TheSamba.com :: View topic - 1st gear bucks and every gear pops in 1970 dormobile

Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:21 am

so. my story starts last week when i went to drop my bus off at my boyfriends office. he was waiting in the parking lot for me, and he mentioned that something sounded loose. i mentioned that i didnt notice anything, granted my bus is loud so i cant hear much while driving anyway, but nothing seemed unusual. i locked up the bus, and we left in his car.

the next morning, i pulled out of the parking lot and on to the street, and first gear started bucking violently on me. as i continued to drive, i was popped out of each gear repeatedly. i made it home, and he's been sitting in front of my house since thursday.

i took him for a spin around the block today, and relived none of those issues. first gear was only very slightly jumpy, but each shift thru the gears was a smooth as normal. what gives?

i have checked the shift plate and the CV joints, and all are as they should be. i havnt checked the hypoid oil yet tho.

before i attempt to make the 20 mile drive to my local VW guru, anyone have any suggestions? i fear my transmission maybe on its way out, but the symptoms came suddenly (and apparently left just as quickly)

Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:37 am

Sounds like the clutch may be slipping. I would drop the engine and investigate.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:22 am

i was afraid of that. before i got my bus, i was the kind of girl who didnt even know how to check my own oil. Waldo has taught me much about being self reliant (and how stupid it is to wait an hour and spend 30 bucks on an oil change) so i guess i'll be learning how to drop an engine this weekend...

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:53 am

I love how most guys consider their buses to be female, while most ladies have male buses. I've always had girl buses up until now. This one just seemed like a boy. Not to mention that my son wanted to name it "William." Just an observation.

Also glad to see that you are learning to work on your bus, Vagabond. There is no reason why women can't be as proficient in mechanical endeavours as we gentlemen think we are.

Before dropping the engine, consider investing $75 on a motorcyle jack from Harbor Freight. IMO it is the best $75 you can spend on something that doesn't actually attach to your bus. It makes it very easy to pull an engine. They are much more stable than a regular jack, provide a good work station to do repairs to the engine, etc. Also, it makes it so easy to get the engine out, that you might start doing it just for fun. With enough practice, you will be able to do it in 12 mins. like some of the other people on here.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:58 am

yes, drop the engine and after the first time you do it, you will ask yourself why you ever paid anyone. Its not that difficult. Ive gotten it down to about a 45 minute job removing or installing, by myself. A helper helps tremendesly though if you have access to someone. Remember, YOU are your best mechanic, especially when your in the middle of nowhere with no cell service to call AAA.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:59 am

someone willl need to check the shift couple and grub screws. If that isn't it the plastic donut inside the nosecone is next.

Sorry you are having trouble.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:52 am

SGKent wrote: someone willl need to check the shift couple and grub screws. If that isn't it the plastic donut inside the nosecone is next.

Sorry you are having trouble.

by someone do you mean a vw mechanic? or someone who has some knowledge of cars? the boyfriend is pretty handy at taking cars apart then putting them back together again, and i can pay him in footrubs haha.

i'm all about not spending money if i dont have to.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:18 pm

Unless you are morbid and enjoy having sick fun I wouldn't just start pulling the engine. If you do pull it what are you planning on doing next? Maybe BusDaddy will pop in here and do his troubleshooting tricks.
In the meantime wild bucking can come from either the engine or the clutch and maybe even from a broken mount. And if it's from the clutch it might be the cable and/or cable tube and not actually be the clutch itself. There is a weld on the cable tube that can break loose and cause wierd clutch reactions. A cold engine can jerk big time. And a chattering clutch can cause a quick jerking action. Chattering is grabbing and releasing, grabbing and releasing over and over real quick. And there evidently are different causes for clutch chatter. A friend had one but before thinking about replacing it I did a last minute trick to it. Burnt it in. Little feet might not be able to do it. Press hard on the brake while in gear, give it gas and let the clutch out. It's a balancing act. Burn it in. If you would let off the brake it would jump forward. If you would give it less gas it would stall. It worked for us. No more chatter and the clutch then had a nice life. Popping out of each gear is wierd. Seems as if a trans might start popping out of 1 gear or 2 gears but not all at once. Slop in you shift linkage might be preventing it from getting all the way into each gear. A slipping clutch is easy to diagnose. Put it in 3rd or 4th and give it full throttle. If the engine speeds up but the bus doesn't, the clutch is slipping.

So I'd suggest some more legwork before just randomly pulling the engine. Worth 20 miles to get your guru to troubleshoot it. Where's BD?

Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:37 pm

Well with an intro like that I just can't lurk anymore :P

My first question is why is your bus so loud? A bad/leaky muff can not only disguise bad sounds but also damage your valves and even poison you.
Clutch chatter/bowden tube issues is high on my list, how much free play is there in the clutch pedal before you start to feel heavy resistance?
Does this bucking only happen while accelerating? not cruising or coasting? How far does your brake pedal go down before you feel resistance? Ever adjusted the brakes? Does he hand brake work?
Take off both rear hub caps and have someone watch the big nuts in the centers of the hubs, do they move at all when you release the clutch going forwards and backwards? Try the same test with the decklid open and have them watch the engine (don't back over them :wink: ), does the engine jump or move?
Put the bus in gear with the engine off and push it back and forth rocking it against the engine compression, any clunks, clicks or other noises? Watch the big nuts on the rear hubs while doing this too.

Let's hear what you find out.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 10:38 pm

This is going to be interesting. I have no idea at all what the big guy is up to :roll: . Brakes, big nuts? Regardless, follow his advice.

Tue Nov 17, 2009 11:18 pm

Hahahahahaha, Vagabond's description of the sypmtoms is pretty cryptic DB. I'm going for the shotgun approach to possibly expose horribly out of adjustment/worn or delaminated brakes that are randomly grabbing, a failing spline in a hub/drum, failing/misadjusted clutch system, CV/transmission issues or the already mentioned possible engine mount problems.

I'm assuming that since it's loud she'd notice if it was the engine cutting out :wink:

Wed Nov 18, 2009 5:22 am

I agree with Busdaddy here. It might be best to start by fixing your exhaust. It is very hard to tell what is going on if you can't hear the little nuances of the engine, drive train, and suspension.

I would not start pulling anything yet until you have a better idea what is wrong.

Got AAA with 200 mile towing? Money very well spent while you are trying to get a 35 year old vehicle resurrected.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:04 am

I would also make sure that the distributor is advancing and retarding correctly before I pulled the engine.

Also check the torque on the rear hubs. It takes a serious torque wrench but needs to be done. I would take it to a tire shop myself.

Wed Nov 18, 2009 8:44 am

check the motor mounts and front trany mount. If they are bad you will buck and drop out of gear. :wink:

Wed Nov 18, 2009 9:22 am

Thanks everyone! I have a nice, long list of things to go over! good thing its a beautiful day.

I'm about to go take it for another spin around town and see how he sounds. i did a test run yesterday, and encountered none of the previous problems, but i know that things like this dont happen on a fluke.

i'm sorry i wasn't more clear with my explanation. i am not a very engine savvy girl, but i'm trying to learn.

i'll report back after my test run, you guys are the best!

Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:00 am

Kudos to you for being willing to get your hands dirty and not being afraid than every little thing in your day will not be perfect. I personally feel that you can have a much more fulfilling life by doing so.