OK, I did a quick check of the plug and it was very clean. Not even a
sliver. I also rotated the tires and verified all pressures were 44 PSI.
Next, I went back to the shop. They checked everything, re-adjusted the
rear bearings which were slightly loose, and re-torqued all axle, CV
joint, and wheel lug bolts.

Still no change in the nosie. If anything, its getting louder. What can I
check next?

Walter

On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:32:39 -0800, Scott Daniel - Turbovans
<scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:

>One thing you could and should do is pull the magnetic drain plug on the
>trans and see how much metal is on it.
>A half inch diameter 'golf ball' of fine metal particles is normal.  Worse
>than that isn't.
>One one trans, I pulled out the magnetic drain plug, cleaned it off, put
>back in, and a bunch more metal came out with the magnet immediately.
>That trans was toast.
>
>for suspected wheel bearing noise you swerve gentley. USUALLY .....if it's
>noisy going straight and left, but quieter going swerving
right.......it's a
>right side wheel bearing.
>You didn't meantion front bearings, but need to consider that too.
>And one of our members just had to re-do one of his rear wheel bearings
not
>long after doing them.......I wonder if you have the same thing going on.
>
>here's another transmission bearing test :  Idling in neutral, you push in
>the clutch pedal, or let it up, and compare noise levels. There shouldn't
be
>any noise either way, holding the clutch pedal down, or lettting it up.
>If it's quiet when pushed down, but noisy when let up ( in neutral )
>..........that indicates noisy and worn transmission input shaft
bearings,.
>I'm sure Daryl will have more insights on this.........but these are some
of
>my tried and true bearing noise sleuthing methods.
>
>Also, where anything is 'new' as in recently worked on.........that's
where
>you look first, and the hardest.   *Especially* if someone else did the
>work.......
>then you should be automatically drawn to looking into it there, where
work
>was just done. Seriously.
>
>scott
>www.turbovans.com
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Walter Houle" <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM>
>To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>Sent: Sunday, December 21, 2008 8:42 PM
>Subject: Transmission Noise ?
>
>
>> Folks -
>>
>> I never thought I'd do a "what's that noise" post, but here goes. My van
>> started making a new noise. Its a steady droning, almost as loud as the
>> motor, and it only occurs at 30 mph and higher. The noise appears to be
>> independant of the engine and the transmission. Pushing in the clutch,
>> coasting in neutral, and even coasting with the motor off do not have
any
>> effect on it.
>>
>> I'm hoping its tires or wheel bearings. However, the tires are about a
>> year old Michelin LTX M/S with approx 3,000 miles, and they never made
any
>> noise previously. The van was treated to new CVs and wheel bearings
about
>> 500 miles ago, and the rear brakes were adjusted. I put it on stands and
>> spun each of the wheels by hand, plus under drive. Didn't feel or hear
>> anything unusual, just a light drag of the brake on each wheel. The
tires
>> also looked fine and true. The transmission, however, is original, with
>> 210,000 miles and no service whatsoever except for some very infrequent
>> oil changes.
>>
>> Any ideas what I'm hearing? It really sounds like a bearing going bad,
but
>> the fact that it happens when coasting makes me wonder. What bearings
are
>> involved with just the driveshafts turning?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Walter - 85 Vanagon 1.9 Manual Transmission