Date:         Mon, 23 Sep 1996 16:34:11 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Derek Drew <drew@interport.net>
Subject:      Syncro Binds In Tight Turns--VC Suspect

Are there any VANAGON VISCOUS VETERANS out there?
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sorry if you get this message twice
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I ignored a thread earlier this year about the syncro binding in tight turns
because I knew from experience that all syncros do this a little. There is a
sensation of Viscous Coupling fighting the turn.

But lately my binding has gotten really bad--enough to stall the motor or
stop the car from rolling, even when on a steep hill. Then binding is
intermittant, however, with it being present one day, and absent the next.
Sometimes I hear grinding noises, as though two little cooking unlubricated
woks were being swiveled around in opposite directions while being pressed
together.

Searching the Archives yielded the incredible single mention of this problem
from our Al Knoll who said that this symptom will get worse over time in the
event of a failure of the Viscous Coupling ($1,800 part plus labor).

It seems odd to me that the viscous coupling would get *more* active rather
than less in the event of a failure. 

**Has anybody else had a bad viscous coupling except for Al? 

**Where the symptoms as described here?

I spoke to Dennis Haynes this morning, and he suggested, not entirely
seriously, that if the symptoms were to get worse, that it would be to my
advantage since I am off road so much and it would make the 4WD system come
in sooner than otherwise. But I have a problem which is the ending of my
warranty period in January, so I have to diagnose this fast. Right now, the
problem comes so tentatively and intermittantly, that I doubt I could
reproduce it for the dealer. 

Dennis Haynes suggested trying the Viscous Coupling test suggested in the
manual, in which the rear wheels are off the ground and the car is set to
idle in gear. The viscous coupling is supposed, at a very low idle, to allow
the front wheels to stay on the ground while the rear wheels are off the
ground. Increasing the rev is supposed to heat up the viscous juice, and
pull the car forward.

The test then becomes the rpm point at which the front wheels grab hold and
lurch the vehicle forward off the jack stands in the rear, I suppose. Dicy
setup.

___________________________________
Derek Drew                           New York, NY
drew@interport.net (main address for e-mail)
derekdrew@aol.com (alternate/backup, checked infrequently)