Date:         Wed, 27 Aug 1997 16:16:58 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Bob Bellanca <bajatrvlr@ABAC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Lock rite locking differentials

As  an update,
The tranny is out of the van and back at I.T.S. (trans shop). John Widdel
of Widdel Engineering is in touch with both me and Pat at ITS. Between the
two of them, I think we'll get to the bottom of this. John says he's never
had this sort of problem with the Lock  Rite before. He says the only thing
that might be noticeable is a bit of understeer. Upon draining the oil, it
was found that the magnet in the drain plug was broken. Also, None of us
who drove the van noticed any racheting while going around corners. This
John said was an indication that it wasn't working properly.
We'll see...,
Bob Bellanca

----------
> From: Derek Drew <drew@interport.net>
> To: Bob Bellanca <bajatrvlr@ABAC.COM>
> Cc: chrisrosen@aol.com
> Subject: Re: Lock rite locking differentials
> Date: Wednesday, August 27, 1997 11:56 AM
>
> I am sorry to hear this.
>
> But I think you have done a wonderful thing getting that loc rite. So
> perhaps it is not so bad as you think. I think you should stay with it a
> little longer and see if it is really that bad.
>
>
> At 07:42 PM 8/21/97 -0700, you wrote:
> >Well fellow list Volks,
> >I believe someone warned me about locking differentials, but noooo, I
had
> >to give it a try...I now face the prospect of redoing the tranny once
> >again. When I first posed the question to the list regarding the Lock
Rite
> >locker, I was warned off and at that time called the transmition shop
doing
> >the rebuild to tell them to return the Lock Rite to Waddel in Los
Angeles.
> >The transmition guy really wanted to try the locker and said he'd redo
it
> >for nothing if I didn't like it...Well...The old Westy feels like it's
on
> >roller bearings in several odd directions at once. When accelerating, it
> >heads to the left. With just maintaining forward momentum with the gas
> >peddle, it goes straight. Taking ones foot off the gas sends it to the
> >right.
> >Today, I finaly had it to the point of taking it on the freeway. By the
> >time I got up to 70 mph, I had to shut'er down, I was all over the road.
I
> >must say, at this point, at 70mph, I was just loping along. I dont know
> >what the top end is going to be yet but I think it will be somewhere
around
> >90mph. We'll see...
> >Bob Bellanca
> >`81 Diesel Rabbit
> >`84 Turbo Diesel Jetta
> >`82 1.9L Turbo Diesel Westfalia
> >
> >
> ___________________________________
> Derek Drew                           New York, NY
> drew@interport.net