Ken & all...The 3/4 slider hub of course fails...and the factory replacement
does crack also (I use an aftermarket).
 Pinion bearings get noisey on accel and fail but if they are driven too
long, they get loose as a goose and ruin the ring/pinon.
 Gear housings loosen up and the mainshaft bearing gets loose and causes the
shaft to have end play and rip the teeth off of 4th gear.
 As these suckers get older, they have more and more issues of just plain
old wear. Mainshaft needle bngs get loose in the case as do pinion bearings.
The cure is different cases which are made of unobtainium, so they supply is
getting gradually depleted.
 Corrosion of the east coast and rust belt cases is getting worse
also...Usually just cosmetic for the main case, but the gear housing flange
where the shift rod bolts on just plain disappears.
 My biggest deal is to push oil changes...every 30K or 50 K at the most.
Does wonders for the internals and lets you see if there is a problem by
looking at the magnet. Redline synthetic MT-90 is my favorite, but Amsoil or
any name brand synthetis will do...just change it.
That and drive a bit conservatively without sudden jerks and just be gentle
and slow shifting without being in too much of a hurry will lengthen it's
life considerably. The teeth on 3rd and 4th are very fine and will break.
Thats the most common I see...
Daryl of AA Transaxle
Duvall, WA. (Seattle area)
1-877-377-0773 toll free
425-788-4070
aatransaxle.com
86 Syncro Westy WBXTurbo

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ken Lewis" <kdlewis_wating_time@ALLVANTAGE.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sunday, July 10, 2005 12:45 PM
Subject: Re: Transmission swapping

> Other than the 3/4th hub and clutch, what else fails? What kind of PMs
> should you do besides changing the oil? Mine is just shy of 250,000 miles.
> Ken Lewis
> http://neksiwel.20m.com/