Newbie Needs help, is this where you fill the gear oil.

[AndyBees]

Ron, I'm glad this incident is turning the corner for you! Soon it will be in the contents of your book of experiences with mechanics.

I've thought about this all day while the wife and I were out hiking! My condescending comments were uncalled for, period! For that, I do apologize!

So, as you've seen and expressed, among all the comments posted, there is a lot of good! It is my hopes that the clutch eventually clears up completely.

I'll leave it with this (it's on me) .............

New radiator for my 84! It was ready to install but the day had been long. So, I opted to wait until the next day to tackle the installation. For the night, I left the Rad leaning up against the outside of my garage door. Well, the next morning, from inside the garage, I raised the door ........... dang, the Rad fell on a support laying on the concrete in front of the Van. Yep, four tubes sliced open!

Crap does happen ..... (Oh, and this was recent..)
_________________
'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.

[E1]

Happy to hear you may have dodged a bullet here, RonJohn!

Clutches can glaze and deglaze IMO. Very helpful in general is matching revs on downshift so there's no rev change when clutch is out. You can do the same on up shifts, too, these are general means in extending clutch life dramatically.

In your case though, if I had a slight slip I'd downshift a few times and let the clutch out really slowly. That stretches out the engagement time, and while it's a terrible thing to do normally, in this case you may be able to clean and "re-surface" the clutch down to a clean face, a downshift at a time. Just give some cooling time of a few minutes between slow downshifts, and make sure your end-rev isn't at a really-high RPM. If you smell a little oil smell, fine, but you don't wanna smell a strong clutch smell (asbestos, like brakes).

No guarantees, but that's what I'd try first... or maybe after another solvent cleanse.

The fact that you're driving it at all says you have a chance to reverse the error. Best!
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[djkeev]

That is all great news!

Brake cleaner does draw oil out of the friction material.

I would continue you brake clean treatment a few more times for the heat that builds up during use can draw oils that have been absorbed by the material to the surface.

Keep us updated!

Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[Gizmoman]

ronjohn82,
It sounds as if you resolved any slipping issues and took all the feedback rather well - a great start to becoming a member of a good forum.

I suggest you get a copy of the Bentley for your model as soon as you can - sometimes they can be found on craigslist for much less than new. Also, dropping by the forum and cruising through posts can be enlightening as well.

Happy trails to you
(Roy Rogers/Dale Evans)
_________________
82 Vanagon Westy - AAZ 1.9 TD, HE200 Holset, WAIC, 27.75 dia tires, Electric power steering, 5-speed AAP w/.078 5th
Oversize spare carrier - stock location (no longer for sale).

[?Waldo?]

[Paulbeard]

🙌🏻

(but…enquiring minds are still curious about what you were trying to resolve here…maybe we can help)
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Alaskaberrys]

Encouraging news ronjohn82!

I learned some new - helpful - things from this conversation. Don’t beat yourself up too much, enjoy the ride!

And post long term results after, am curious how it goes.

Mark
_________________
'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
'91 T3 Syncro Doka, Escorial Green 1.9L TD AAZ “Gremian” (to provoke, irritate, exasperate, vex...)

[dobryan]

ronjohn82, Good work on taking comments as helpful. A forum is a difficult place to express the intent of a comment, not as easy as over a campfire. Do not despair or beat yourself up. This forum has a LOT of info and some great reading is here.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798

We have had folks start on this forum not knowing where to add engine oil and now they are rebuilding engines. It can be done. Just ask questions and do a little research before you leap at the next project.

Happy driving.


_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[ronjohn82]

Thank you all. I like how all can freely voice their concerns in a very civil way,
whether it be sympathetically or with a slap up side the head.. or a little bit of both ... its all out of concern and good points made on a variety of posts.
And it helps me become more mature. Thanks.

Update: A few days ago, had my friend rev it while holding clutch down, and pressing it up and down. I Sprayed about 3/4 can of brake cleaner,. Closed hole. He revved it high, no more than a minute, (didn't want engine getting too hot) and then shut it down, Opened the hole back up and let her sit to drip and dry out.
Had a chance this morning to take her out for about 45 minutes.
Only once did i encounter a very slight slip going into 2nd gear but let out clutch quickly, it caught and continued on. That was 20 minutes into the drive.
At the end of the drive. I had several stop signs and did not get any slip / chatter. First gear was consistent throughout.
I am not necessarily celebrating.
And I actually still need to start giving myself a more positive pep talk when i look in the mirror....
Get rid of the residue in my head as well, not just from this...
from just learning to be a more thoughtful and patient being.

