Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 22:52:43 -0700
Reply-To: Bill Transue <thetrans@MAILANDNEWS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Transue <thetrans@MAILANDNEWS.COM>
Subject: Re: [SyncroSafari] clutch problem
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Damn I never thought I'd be writing an "It Happened to Me" story (Curt
Long, if you're reading no snickering!!). About this time last year, I was
coming off a major Interstate on the way home. I drifted into an
intersection, where the light had just turned red. I had clutched down to
3rd. When the light turned green, I went to shift into first - nothing. It
seemed like the linkage had frozen solid or the clutch plate had seized,
or.... no matter what, I couldn't get the beast to go into ANY gear.
Somehow I was able to coax it off the road, but that was it. Luckily I was
fairly close to home, so I only spent $60 or so on the flatbed ride to my
house.
After waiting a few days, I went out to try to figure out what went wrong.
Strangely enough I was able to get it into gear (ah the dream of a self
repairing Syncro!). I was even able to drive it around the block, though I
never got it out of 2nd gear. But everything seemed fine. OK, now for the
road test. Went out for a few miles and got the van finally into 4th gear..
hooray no problem after all. Came back to wards my house, went to downshift
into third.. boom, gearshift limbo again. I fiddled with the stick for what
seemed like an eternity, and finally got it to go into second gear, which
in turn got me home.
I spent the next few weeks trying every test I could think of as I was
desperately trying to find a logical cause other than the obvious - the
transmission. In the end, the slider hub was seriously cracked, and my main
shaft was toast, which is what my rebuilt transmission showed. Yes, it was
the transmission in my case, requiring a full rebuild.
I share this story with you in the hope that your problem is not the
tranny, but understand that others have walked before you. I'll also say
that I'm really glad I got mine rebuilt. Its an amazing feeling both not to
have to worry about the tranny and to know that I have full functionality
in all the right Syncro spots.. I mean after all it frees up time to worry
about the 9,000 other fragile things (sorry couldn't resist!).
Seriously, it doesn't sound good based on your brief post. Finding a
transmission technician who knows syncros/VW's is the next big challenge.
This is where the list will prove to be invaluable. Using an inexperienced
mechanic will virtually guarantee future problems (how many know you have
to keep the tranny jacked on a slight angle to remove it from its
connection with the engine.. a seemingly small issue but one which has
wreaked havoc on countless vanagons).
I hope this helped, let me know if I can provide any more details on my
experiences.
Bill Transue
At 09:36 PM 10/9/99 -0700, John Haugh wrote:
>S_J_ WACKER wrote:
>>
>> From: S_J_ WACKER <s_j_wacker@juno.com>
>>
>> Hello to the list. On the way home form work yesterday, I noticed
>> difficulty shifting into lower gears coming off the freeway. This is my
>> 86 Syncro that I drive daily, with 124k on the odo. I bought it with 105k
>> and don't know the history of the first 105k miles. At first I thought it
>> was shift linkage getting out of adjustment, although the problem did
>> come on rather quickly. On my way to work this morning I found it almost
>> impossible to shift into first or second and difficult to catch third and
>> forth. Then when I came to a stop light and managed to get it into first,
>> it edged forward, so....I'm thinking maybe it's the master or slave
>> cylinder. Checked the brake fluid reservoir, a little low, but should
>> have been ok. I topped it off anyway, but it made no difference. Visually
>> checked the master cylinder, no leaks. Nothing grinds, it just resists
>> going into gear. Clutch doesn't seem to be slipping, once in gear it runs
>> fine. My thinking is that with the clutch in at a stop light in low gear
>> it creeps forward because the clutch is not fully disengaged. Now I have
>> to let it set until Thursday, my next day off and in the mean time gather
>> the wisdom of the List.
>>
>> Thanks for all your input, I know I can't answer all your e-mails
>> indivdually, but I will post the solution to the list.
>>
>> Steve and Jo Ann Wacker
>> San Marcos, Ca.
>> 90 Carat
>> 86 Syncro x two
>> 86 Audi 5000 CS Quattro
>>
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>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Sounds like mine! A new tranny! $$$$$$$
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