Removing the Axles from the Transmission

[busadick]

I have a 67 Westy and I am buying a rebuilt trans from Rancho. I intend to remove the axles with RGB's from my old trans and install them on the rebuilt center section. I have searched the Forums and found many threads on rebuilding the RGB's, and installing the axles, but nowhere did they answer my question, which is: Do I need to completely disassemble the RGB's in order to remove the axles from the trans, or just remove the upper bearings and gear, leaving the lower gear, bearings, and stub axle in place? I am hoping that I just need to pull the upper bearings and gear.

Without a special puller, how would I remove the upper inner bearing?

Thanks in advance!

[campingbox]

You can leave the stub axle attached. You can also leave the upper inner bearing attached.

[busadick]

Thank you Campingbox! So after removing the upper outer bearing, drive gear, and the retainer bolts at the transmission, the whole axle tube will just slide off, leaving the axle shaft?

Does not sound like this will be too difficult. I have never done this procedure before, I always thought it was quite daunting.

[Bruce Amacker]

Not exactly "slide off" as the bearings on the axle shaft are a semi-press fit, you'll need a couple of tools to do this job. The axle shaft inner bearing can stay put and be inspected while in the housing. If you need to remove it, the stub axle has to come out as the stub gear partially covers the inner bearing. The axle shaft bearings are generally the least worn of the 4 RGB bearings in my experience. The outer stub bearing ($$) is the most likely to be shot.

If you're that far into it I think it's unwise to not remove the stub axle to check the inner stub bearing, but that's your call. You'll need a welder to get the plug out to access it.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[BarryL]

[campingbox]

[busadick]

Thank you everybody for your replies. I am feeling more confident with each suggestion!

Are there any special tools or techniques for removing the tube from the axle? As BarryL suggested, using a block of wood and a BFH to tap off the RGB housing may not be the best way, what would be another way? Tapping the RGB off will probably be the only way I can do this.

Anybody else done this? What's your secret?

Thanks for your help!

[klcarrie]

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=...;start=140

Some info on pages 8-10
_________________
Pritchin'
--
Currently looking for:

- Bay Bus Pinion Nut Socket

- 64-67 big nut (rear) drums and brake parts, 46mm axle nuts (Big Nuts)

--
'55 Wolfburg Pannel Project
'55 Wolfsburg SC Project
'71 Westy

[BarryL]

[Bruce Amacker]

I happen to have these photos on file from a previous swap, plus I just completed another one yesterday.

I used a HF 93980 puller kit which has most of the pullers you'll need along with snap ring pliers, one medium size pair and one large pair for the spider gear snapring. I also have an assortment of OTC pullers but I think the HF will work fine. You'll need a puller to get the outer axle bearings off the axle shaft. Luckily it's not a really tight interference fit.

Once the outer bearings are free the tube will pull off the trans. At this point you can see the inner axle bearing but you can't remove it without pulling the stub shaft (and plug) because the gear slightly overhangs the edge of the bearing. Spin it, listen for roughness, and inspect the races with a magnifying glass.

Going back together I used a couple of homemade tools, nothing more than spacers made from 1" electrical conduit, a stack of fender washers and a long bolt. Run the bolt into the end of the axle (which is threaded, I think it's 10x1.5) and use a nut on the long bolt to pull the axle into the bearing. The pictures show the tube retainer nuts in place, they wouldn't be at this time. Make sure you keep mild pressure on the tube in the inward direction so you don't disengage the shaft spade from the fulcrum plates and let the fulcrums roll out of position.

The gear is a slip fit. Install the outer bearing using the shorter tube.

There's butcher ways to do this with a hammer but I don't work that way.

If you pay attention to detail and clean the parts well expect to spend a lot of time doing this. Including a thorough cleaning of all parts, blasting and painting the backing plates and RGB housings, cleaning and painting the tubes, inspecting/replacing bearings (incl. R&R plug) I had about 20 hours in assembly. Cleaning the parts was more than half of that time. I used a big wire wheel in an angle grinder to do most of it, generally these things are really grimy and rusty. You'll need a big bearing remover to remove the outer stub axle (wheel) bearings if you need them and it's likely you will. I've torn down several of these axles and only about 20% of the time the outer bearing is usable. Your axle shaft spades and fulcrum plates are also possible to be worn and not usable.