Let's see how things are over the upcoming weeks and months ahead.
possibly a much longer road & camping trip in a couple weeks. (10 hours on the highway).
this could help clear some residue ...
on the clutch as well ...
Thank you all for your help.

[82westyrabbit]

I hope we haven't scared away the original poster, and I hope he is still watching. When I was a professional auto mechanic in the late 1980's, I was working at a shop and we sold an 84 GTI with warranty but the new owner decided he would take it to another mechanic for a post purchase inspection. This guy also took out the timing plug and called us up screaming that they just kept pumping gear oil into it, and it was coming out the bottom. I don't remember how this all come out in the wash, but you are not the first person to do this, nor will you be the last. If you sift through all of the information that's been given here, the real information you are looking for is in here. The gear oil you put in should have just leaked out the bottom. Things were not designed to be sealed, and you really should not have to do anything to get the gear oil you pumped in back out. If you want to spray some break clean in there to try to help it come out, that is your prerogative. I am going to make the assumption that you've started this thing and tried driving it. If it drives fine, just go drive it. If the clutch slips or chatters, you will probably need to remove the transmission and install a new clutch. A good mechanic can pull that transmission out in about 45 minutes with no problems, and it will just be an expensive mistake. But I think you have at least a 50-50 chance that you can just go drive it and worry about it sometime down the road. Good Luck. John

PS In old SAABs the transmission used to be the oil pan for the engine. They used to get towed in all the time when somebody drained the gear oil instead of the engine oil, dumped fresh the new engine oil into the engine which hadn't drained, and they'd come in on a hook needing a new transmission and having 8 quarts of oil in the engine.

[Sodo]

[Gizmoman]

I think everyone should get a trophy just for playing the game.
_________________
82 Vanagon Westy - AAZ 1.9 TD, HE200 Holset, WAIC, 27.75 dia tires, Electric power steering, 5-speed AAP w/.078 5th
Oversize spare carrier - stock location (no longer for sale).

[E1]

I hope so, too.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Paulbeard]

Well, if we haven't driven OP off the field, perhaps they can check back on and let us know how things are going. It would good to hear that the immediate crisis has passed and maybe we can help get them going on their journey to owner/mechanic.
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Jennepher]

I had to clean this up after your moderator's warning.

Stop the bullshit.
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[kamzcab86]

The OP admitted to a DIY car repair/maintenance mistake, which takes a lot of guts on a public forum.

Stop with the insults and the inane bickering over who's insulting who and let's get back to discussing the issue at hand, please: Gear oil poured into the timing hole.
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[AndyBees]

[MsTaboo]

You need to be careful about your assumptions.
There is loads of help for newbies here.

For example if the OP had started a thread saying "hi, I've got this Vanagon and it's doing so and so, do you think it needs gear oil?" lots of people here including myself would have welcome him to the madness and then try to find out why he thought he needed gear oil. From there on we would have helped him do the right thing, including getting himself an owners manual or Bentley shop manual, finding the fill and drain holes for the transaxle etc. And I'm sure we would have gone on to recommend fuel lines, etc.

Warning him to seek more education about his van is not "rampaging" but rather it is an effort to help when he has shown poor judgement.
_________________
Currently:
'90 Syncro Westy 3 knob w/Zetec

The information age has morphed into the age of disinformation and willful ignorance. Agnotology!
Help the fight against Truth Decay.
Defend democracy, support Ukraine.

[?Waldo?]

Tossing an insult at 'nobody in particular' is still a personal attack... on everyone! How about actually being the example you are asking other people to be and cutting out the personal attacks entirely?

[E1]

Nobody insulted you, I directed at nobody in particular.

My point was there's plenty of attitude around here when newbies screw up, that's all, and I hear reluctance to post from tons of bus owners we meet for this exact thing.

If you find everything pointed at him to be welcoming, fine, I don't. We need to cut some slack to rookie errors, that's all.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman