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stuzbot
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Joined: March 30, 2018
Posts: 377
Location: Pining for the Puddles of Yesterday
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 Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 2:52 pm Post subject: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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Coming back home this morning, I reversed up to the gates of the yard where I park my van and then reached down to shift into neutral so I could jump out and unlock the gates.
Gearstick was completely jammed. Wouldn't move at all and I didn't want to force it. So I wiggled it about for a bit and then, after pressing it down against the spring and letting it go a couple of times, the tranny popped out of reverse into neutral. So I reversed into my parking bay and found the stick was jammed again. Same technique eventually freed it. I tried shifting through a few gears and it jammed solid in 4th this time.
So I retired to the house, to think about this for a bit. Initially fearing that my gearbox had given up the ghost, even though there had been no signs of impending failure, apart from a few times recently when changing gear felt a bit tighter than usual.
As I thought about the situation, I began to feel a bit less pessimistic. After all, most gearbox issues will affect one gear or the change between a pair of gears [usually 3rd & 4th]. Not usually cause random jamming up in whatever gear you happen to try.
So I went out and dived under the van to check the linkage and –sure enough–found that I could change gear easily at the lever on the box. But that, trying to move it via the linkage rods, it was jamming completely. Closer inspection revealed that:
1: Every single rubber gaiter/bellows all along the linkage was perished
2: The rubber ball between the two metal flanges back at the gearbox end was disintegrating and half of it was hanging out through the metal flange.
Now that sounds like yer typical couple of decades of neglect taking their toll on the transmission linkage parts. But what's really pissed me off is that I replaced every single ball, joint, flange, bellows and all the gearstick ball & socket parts too, only last year.
Given the parts weren't that cheap either for what they were, I'm not best pleased that I got less than a year's wear out of them before they decided to disintegrate. It would be churlish of me to name and shame the supplier in question. But it's not the first time I've bought parts from them that have turned out to be less than stellar quality. So let's just say J**tKamp**s won't be getting any more of my business!
Top quality spares! –less than a year old. Bellows full of holes, plastic ball falling to pieces and even the metal flanges rusting like they're made out of old baked beans cans.
Incidentally, just as a stop-gap until I can get round to dismantling the linkage again, I found the old plastic ball I'd taken out when I did the overhaul –and I slit it lengthwise down one side so I could stretch it open and clamp it round the shift rod, without having to remove the cup part from the end, or take the linkage apart in the middle –as we all know how much of a ball ache that is to get aligned again!
I'm thinking that the two metal flanges either side of the ball will clamp it firmly enough that the slit up the side will be held tightly closed. And, having taken the van for a quick spin after my temporary botch, I was surprised and delighted to find it's actually changing gear easier than it was even before the crappy JK part disintegrated. So it may all have been a blessing in disguise, after all.
[Sorry for the inconsequential post. Just wanted to vent a bit!]
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1992 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1993 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1992 VW T3 1,6TD Syncro [SOLD]
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DanHoug
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Joined: December 05, 2016
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Location: Bemidji, MN
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| Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 3:43 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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i had a NOS VW rubber boot over the shift ball rip in multiple places from one year and 10k miles. i replaced it with a VanCafe clone because it was slightly thicker material and could hardly be worse service life than the OEM one.
it's a pretty dirty/nasty location that benefits shifting if kept clean. i'd pay dearly for a good quality silicone boot there.
i made replacement bellows out of a silicone baby bottle nipple for the AWD vacuum actuator on an Audio 4000 Quattro. worked great and was like 100x cheaper than the entire acutator unit, the only alternative.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
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seventyfo
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Joined: February 13, 2007
Posts: 916
Location: Ocoee FL
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| Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2019 5:11 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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I bought two power steering racks, one for my van and one for a friends van, and they both shit the bed in less than three years (warranty two years) 🤬
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85 Vanagon GL Westy GW 2.2 (Rebuilt by YT)
"I don't know you well enough to care about your comments". Watkins Cravey |
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stuzbot
Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2018
Posts: 377
Location: Pining for the Puddles of Yesterday
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:26 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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My best one ever was a replacement steering lock I bought for my old LT35. It actually split in half as I tightened it on to the steering column. So that particular replacement part lasted zero seconds.
