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Tue Mar 27, 2007 3:49 am

I took the split replacement boots off of my buggy's (narrowed it down to either a Viper or a Sandwinder - still not sure) swing axle tranny last night. I've never really worked on any transmissions before, so I had a few questions I hoped someone could help with. I know these are probably too newb, but I wanted to be sure...

1. Is it normal to have trans fluid in the boot (not a lot), or do I probably have a leak out of the side trans cover?
2. When you put the new boots on, do you put some grease in it like you do with the boots on CV joints?
3. When you put the boots together, do you put some type of sealant in the seam - like maybe silicone before you put the screws in?

Thanks!

Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:02 am

1. Yes, a bit of gear oil is normal.
2. No
3. No. Just remember to put the seams at 10:00 and 2:00, and tighten the nuts just enough to draw the seams together. Overtighten, and the seam will distort.

Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:28 am

"10 and 2"? You mean like the left one at "2 o'clock" and the right one at "10 o'clock"?

I recall the VW service manual recommending some kind of sealing compound for the seam. I've used blue gasket maker.

Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:28 am

Thanks, Uncle Bob! You da man! (as usual) :D

Tue Mar 27, 2007 5:50 am

79SuperVert wrote: "10 and 2"? You mean like the left one at "2 o'clock" and the right one at "10 o'clock"?

Yes, but as long as both seams aren't 'straight-up' (12:00), they won't tend to seperate during axle droop or compression. Both at 10:00 or 2:00 would work fine as well. My old man was a service tech at VW for many years, and that's how he was instructed to do it, and that's how he told me to do it. Just habit, I guess.

79SuperVert wrote: I recall the VW service manual recommending some kind of sealing compound for the seam. I've used blue gasket maker.

I don't remember ever reading where sealant is recommended, but don't see how it could hurt anything. I've always done mine dry and never had issues.

Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:06 am

I've never used silicone before but I have used Copper Coat or Indian Head gasket maker. It's the stuff in the little can with a "paint brush" built into the lid.

Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:01 pm

Without RTV, most likely it will leak. The gear oil from the transaxle does flow freely in and out of the axle tube for a swing axle tranny to the backing plates. That is what lubes the bearing there. Putting the seam of the boot at the 10 or 2 o'clock position is a good idea. I have tried stock rubber boots, the thin aftermarket poly boots and a thick poly aftermarket boots. By far, the best one was the thick poly aftermarket boots (and I am in NO WAY a fan of anything else poly on a buggy). They don't crack and leak like the rubber ones eventually do when they start to rot, and easier to install than the cheep thin ones. Only suggestion I have is that when you RTV the seam, press the two sides together around the axle tube and install and tighten the seam bolts (do not overtighten) while it is an inch or so away from the transaxle flange. Let the RTV dry, then gently slide the boot into place and tighten the clamp around the flange. This works specially well if you have the axle tubes at some sort of angle ( \--/ or /--\ ). ALWAYS keep an eye on them, as I have found the rubber ones to rot, crack and leak in just over a year's time.

Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:22 pm

Thanks everybody for your help! I picked up some RTV today, so I'll give it a shot!