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Date:         Sat, 25 May 2013 07:49:16 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Mystery sound found...hard accel vibration...
Comments: To: "Vanagons and VW Buses (Bays) with VW inline gas engines"
          <vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines@googlegroups.com>
In-Reply-To:  <CAHTkEuK5wpdCZn4vL7sT3i3RjTT_kzw_wt1KuQX2FR-BfCXFEg@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Follow-up on this hard acceleration buzzing and the failed transmission mount causing it.

I got the less expensive replacement mounting bracket and rubber mount..., the Eastern country origin one... from Van Cafe...$38 as opposed to $230. It took me about 45mins to swap that in, working off jackstands in my garage. No big deal. It looks like the one I replaced was also the Chi-- one....they look identical and the failed one appears to be 'fresher-looking' than the rest of my underside parts....I don't recall changing that out, but I have replaced a lot of parts over the time I've owned this van, so that may have been done along with some motor mounts swapped, etc etc.....

So for your information then, it may be that the cheaper copy of the OEM mounts do fail. I have no idea how the OEMs might last...Swapping that trans mount is not very difficult, anyhow.

I've driven my 5sp with it's mount failed for probably a couple of years without any adverse effects, so it doesn't seem to be a 'show-stopper' when they do let go....the trans nose stays captured regardless, it just raises about 1/8", coming up against the chassis under load and torque, after the rubber in the trans mount rots or fractures...This movement probably is not good for the other engine mounts but....

On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 6:37 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

> I've had this odd kind of growling buzz in my conversion van forever. > It happens when I punch it in a low gear, for a long time just in second > and my very low 1st, and it normally happens only with full throttle. > I've looked, intermittently, at lots of stuff..thinking it might be > something to do with motor mounts, close clearance to the body work...like > that. > It recently started doing it in 3rd gear also...getting 'worse'...still > only when the engine is 'on the cam' and being pushed really hard. Well, > I had some time today and put the van up on stands, pulled the wheels and > began a real concentrated look-see. Cutting to the chase, it turns out my > transmission mount is about shot...correction, it is shot. With a large > screwdriver (pry bar) I can lift the nose of the tranny into contact with > the cross member it is supposed to be isolated from by the rubber > transmission mount...The rubber is cracked, but you don't see it till you > put a jack under the tranny or lift it up somehow.....which is probably > exactly what happens when the wheels get a lot of turning force.....the > nose of the tranny wants to lift up....and mine has been..... > > Being a poor working guy (again, sometimes) I ordered a new one of > probable Eastern Origin for little money. Now for the first time since I > got my van, I can go 'burn rubber' with the kids at stopsigns... >


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