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1992 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1993 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1992 VW T3 1,6TD Syncro [SOLD]
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Abscate
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Joined: October 05, 2014
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Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 2:38 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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I feel your pain. Shitty parts cost your both money and time, The devil at work indeed.
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
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Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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DanHoug
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Joined: December 05, 2016
Posts: 4751
Location: Bemidji, MN
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 6:40 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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this doesn't explain short life failures but it does offer that rubber retains flexibility better when it is in use. something i'd sorta believed.
https://www.polymersolutions.com/blog/why-does-rubber-dry-rot/
an old motorcycle mechanic in town would show clients a section of rubber oil line from a 1960s motorcycle that was still supple and crack free, while also showing 'modern' rubber oil lines that were hard and cracked.
as a nation, our ozone levels have been on the decrease since the 1980s. but i wonder if antiozonants added to rubber are being reduced. with world market competition, the cheapest source wins and if you can make a less expensive product that looks exactly like your competitor, the buying agent will say yes.
i dunno. SOMETHING has changed with rubber. everything falls apart so fast now.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
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Gizmoman
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Joined: September 10, 2011
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Location: Nevada
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 7:07 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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I think integrity has taken a back seat to monetary gain.
I used to work for a company where QC had no power to control quality, customer service had the lowest pay rate, and the Sales Department enjoyed the lions share of the revenue (along with the owner and family members).
It's ironic that we are more "connected" than ever, yet somehow further apart.
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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). |
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elizer 
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Joined: May 02, 2016
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Location: Northern Virginia
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 7:27 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| Is it possible that they changed the production process by adding other "stuff" to kind of stretch the latex from the trees? I drove all over Thailand and all the forests cut down to make room for rubber plantations were insane. |
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danfromsyr
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Joined: March 01, 2004
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 7:30 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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this X's a thousand.
I know a couple businesses personally that operate like this.
| Gizmoman wrote: |
I think integrity has taken a back seat to monetary gain.
I used to work for a company where QC had no power to control quality, customer service had the lowest pay rate, and the Sales Department enjoyed the lions share of the revenue (along with the owner and family members).
It's ironic that we are more "connected" than ever, yet somehow further apart. |
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dhaavers
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 7:38 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| elizer wrote: |
| ...possible that they changed the production process by adding other "stuff"...??? |
Chinese drywall dust. Just sayin'...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_drywall
- Dave
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86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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djkeev
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alaskadan
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Joined: January 09, 2013
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Location: anchor pt. alaska
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:32 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| When it comes to rubber and vinyls, some of the problems were EPA regulations changing. Back at the old glass shop we manufactured a line of shower doors. The glass was held into the hinge channel via a U shaped vinyl extrusion that was a compression fit once the hinge rail was pounded on over it. I recall when the supplier said that there was an ingredient that they couldnt use any more due to regulations but it shouldnt affect the product. Between 3 and 6 months after building doors with it the glass started slipping out of the hinge rails. By then we had thousands of doors out in the market with bad vinyl. It took a couple years of service calls to fix that mess. Worse yet was that the supplier said their hands were tied. We were forced to design a clamping style hinge and eliminate the vinyl. |
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DanHoug
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 10:37 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| alaskadan wrote: |
| When it comes to rubber and vinyls, some of the problems were EPA regulations changing. Back at the old glass shop we manufactured a line of shower doors. The glass was held into the hinge channel via a U shaped vinyl extrusion that was a compression fit once the hinge rail was pounded on over it. I recall when the supplier said that there was an ingredient that they couldnt use any more due to regulations but it shouldnt affect the product. Between 3 and 6 months after building doors with it the glass started slipping out of the hinge rails. By then we had thousands of doors out in the market with bad vinyl. It took a couple years of service calls to fix that mess. Worse yet was that the supplier said their hands were tied. We were forced to design a clamping style hinge and eliminate the vinyl. |
phthalates... they've come under strict regulation, for very good reason i might add, so manufacturers are avoiding putting them in production products. phthalates add elasticity to various plastics and rubber.
