . . . I mean mechanic yesterday. There has been this mysterious "thunk" sound whenever I'm cruising at low speeds on flat surface streets and take my foot off the accelerator. Previous mechanic, here in Bend, Ore. (p-mail me if interested, not slamming here w/o him being able to defend himself) put it on the rack, poked at everything, could not find the cause.
>
> The noise originally showed up last year, and even after the transmission was removed, rebuilt by German Transaxle here, and re-installed, the sound persisted.
>
> I figured a new set of eyes on the problem might turn up something.
>
> But the new guy, Gary Young, found nothing. The axles has been replaced six years ago when the CV joints gave up, but we've only put on maybe
> 10,000 miles since then. Still he checked them out and found that while they did have grease in them -- and he's found plenty that had not been filled up when installed -- these were decently, though not completely filled. Unhooked them from the flange and moved them around and they felt fine. He mushed more grease in. Didn't improve the "thunk" sound.
>
> But while poking around he found a hose that was not connected, causing a vacuum leak. It might have been yanked when the prev. mech. removed and replaced the transmission, I know there were no loose hoses there last year when I was poking around under the cover.
>
> And he found that the e-brake cable had been routed incorrectly so that it was rubbing on the auto transmission linkage and a hole was getting worn through it.
>
> This, on top of the fact that when I picked up my van from the prev.
> mech. after the tranny work the radio antenna was broken yet he denied having done it, a lapse in character that did not sit well with me, I've decided not to bring my business to that guy any more.
>
> Anyhoo, with the darn vacuum cable re-connected, the engine idles much more smoothly now.
>
> As for the mysterious thumping sound -- it remains.
> --
> Rocky J Squirrel
> '84 AT Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> '74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) Bend, OR KG6RCR
>
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