TheSamba.com :: View topic - couple of tranny questions for anyone?!?!

Tue Feb 01, 2005 9:38 pm

alright here goes....

took the panel for the maiden voyage today. I noticed a nice loud howling actually a whining more than anything in 4th (decelerating) not to bad when accelerating. either way its loud. alright i thought maybe the tranny needs refreshing or redux's?

I was told it could be the outer bearings in the redux boxes? but shouldn't that make noise all the time?

Then the Generator light came on 3/4 of the way to school! Great i thought. so by the time i get to school battery is kaput, no lights, blinkers nothing. luckly i just so happen to work at a VW place so getting a new V.R. was a snap.

the other question i have is....does anyone, anywhere, make a forward mount/adaptor to mount a big nut in place of a small nut tranny? the top half of the original horseshoe mount has already been hogged out. and i have a bracket in there now. everything is tight, yet the nose cone keeps bashing the torsoin housing every time the clutch is released. (yes the mount is tight).

Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:04 pm

dannyyucaipa wrote:

Then the Generator light came on 3/4 of the way to school! Great i thought. so by the time i get to school battery is kaput, no lights, blinkers nothing. luckly i just so happen to work at a VW place so getting a new V.R. was a snap.

My most recent struggle with gen. and reg. was a stupid one. I replaced generators 3 times and regulators 4 times. The problem would appear to be fixed, and return with the gen. light suddenly coming on for no reason. EVERYTHING was checked over and over. Output measured and all. Finally I cut and broke the old, hardened protective sleeve for the wires between gen. and reg., and the blue wire between DF posts were cracked inside, hanging on by just one copper thread, and literarally broke in my hands. Problem solved.

Can't help with tranny. Sorry.

Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:48 pm

Is there any way the noise was the genny bearing going? Now that you've replaced the genny does the tranns still make nose?

Tue Feb 01, 2005 10:48 pm

My money is on the mainshaft bearing in the tranny. Requires pulling and since your in there rebuilding. Sorry.

As for the front mount, Wolfgang sells an adapter to mount a later tranny into an early housing.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:23 am

Well, bearings and fulcrum plates come to mind. A lot of rebuilders "reuse" these parts which is okay if they are within wear limits. You could also try using a synthetic gear oil in it before doing a full R&R. Drain and flush it (use motor flush, jack it up run it for about 10 minutes in gear).

Wed Feb 02, 2005 7:47 am

generally when you use synthetic gear oil in a already worn out tranny it causes it to spew oil out of every crack and seam... however it does help on the howling and worn out parts, just have to pick the lesser of the two evils!!!

Wed Feb 02, 2005 8:19 am

Oh definitely, changing to a synthetic isn't going to miraculously repair the worn metal off the bearings and plates.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 8:41 am

Add some Lucus oil to the trans, that should bandaid it for a while, then you will need the main shaft or pinon shaft bearing replaced at a later date.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 8:59 am

Quote: took the panel for the maiden voyage today. I noticed a nice loud howling actually a whining

first off, you're in a panel. unless you have it full of stuff, or have it heavily insulated all over, or have a cab divider, the bus will inherently be loud, and noises will be amlplified by the large metal box behind your head (aka the rest of the bus).

second, changing gear oil has been suggested, but did you check the level or add any oil before taking it for its maiden voyage? people do forget to do this. one time i drove a bus half way across the country before i found out the previous owner did not check this, and there was only about a pint in the trans. made a huge difference when the proper amount was added.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:28 pm

NAES wrote: As for the front mount, Wolfgang sells an adapter to mount a later tranny into an early housing.

Right on i ordered that today, 37 bucks not to shabby. hopefully it will solve the nose cone banging on the torsoin. downfall.......its all metal, i spoke with them directly and i was told because of the space limitations there is no room for a rubber mount. oh well just have to deal with it.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:43 pm

hazetguy wrote: Quote: took the panel for the maiden voyage today. I noticed a nice loud howling actually a whining

first off, you're in a panel. unless you have it full of stuff, or have it heavily insulated all over, or have a cab divider, the bus will inherently be loud, and noises will be amlplified by the large metal box behind your head (aka the rest of the bus).

second, changing gear oil has been suggested, but did you check the level or add any oil before taking it for its maiden voyage? people do forget to do this. one time i drove a bus half way across the country before i found out the previous owner did not check this, and there was only about a pint in the trans. made a huge difference when the proper amount was added.

Yeah the empty void of the panel was already taken into consideration. just did not think would be that loud. i guess it is the fact i have never rode in a bus with solid a mount. But the cab divider is on the to-do list.

As for the oil, it was drained and replaced. i put 1/2 pint in each box, and filled the tranny till it spewed out. so everything has fresh oil. i am thinking of the lucas additive. just need to get it done before sunday for octo. thanks for help everyone.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:19 pm

as per the noise, I always end up with a headache after driving my fire bus for more than a few hours... it's basically a bare kombi with the two wood bench seats in the rear.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 3:29 pm

DaveM wrote: as per the noise, I always end up with a headache after driving my fire bus for more than a few hours... it's basically a bare kombi with the two wood bench seats in the rear.

That's music though.. I think of that every time I run my 54 Kombi.. Who needs a stereo?

Wed Feb 02, 2005 4:44 pm

dannyyucaipa wrote: As for the oil, it was drained and replaced. i put 1/2 pint in each box, and filled the tranny till it spewed out. so everything has fresh oil. i am thinking of the lucas additive. just need to get it done before sunday for octo. thanks for help everyone.

Check the level again. It may have settled as it's some pretty thick stuff.

Wed Feb 02, 2005 5:08 pm

Ditto on the noise. Though you may have some tranny issues either way, if you don't care much for the originality of an interiorless panel, sound deadening material will greatly inprove your driveability comfort. (Man, that was long winded! :shock: )

Anyway, our club bus, a '59 wlktru panel, was so loud you could not even hear yourself think! :x I just glued some strips of that "tar like" paneling material to the inside metal, the doors, and the roof even. It quiet down the ride to the point of at least being able to have a conversation without having to scream. :wink:

Thu Feb 03, 2005 9:35 am

i will check the oil prior to going to see the hoodlums at the dmv. hopefully the adapter will show before octo. thanks a bunch to all for the advise and support.

i will also be putting a z-bed in temporary until i get the fire equipment i need. so maybe that would soak up some of the noise. yeah, i am going to make it a fire bus. but thats to be a different post.

Fri Feb 04, 2005 4:43 am

I put a cab-divider in my double door panel years ago. I liked the look of that accessory and it was nice that it cut the down decibels from the rear.

Fri Feb 04, 2005 7:52 am

did u say u had some sort of solid mount? If so the noise will be very much increased - i go with others on here that a panel will be louder anyhow

Arnie

Fri Feb 04, 2005 1:25 pm

cyberdyne systems 101 wrote: did u say u had some sort of solid mount? If so the noise will be very much increased - i go with others on here that a panel will be louder anyhow

Arnie

this is the mount i am running currently, a new mount form wolfgang is en route as i speak (or is that type?). so the new mount should alieveate the nose cone bashing the torsoin housing. worst case if the tranny is in need of refreshing, does anyone in so. cal. know a reliable/decently priced rebuilder?