we'll be seeing phthalates as the next Boogey Man in terms of environmental and health damage, on the level of DDT in terms of impact. they are an endocrine disrupter and cause all sorts of growth regulation issues and deformities. when they find their way into surface and underground water supplies, really bad things happen over the long term. it's good they are regulated, need to be even more so, but there must be less disasterous substitutes for its chemical niche.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.
'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd
Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com |
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Gizmoman
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Location: Nevada
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 11:00 am Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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| alaskadan wrote: |
| . . .We were forced to design a clamping style hinge and eliminate the vinyl. |
Possibly we can find a solution to the requirement as they did with the glass door/hinge attachment. Electric vehicles probably don't have exposed linkages that require flexible boots. Keeping these curmudgeon vehicles on the road is getting tougher every day.
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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). |
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MsTaboo
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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Well, my post will probably be deleted (I posted a reply about cheap parts on another thread and the mods decided to censor me).
It's greed, pure and simple. Welcome to the wonderful world of free-market capitalism.
There is absolutely no reason quality parts can't be made (and at reasonable prices here in North America or Europe) but we've been sold on the idea that consumers must have their widgets at the cheapest price so the manufacturers must cut corners everywhere.
So they claim they HAD to move their factory to China (or elsewhere) to get cheaper labor, they HAD to use inferior materials, they HAD to change the design from something that works to crap, all to save a few cents per part so Joe Cheapskate would buy their product.
Bullcrap!
It's all about profit. It's about next quarters return for the non-working class. It's about executive pay and bonuses. It's how the wealthy get even wealthier.
It's about how the CEO makes 1000X more than the worker.
It's about squeezing 300% profit from a part that sells for $20 instead of the 50% it used to be.
It's about deregulation and a tax system that rewards the wealthy at the expense of workers and consumers.
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Currently:
'90 Syncro Westy 3 knob w/Zetec
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djkeev
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stuzbot
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Location: Pining for the Puddles of Yesterday
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 1:31 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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Phew! –this thread's taken a bit of a detour, from where it started. All good though. Makes it like a real life conversation.
Personally I don't r-e-a-l-l-y object [that much!] to paying over the odds for parts for these vans. I'm aware of the concepts of economies of scale and the fact that it's a seller's market. But what I do object to is paying premium prices for crap. If a part's going to cost me ten, twenty... or more times what similar 'things' made of similar materials cost, then I don't think I'm being unreasonable to expect them to actually be fit for purpose.
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1992 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1993 VW LT35 2,4D [SOLD]
1992 VW T3 1,6TD Syncro [SOLD]
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MsTaboo
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2019 1:46 pm Post subject: Re: Just Venting About Sh*t Parts |
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Sorry Dave, but it's impossible to talk about crummy parts without addressing the core reasons.
If we ever hope to change the situation it will be through the political body.
The pressure we put on our leaders through trade agreements, tax structure, corporate regulation, consumer protections, etc.
I hope you don't delete these remarks. It effects us all, liberal, progressive, conservative, or ignorant.
p.s. That deleted post was here on the Vanagon forum in a thread about failing Syncro transmission parts, a subject close to my heart as I contemplate a rebuild.
In that case the failing parts were also effecting a third party who has had to absorb the costs from the manufacturers profit taking.
Like stuzbot said, I don't mind (too much) paying premium prices for unique parts, but I expect them to last.
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Currently:
'90 Syncro Westy 3 knob w/Zetec
The information age has morphed into the age of disinformation and willful ignorance. Agnotology!
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djkeev
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