Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 20:42:41 -0700
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: Jon Peters <synkro@best.com>
Subject: RE: Syncro Binds In Tight Turns--VC Suspect
Hi Derek,
Sorry if this goes to any discussion board, folks; I'm replying "To =
ALL". Derek, it seems to me that if the viscous coupling was getting =
worn, that it would tend to get warmer with wear, thus causing it to =
bind up more and potentially lock on occaision. =20
Another thought, I recently had to use the stock spare as one of my 27 X =
8.50 TA radials blistered up. Since the stock spare was a smaller =
diameter, the viscous coupling growled and complained all the way home. =
Derek, you wouldn't have done a cardinal no-no like mixing tire sizes =
for too long, would you? There is a fairly obscure warning about NOT =
mixing tire sizes in the manual and I assume that this has never =
happened with your Syncro except in an extreme emergency like mine. My =
Syncro seems to have not been any worse for the wear, (YET) but I sure =
as hell wouldn't ever recommend it.
Another consideration, is there any reason that the rear diff lock is =
engaging itself independently of the switch up front? It seems rather =
impossible, but a longshot to eliminate. =20
As a final (and parting) thought, what possibility is there that the =
front diff is wearing out and binding up? The original priciple behind =
the Syncro was that power is not only shifted from rear to front, but =
from side (corner) to side (corner) for compensation under any road =
conditions. Is there any possbilty that the "limited-slip" =
characteristics could work against itself with extreme wear?
Well, there you have it....some possibilities to eliminate. Please let =
me know as you go through this process of elimination what you find. =
Viel glueck!
Best Regards,
Jan Peters (pronounced "Yahn")
wk. 415.834.3930
hm. 415.965.2599
cell 415.999.4747
fax 415.967.3699
----------
>From: Derek Drew <drew@interport.net>
Sent: Monday, September 23, 1996 1:34 PM
To: vanagon@lenti.med.umn.edu
Cc: BHKRAFT@ITI2.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.=20
**Has anybody else had a bad viscous coupling except for Al?=20
**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.=20
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)=20
..