Get some magnetic tranny drain plugs from a supplier or the Samba ads and put them in the lower drain plug holes of your RGBs, they'll catch any metal dust floating around in the housings.

I use a thin coat of RTV to seal the RGB housing with no gasket.

If yours is a '67 you should have giant O-rings around the axle tube retainers, make sure you get those too.

Good Luck!
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[busadick]

Thank you Bruce, your pictures were very helpful for me to understand the procedure. I like the home made tools you show for re-installing the RGB to the Axle. The trans I am working on was recently rebuilt, so luckily the parts are not too dirty or rusty. I am hoping that separating the axle from the RGB once the upper outer bearing and drive gear is removed will not be too difficult or take too much pounding.

I have the trans out of the bus now, so I will begin working on removing the axles in the next week or so. This is my winter project, so I have time to do it slowly and clean all the parts thoroughly. I will be ordering the rebuilt from Rancho soon, they have a 4 week lead time.

Thanks again to everyone that responded!

[dennismcd707]

Here are a few photos of my bus transaxle. I rescued it from an abandoned 1966 bus. It's going into my "Off-road Rail". (We can call it a sand rail, but I doubt this thing will ever be driven in any of it. Probably just good old Michigan dirt.)

After a semi close inspection, it appears to have been well maintained, so I'm gonna take a chance and see how it works.........BEFORE replacing anything. Just a few new gaskets and some fresh gear lube. If it works okay, then I'll go at it a bit differently.

I found this thread today because I was surfing, looking for "how to remove axle tube from axle shaft/transmission" (or something like that). I'm taking advantage of the current warm Michigan weather and playing in the garage, and today I'm removing the spring plates from my rail. Yesterday I took out the old transaxle. It didn't have the reduction gears, nor do I know any of it's history. Today............ I'm just checking it out, but it's gonna be a spare. I have high hopes for my bus trans.

...........and yes, my axle tubes have been kept together as one big unit, mostly because I don't have special tools, or ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE with these things. I'm learning as I go. Plus, it's one big menagerie (2 actually, 1 on each side) because that's the way they came apart.............., or "DIDN'T" come apart. This in turn made it difficult to remove one of the shock bolts, which had rusted solid. I used a hack saw to cut it. I still have to drill it out. This whole time I've been trying to keep the bearings and gears clean, usually with a rag or plastic bag, so again..... we'll see how it all works out.

Good luck, and I'll keep checking theSamba for people who are out there doing the very same things that I'm doing...........just doin' 'em someplace else!

[dennismcd707]

........................Oh, and do you see any special tools on the ground in my photos? Hard to miss the ol' BFH. Always an important tool, anytime, anyplace. But it was the gear puller this time that worked getting the axle tube away from the trans.

[nlorntson]

You realize that the bus transmission with the RGB turns the axles in the opposite direction as a beetle one, right?

So you can't just pull off the RGB and swap a bus transmission in where a beetle one was unless you plan on driving backwards in four speeds.

[dennismcd707]

Not sure who you're addressing, but in my case the whole bus transaxle with the RGB's will be installed on my rail, just as it was on the bus. (I'm not "JUST" swapping out the transmission.) I'm even using the bus spring plates and torsion bars.

.............So unless the bus owner had previously screwed up and had been driving with 4 reverse gears, I should be good.

.

[Bruce Amacker]

You know with a sealed inner axle bearing the tranny can't supply oil to the RGB, right? Normally there's an open bearing here that passes oil. Not a huge deal, but make sure you have the correct amount in the RGB, and if you have an axle seal leak the RGB will go dry.
_________________
'66 Deluxe Bus
'65 Standard Bus
Build threads:
'66- http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2888&sid=54d8dedfb3822f99c7f2ea430cb4e856
'65- http://leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=4263

[busadick]

Thank you Dennismcd707, I like your idea of using the 3-arm puller to separate the RGB from the axle (better than using a BFH).

I see you are from Detroit-I am in nearby Farmington Hills. Please contact me via e-mail at [email protected] and maybe we can get together to talk about our projects.

Thanks for the replies everyone!