TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:00 am

I've owned and driven my '79 for over 35,000 miles without any transmission difficulties. Until downshifting from third to second seemed too easy and thinking I had shifted into fourth I re-shifted into second....nothing. No nothing. In all gears like it's in neutral. With the engine running I can shift into any gear without the clutch depressed and nothing. No sound or other notice at the time it failed, just nothing. What'd I break?

Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:11 am

My guess would be the shifter coupler.

Wiggle under the bus and look at the bracket that hold in the rod going into the transmission. If you take some baling wire with you, you might be able to reattach it until you can get a new one.

Looks sort of like this...#24

Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:24 am

Welcome, when it's running and in gear set the brake and look underneath at the axles coming from either side of the transmission, anything spinning?

Wed Mar 17, 2010 10:46 am

as randy said check 24, when this happened to me I lost reverse and then quickly lost a few more gears, but in my cas 17 had backed out and the shift rod was sliding around loose. I'm sure your problem is not as bad as it seems.

Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:03 am

I would go with busdaddys frist becouse it's eazy then Randy's you just have to do alittle more crawling. Even eazyer pop off the rear hubcaps set Park brake put in gear with it running and see if one of the axle nut's is spining. If so it s new drive flang time eazy fix. If all good there then we will move on to more scary parts. :wink:

Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:44 pm

busdaddy wrote: Welcome, when it's running and in gear set the brake and look underneath at the axles coming from either side of the transmission, anything spinning?

Ran it in gear, went under and observed the port side axle has become unattached from the transmission. Noticed gears turning inside transmission. I'm headed for Bentley and Muir to see what that means to an old retired mortgage banker. Anybody wants to give it to me in english would be much appreciated. Thanks Busdaddy and the rest of you kind enough to reply. Good head start. Great forum.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 1:46 pm

Probably CV joint time at a minimum.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:11 pm

Assuming that all you did is shear the bolts, it should be no big deal. Remove the old bolts, inspect the joint and flange carefully, and install and torque the new bolts.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 3:40 pm

While you are under there, inspect all of the other CV joints for torn boots and such. The 4 CV joints are supposed to be cleaned and re-packed with fresh CV joint grease every 30K miles. This may be the time to do it under your ownership so you will know it was done correctly.

Here is the kit I will use next time.....I want the Rockford boots to do my next re-pack.......buy a coulple of extra tubes of CV joint grease also....

http://www.germansupply.com/home/customer/product.php?productid=16640&cat=354&page=2

If you need the correct serrated washers and the little "torque spreaders", you can get them there also.

Make sure you have this little socket in your tool stash also....

http://www.germansupply.com/home/customer/product.php?productid=16930&cat=278&page=1

Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:08 pm

Most excellent, my thanks for these sites. is there somewhere you can point me to CV's for dummies? Some kind of detailed removal/replacement hopefully with drawings?

Both fronts warned me and were replaced about 9000 miles ago. The (broken) port side rear was replaced less than 8000 miles ago. Not sure about the starboard side. I'll pay attention to that one.

Am I to understand the bolts were probably sheered and that's probably the extent of damage? When I went under and inspected, the joint was still leaning up against the transmission case. (That's a good sign.........right?)

Lastly, Muir doesn't "do" CV's in any detail and Bentley seems to be for professionals. I believe I understand the transmission turns both rear wheels. Why didn't the starboard side continue to turn?

Can't tell you all how grateful I am to have found this place.

Again, my thanks.

Randy in Maine wrote: While you are under there, inspect all of the other CV joints for torn boots and such. The 4 CV joints are supposed to be cleaned and re-packed with fresh CV joint grease every 30K miles. This may be the time to do it under your ownership so you will know it was done correctly.

Here is the kit I will use next time.....I want the Rockford boots to do my next re-pack.......buy a coulple of extra tubes of CV joint grease also....

http://www.germansupply.com/home/customer/product.php?productid=16640&cat=354&page=2

If you need the correct serrated washers and the little "torque spreaders", you can get them there also.

Make sure you have this little socket in your tool stash also....

http://www.germansupply.com/home/customer/product.php?productid=16930&cat=278&page=1

Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:18 pm

Time to find Ratwell.com next. He will have a pretty good how to on the CV joints.

