Date:         Wed, 6 Mar 1996 12:21:01 -0500
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Claralw@aol.com
Subject:      Re: [T1] A journey of sight and sound, inside the rear hubs...

.....rear end of my '67.  Boy are those nuts on tight.  One nut was almost
completely rusted through in one spot but was still stuck on like a pit bull
on a mailman.  Anyway, I noticed that the E-brake wasn't hooked up at all
and on one side the brake lever and connecting link were gone!  Anybody have
these two items sitting on a shelf somewhere?
-----
yes- i think you are meaning inside the drum, right.   Ive got them.

........ and engine
seals.  I looked in the Bus Stop catalog and they have two different seals
listed -- a firewall seal and the main engine seal (2 req'd).  The place I
was at only had one listed for both spots so I bought two.  It just looks a
flat piece of rubber -- unless it inflates like a life raft I'm gonna have
some serious air leaks.  When I look around the fan shroud I can see the
heat exchanger flapper boxes.  Am I missing some critical engine tin here?
Maybe I better go scope out those other splitties...  Oh, does the engine
have to come out to install these seals?  My first guess is "yes, and you
need to learn how to do that anyway."
----

67s dont have firewalls.   this is a 1600/upright motor, right?   There is a
main seal in the front of the motor you have to take the flywheel off to
change.  It is a circle 4or5 inches in  diameter.  there are also two seal
under the oil cooler.  These are little circles.  There are other seals, but
these are the ones that leak the most often.  Yes the motor must be pulled to
change the seals. 

........... since I
have the wheels/drums off I was thinking of reduction gear/bearing
maintenance.  The bearings don't seem to have any play and don't make funny
noises but the wheels are pretty hard to turn. 
------
if it aint broke dont fix it.   The only maintenance reduction gears need is
good clean oil.   If it makes rumbly noises thats a different matter.   Once
in a while the seals need to be changed, but ONLY if the gear oil is leaking
into the brakes.  
I like to get the gallon size of 80 90 weigt gear oil, depending on your
trans, it will take about 3/4 of it.  How does your old oil look?   If its
really bad i'd change it agian soon, when warm, as more gook flows out.
   look in the oil for shavings. How does the trans sound when you drive?   I
like that Slick 50 trans stuff


:)