Shop says I need a new transmission: what's recommended?

[Paulbeard]

[E1]

Wow, that looks pretty bad.

Pardon my forgetting, but isn't your original tranny pretty low miles?

At this point, I do wonder about rebuilding yours and scrapping this replacement heap.
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‘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]

185k. Rebuilding it is an option, I still have it. Might be the long term play…
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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

[E1]

Good. Hoping for better at your 500-mile check.
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‘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

[Sodo]

[Paulbeard]

Haven't drained the Swepco yet…just hauled the trans up to the 6th floor yesterday as part of this exercise. I need to see how much comes out, for one thing, and see the magnet. I bet it's cleaner than the "new" one.

The Redline didn't look great. More like used motor oil than the golden syrup that I replaced it with. And since I only got three quarts, I'll need to add more anyway. If the magnet looks good next time, maybe the Swepco goes in.

The reason it has 20 miles and not just 5 or so was because I wanted to confirm that the shifter needs adjusting. Having trouble getting into 1st. Pulling away in 2nd is OK unless I am on a grade and I am surrounded by them here. My guy will take care of that this week. Once that's sorted, I'll drive it some more and do another decant and inspection.
_________________
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

[E1]

We all have varied perspectives for endless reasons, but...

If I were you, I'd see this fill-in tranny as two things:
1). A gift
2). A core

... and send your known one in for a rebuild while this core still functions.

Sounds like you have an agreed return of the core locally, all the better if the math says so.

Happy Shifting.
_________________
‘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]

[davevickery]

Paul, don't panic. And don't let the one guy here who has the worst luck with transmissions pull you into his story. You might be just fine. In any case, you don't know yet, he doesn't know, and no one here knows, so just proceed in a measured way. Repeatedly flushes is a good idea until you don't see anything on the magnet. People buy used transaxles all the time and just run them. So one that was opened up and had some work done by a competent rebuilder is a step ahead of that in my book. I wouldn't rebuild a transaxle in advance and store it, because your warranty starts the day you get it.

You can try adjusting the shifter base yourself. Under the boot are 10mm nuts that you can loosen a little bit and move the plate around to get a better shift feel. What I do is loosen them and shift it into the gear that seems the hardest to find, then tighten them up. There is a bit of trial and error to it and you can keep a socket wrench with you when you go for a drive and make small adjustments until it feels the best.

[E1]

Clarifying your second sentence would be fair play.

If you're implying Sodo, I do not concur, the man has invested an enormous amount of time helping others for zero gain.
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‘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

[E1]

[Alaskaberrys]

^^^Ditto E1. Not often one will share the trauma of things going bad when its bunches of bucks getting ground up - repeatedly. Trying to help others avoid said pitfalls is most welcome to this synchro trans owner.

Not panicking is sound advice and we don't have to listen to what the guys on soapboxes say...but when they make sense (and talk with pictures! ) I'm going to listen to it and consider the outcomes. Doesn't mean I'm going to do it ( ) but its much appreciated here.
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'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...)

[Paulbeard]

[Sodo]

>>>People buy used transaxles all the time and just run them
Sorry this program was defunded in 2007. There are no used transaxles, just “cores” sorry thats not really funny to someone in need.

>>>one that was opened up and had some work done by a competent rebuilder is a step ahead of that in my book.
Agreed. Who’s the competent rebuilder that doesn’t clean the parts? Does this builder inspect parts for serviceability before re-use? Then just slam it together and out the door?

>>>I wouldn't rebuild a transaxle in advance and store it, because your warranty starts the day you get it.

2years @ 12,000 miles (a lot for an antique) is only 24,000 miles. A rebuilt should run 80,000 miles. Don’t put much faith on warranty past a few months. Scarcity is a real problem. Besides R&R is not offered in any tranaxle warranty and adds what....$600? In those cases it’s better to go to a shop where the shop is willing to accept that risk. Seattle area shops have been burned by our WA tranny shops though, they’re at the end of their ropes too.

PaulB I think you made a good choice (risk?) getting this Transaxle to take the heat off, and do your other one “right”.

Hmmmm. I wonder if Dave V is responding (in error) to the other guys new “Transaxle Problem” thread. https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=716505 Where checking linkage (first) is the logical sequence.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[Paulbeard]

Here's the old magnet after running on Swepco for a few thousand miles/15 months.

Nice and clean. Not sure I am going to reuse the Redline, considering how crappy it looked after 20 miles. This stuff looks super clean, bright blue, not oxidized (I assume?). The Redline looked like used crankcase oil, I presume from picking all the scuzz from the unclean case and re-used parts.

EDIT: just poured off the Swepco from the pan into a jug for settling. It looked good, no glitter or anything.
_________________
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