Lower Ball Joint Wear - Limit for T3/T25 Syncro??

[ALIKA T3]

Ok Richard, no problem!

Keep us updated, I might be able to help next summer!

Aloha
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Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[vanis13]

Glad you two connected.

Richard,

I can't think of anyone better than Alika for your project. And I understand you wanting to camp in the van a few more times. There is nothing like a Vanagon!

Alika,

You may not yet know Ricard's age and experience, just let me say that he just may have more time on this earth than you and I combined so another year may be a large percentage of his active time still available.

To both - I'm willing to help as needed to make this happen. Can arrange my schedule to go over sooner or whatever may be needed to give this van life and a chance for Richard to enjoy it.

...it'll be interesting how this goes!
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83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

www.SuperVanagon.com - some stuff I make

[RichardF]

Hi Alika,

Thanks for your interest, but I really want to put the van back on the road here, and possibly make another couple of trips in it, but if I still haven't sorted it by next summer I could possibly arrange something with you.

I bought the automatic Audi Avant, thinking to replace the van, and we have been staying in hotels on our trips since then, but we're fed up with dragging luggage around, fitting in with hotel timetables, restaurant meals which are too big for us nowadays, and being tied down to a schedule. My wife doesn’t like driving it, she finds the visibility is poor with the high window sills of modern cars, and prefers the van.

The van is in our remise in a village 5 km away, and I can assure you that I have all the tools possibly needed for working on it, including an engine stand, engine hoist, chain hoist, press if necessary, wheel dollies to raise the rear end to roll it back over the rebuilt engine/g'box, and all the pullers and special tools required.

I’m an ex oilfield engineer, and have worked on vehicles all my life, so have a fair idea what I’m doing. I’m just not as mobile as I once was.

The van is over my pit, so it’s easy to work underneath.
All the new parts needed have been bought, listed, and checked.
I still have the complete old engine, as I exchanged a spare 2.1 short engine I already had for the rebuilt one.
I also have photos of the engine bay from several angles before removal.
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1987 Syncro Transporter Camper Van.

[ALIKA T3]

Hi Vanis! Salut Richard!


Thank you for bringing this to my attention!

Richard, mes condoléances pour le décés de ton fils, c'est une nouvelle terrible qu'aucun parent ne devrait avoir à vivre

I could help putting this back together but honestly working at someone's house is always full of surprises and challenges, missing parts, wrong tools and so on.
I do this for a living, so I know it's never straight forward, but impossible is not french we say

I'll come back to France next summer, I could take on the challenge depending on my family's schedule or I could also buy it as is and getting it back to my storage in Alpes de Haute Provence (04) to work on it later.
I was actually considering building myself a second Syncro to have back home to camp with my daughter and wife in remote places, so that'll make the project much easier

Aloha!

Alika
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[vanis13]

[vanis13]

[RichardF]

[onwardtothestars]

RichardF, just reading through this thread for the first time. I do not post often on the samba.

I'm really sorry about the loss of your son.
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Beetle, Ghia, Vanagon Syncro, and more

[vanis13]

[RichardF]

Thanks vanis13. Pity NM is so far away!

We have had the van since we bought it in Spain in 1999, just before we moved to France, and have had many holidays in it, so want it to go to someone who appreciates it and all the work put into it.
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1987 Syncro Transporter Camper Van.

[vanis13]

[RichardF]

6 years later, and the van is still parked over the pit in the garage with the new engine standing next to it.

I decided to drop the fuel tank to replace all the breather and other hoses, so the new ones are sitting next to the engine, together with all the new parts needed to do the job - HP fuel lines gaskets for injectors, etc., exhaust pipes, clutch, etc. etc.

Bad health followed by Covid put a stop to any work, then we lost our son, who was to help with the work and buy the van, and I really lost interest.

I now have worse problems with my legs, I can drive the automatic Audi, but using a clutch would probably be dangerous if even possible.

If anyone is interested in a LHD 2.1L Digijet Syncro camper van, and could help rebuild and reinstall the engine and fuel tank, or could take the van away by flatbed or trailer, please contact me with any ideas or offers.

