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Sun Aug 25, 2002 10:24 pm

was told the redux boxes get oil from the tranny, through the axle tubes, so they don't need checked for oil as long as the tranny has gear oil. is this true? also, what would indicate the need to rebuild them? i want to stay with stock height for my 66 westy, so i'm figuring on keeping the redux boxes.

thanks

Mon Aug 26, 2002 8:19 am

when was the last time that the transmission fluid was changed? for that matter, when was the last time that the bus had a full service? my recomendation is to do a full service on the bus and change the transmission fluid. the boxes will let you know when the need rebuilt. listen to you bus.

Mon Aug 26, 2002 8:39 am

This is true, The reduction boxes do share the same oil with the transaxle. You will notice that the boxes have an cap at the top. One reason for this is when you change your oil, you can prefill the boxes so it won't take forever to fill the transaxle.

As far as when to know to rebuild, I would check for excess play in the wheels. Jack it up and move the wheel back and forth and listen for strange noises and knocking. There will be a little bit of play but not too much. Also spin the wheel and listen for noises while it spins. I'm not too strong on when to know when you need to change the bearing but hopefully someone else can give better pointers on this subject.

Mon Aug 26, 2002 11:30 am

It's Important to prefill them, as, not a lot of oil gets down the tubes to them, and not very fast, so it could take several miles to get enough oil down them to lube the gears, but by that time, if they aren't prefilled, you'd most likely burn something up. IF you wanna see what the box looks like inside of it, or for that matter, removing them. Check out my webpage.
www.geocities.com/indianavwkid
there's a tech on Tranny replacement. the main thing to look for in the bearings is marks, and scars on them, and also if they are burned(a bluish color..etc) then they should get replaced, high heat can make the bearings warp, and become out of round.
James

Mon Aug 26, 2002 9:04 pm

thanks for the help here. i obviously don't trust the guy who wrenched on my bus, but i've got few tools and no garage space. i also haven't performed much major mechanical stuff before, but i'm getting more tempted to go that route. i'll definately jack it up and see what i hear. (?!) i'm guessing the excess noise i hear driving is either tired engine/tranny mounts, shift linkage or redux boxes. i'm going to go with a f.f. & bigger engine so i haven't put much attention to the engine or tranny at this point, but want the rest of it in top working order before i start on the body work.

nice website, james. i appreciate those who've gone to the effort to put up pages like that - they're often my textbooks as much as the manual and these forums are. thank you.

Wed Aug 28, 2002 5:31 am

Put oil in the boxes. get a basic maint book and go through the full service procedures for your bus. if you have lots planned & little knowledge, you will at least learn the basic layout from this op!