The rear wheels have to turn at different speed because of variations in tire size and the fact that the outside wheel on a turn has to go farther than the inside one. Unless your differential is a limited slip or locking design this means the van will move nowhere with one axle disconnected.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:20 pm

Thank you Wildthings. Headed for Ratwell.com

Wildthings wrote: Time to find Ratwell.com next. He will have a pretty good how to on the CV joints.

The rear wheels have to turn at different speed because of variations in tire size and the fact that the outside wheel on a turn has to go farther than the inside one. Unless your differential is a limited slip or locking design this means the van will move nowhere with one axle disconnected.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:21 pm

If you can take good pictures and post them we can probably help diagnose better. 8)

Thu Mar 18, 2010 4:22 pm

That would be cool. I'll try for some tomorrow. Thanks!

TomWesty wrote: If you can take good pictures and post them we can probably help diagnose better. 8)

Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:03 pm

Here is the method I use....

http://www.type2.com/bartnik/cvjoints.htm

Helps to have a vise, and a gear puller along with some circlip pliers.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 5:24 pm

Mike Yawman wrote: Most excellent, my thanks for these sites. is there somewhere you can point me to CV's for dummies? Some kind of detailed removal/replacement hopefully with drawings?

Both fronts warned me and were replaced about 9000 miles ago. The (broken) port side rear was replaced less than 8000 miles ago. Not sure about the starboard side. I'll pay attention to that one.

Am I to understand the bolts were probably sheered and that's probably the extent of damage? When I went under and inspected, the joint was still leaning up against the transmission case. (That's a good sign.........right?)

Lastly, Muir doesn't "do" CV's in any detail and Bentley seems to be for professionals. I believe I understand the transmission turns both rear wheels. Why didn't the starboard side continue to turn?

Can't tell you all how grateful I am to have found this place.

Again, my thanks.

Randy in Maine wrote: While you are under there, inspect all of the other CV joints for torn boots and such. The 4 CV joints are supposed to be cleaned and re-packed with fresh CV joint grease every 30K miles. This may be the time to do it under your ownership so you will know it was done correctly.

Here is the kit I will use next time.....I want the Rockford boots to do my next re-pack.......buy a coulple of extra tubes of CV joint grease also....

http://www.germansupply.com/home/customer/product.php?productid=16640&cat=354&page=2

If you need the correct serrated washers and the little "torque spreaders", you can get them there also.

Make sure you have this little socket in your tool stash also....

http://www.germansupply.com/home/customer/product.php?productid=16930&cat=278&page=1

You're driving a Bus, not a boat. We like right and left.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 7:29 pm

[quote
You're driving a Bus, not a boat. We like right and left.[/quote]

Lo siento, amigo. I'm a former Marine from the land of bad thing where clarity was critical. Right and left can be confused depending on one's vantage point. No offense intended. Here you make the rules, I'll give my best effort to comply.

Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:39 pm

actually every thing is from the drivers seat. so if u are asking what side is the right , its to the right of the driver. just like u are in a cock pit .

Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:45 pm

actaully I like port & and starboard, cause there are some things, especially engines, where oirentation tends to reverse once out of the car, but port and starboard are well defined.

that said, since our cars, and all budget cars and most normal cars have open differntials, if one wheel has no traction, and a disconected axle counts as no traction, than neither wheel will spin. in an open diff, each wheel always gets the exact same torque. 0 on the spinning side, 0 on the connect side.

greasing cvs is a fun and dirty process. I made a tool to make it easier for me, I keep meaning to sell the bloodythings but I never get around to it. now the only problem with that Type2 write up is that it shows you the wrong tool to remove the CV joint bolts. it sounds like you may have done this before. if you have, you konw what I am about to say, if you havent, tune in. The cv joint bolts were originally 12 point sockets, known as tripple squares, of the 8mm variety. they look a lot like torx bits but they are NOT! this tool is a little hard to find, but if you need to order new parts online, most VW stores carry the socket. odds are like 4-1 that all your bolts are these tripple square style, HOWEVER some replacement kits come with allen headed bolts instead, so clean them out thoroughly and figure out what you have before jamming the wrong socket in there and stripping it all out. then you need to bust out the vice grips, or my favorite a channel lock 410, best wrench ever made IMHO.

/rant

Thu Mar 18, 2010 8:48 pm

In automotive terms, left is the driver's side and right is the passenger side. You're always looking at it from the vantage point of sitting in the driver's seat. Front is front, back is back. Couldn't be much simpler.