We are in small town north east of Carcassonne, and could possibly offer accommodation for a short period.
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1987 Syncro Transporter Camper Van.

[RichardF]

Looking at Zeitgeist 13's images (copied below), I just realised that the fact that the lower balljoint on the Syncro is fitted upside down compared with the way it is fitted on the normal T25 may be the reason for premature "failure" of the joint. (If a very small vertical play can be deemed a failure)

The joints with the design "4" should perform better on a Syncro, where the joint is in compression, as the material between the ball and the cap is less likely to be compressed.

However, design "3" might perform better on non-Synro vans, as there seems to be more material between the ball and the stem, to support weight of the vehicle when the joint is in tension.

It seems to me to be a major design fault to use the same balljoint on two different suspension designs, where it is subjected to exactly opposite loadings.

Or maybe they were originally different, but replacing parts with others of similar dimensions but different construction has led to this situation.

[Mellow Yellow 74]

[RichardF]

I have so far done about 16,000 miles on the Lemförder balljoints, and the van passed the Dec 2014 test with no problems, but unfortunately joints are now the least of my worries.

In March 2016 I had the van completely repainted, found and put on new decals and sorted all the trim and lights to look really good. The idea was to sell the van, as prices here are pretty good, and I have developed a problem with my legs which makes using the clutch very tiring, especially in traffic queues. Looking for something to replace the van I came across a very low mileage (43k kms) 1996 Audi Avant automatic, which is a dream to drive and spacious enough for at least some camping gear.

Then I made a trip to Spain in the van, and had a loud noise from the bottom end of the engine after the steep climb up to the French border. After parking for the engine to cool down the noise was considerably reduced, but it didn't exactly sound sweet.

The warning buzzer for oil pressure had been sounding several times when climbing hills over the previous weeks, and I had changed down to increase revs to make it stop, so I decided the oil pump was failing.

In June 2016 bought a new short engine in exchange for a spare 2.1 engine I have had for years, which I put in the garage alongside the van.

Unfortunately, since then, after bringing the Audi up to scratch, I have had a series of health issues which stopped the work, but hope to get the job done fairly soon, not least because I have more vehicles than I can keep up with at my age.

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1987 Syncro Transporter Camper Van.

[borninabus]

agree 100%. ^^
have fought this issue since i started doing my own repairs. even had a ball come out of the socket within maybe 10,000 miles on my KG.
the lowers on my van have exceeded the wear limit (which is spec'd) in other, older bentley manuals. fortunately, i don't have a government agency forcing me to replace them so i won't be bothered. i just pump some lube in through the cracked boot if it starts squeaking.

i would be curious, RichardF, what your experience is five years later?
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88 Van WBX, A/T - 93 Multivan 5cyl 5M/T - 13 JSW TDI 6M/T - 2012 Touareg TDI Sport

[RichardF]

After my experience, if the boots are good and there is no play, leave them alone.

You can't expect them to be as tight as brand new ones.

If you are sure you can add grease without damage it can't really do any harm.
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1987 Syncro Transporter Camper Van.

[Mellow Yellow 74]

I am replacing my front suspension bushings and have checked the lower ball joints - they look fine, the boots are in good condition and there is no free play but they don't seem to be very stiff like a new ball joint (the steering knuckle moved around easily when the tie rods and upper control arms were off). Does this still sound ok? Maybe I could use a grease needle to squeeze some new grease in and not replace them yet.
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1962 Karmann Ghia
1974 Deluxe Microbus
1985 Caravelle (Vanagon)

[Zeitgeist 13]

I'm not sure whether this has been posted here already, but it's certainly an eye-opener. Interestingly, this was posted on my MB124 site, since we're currently suffering a rash of aftermarket balljoint failures--same brands, too.

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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[offroad.]

rich, if they were the lemforder ones then i`m shocked. anything else in the uk will not last 5 mins on a syncro. some major issues with quality parts in the uk atm and not just specialist parts like syncro / t3 bits.

gkn cv boots are a no no atm also.

lee.