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Sat May 19, 2012 3:11 pm

I was in my 67 bus on a 50 mile run to break- in a new motor (which is running very sweet), and while making turns there is a weird noise coming from the transmission.It does not make any noise when turning from a stop. It's not a grinding noise, more like a metal to metal rub. I recently redid all the bearings, and had to put back the crown and spider gears. there seemed to be no cracks or anything unusal with them. It has all new rubber mounts, a new nose cone and new bushings in the shift rod. The noise is more pronounced when making a left turn. It just started to do it while taking a right. It is slightly noisy going forward but runs pretty nice and smooth. I have no problems in any gear upshift or downshift!! I can't figuire this out and don't know where to start!! Any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Sat May 19, 2012 5:35 pm

You might try removing the rear drums and inspecting them closely for any signs of rubbing from brake components/ shoe metal or even the drum contacting the rear backing plate.

Sat May 19, 2012 6:49 pm

Got to ask, did you check the gear oil to make sure it is still full??

Sat May 19, 2012 7:38 pm

Turning a bus should have nothing to do with the center section, that I can think of. It wouldn't be the side gears since the curved fulcrum plates can move inside them with movement of the axle. Anyway, did you inspect the two side gears, fulcrum plates, and shovel end of each axle?

Sun May 20, 2012 2:43 am

thanks for the replies!! I did check and top off oil! fulcrum plates and axle spades looked very nice , no excessive scoring. rear drums are torqued tight. Just making a guess, Could it be the bearing, that is behind the rgb plug, maybe from the nut loosening up?

Sun May 20, 2012 4:28 am

Mismatched early and normal fulcrum plates on each side of an axle shaft will make crunchy noises when turning.
This is immediately noticable upon driving

Sun May 20, 2012 6:09 am

llovette wrote: Could it be the bearing, that is behind the rgb plug, maybe from the nut loosening up?

Did it need much gear oil??

If the nut was loosening, you should detect more wiggle in that side than the other, with rear wheels jacked off ground and E-brake off.

Sun May 20, 2012 7:35 am

only needed about 12oz. I redid the rgb's last august. I hve a small leak coming from passenger side spring plate! Only a drop or 2 a day. I need to lift the wheel up and check for play I think, then go from there.

Sun May 20, 2012 1:04 pm

Did you replace the roller bearing in the RGB when you went through it?
Is the oil dripping out of the tiny overflow hole in the brake plate? If it isn't, then the oil is leaking out by the large plug in the inner case that covers the pinch nut and the roller bearing.

Sun May 20, 2012 1:36 pm

replaced all 8 bearings on both sides. I siliconed the metal seal after I replaced the plug and when it was dry with no oil in it yet.

Sun May 20, 2012 1:55 pm

I rebuilt the big stub axle RGBs on my 1967 transaxle and the new aftermarket pinch nut plug that I put on the left side RGB went in too easily. I put a lot of sealer on it, then a couple of layers of duct tape over it, before installing the transaxle in my 1958 bus. I have to finish restoring the bus so I haven't driven it, yet. I think that some of the aftermarket plugs leave something to be desired.
Was your plug an original one or did you install an aftermarket one, and was it a snug fit?

Sun May 20, 2012 2:32 pm

It was an original plug. I cleaned the welds off and made it shine. It was a snug fit. today, I lifted the wheel off ground, put it neutral and there was no play or slop. When I put it in a gear and moved the wheel back and forth, I felt play in the axle. not much!! Is that normal?

Sun May 20, 2012 3:19 pm

If you mean you rotated the wheel when in gear it had a bit of play, then yes.

If you mean you wiggled the wheel up/down and side to side and have 1/32" or less play that is normal.

If you pulled it in/out, there should be none to hardly noticeable.

If all of the above is OK, then it sounds like bad fulcrum plates and/or axle shovel handles or perhaps you installed the wrong early fulcrum plates.

Did you measure for wear between the axles, fulcrums, and diff side gears??

Sun May 20, 2012 7:26 pm

If there is in and out play when you push and pull on the rgb, it could be that there are too many gaskets (shims) behind the plate that fits over the daisy and the bell end of the axle tube.

Wed May 23, 2012 3:39 pm

Checked all connections, boots, nuts, rgb's. 1 small leak coming from behind springplate. Took off both drums. Everything was dry and torqued. Made damn sure the axlenut was torqued to 275. Decided to dump tranny fluid and found that the oil was the consistency AND COLOR of silver paint. WTF!!! I just replaced the fluid in August. The trans was a used unit but seemed to check out alright. I rebuilt the rgb's and replaced. ANY ideas what the silver sludge could be??? There were trace amounts of steel hairs on the magnets not enough to worry me!!! No popping out of any gear>>>>YET!!! Thanks for any help

Wed May 23, 2012 5:19 pm

Maybe the center section should have been flushed out.

Wed May 23, 2012 5:30 pm

Thanks Campy. I did flush the center out. I cleaned the inside spotlees!! I had to reinstall crown gears and the differential when reassembling.

Wed May 23, 2012 7:49 pm

llovette wrote: Made damn sure the axlenut was torqued to 275.

Large nut 215 to 250 torque.

Small nut 215 torque.

Wed May 23, 2012 7:55 pm

meant 250!! I get excited easily. What would have made that much silver grey sludge??? I'm stumped

Wed May 23, 2012 8:03 pm

llovette wrote: meant 250!! I get excited easily. What would have made that much silver grey sludge??? I'm stumped

Should be usual wear and tear to the gears/bearings. Fine steel sludge should not be a problem unless there is a lot in there. If there is, should change the gear oil again a thousand miles later to help flush out the sludge.