Walter..Did this noise start gradually or did it come on slowly after a
different repair (whl bngs?) and gotten gradually worse...Cold or after much
driving or any other thing that makes if better or worse??
All these are keys to the puzzle of a diagnosis..
Sledom do final drive bearings in a trans go bad.
More often a wheel brng can go bad a few hundred miles after a repair...
Gotta get all the wheels off the groung and listen to the wheels as you spin
them by hand noting any differences...
Doubt its the tranny..but hey...maybe I will get lucky and it is...
Daryl of AA Transaxle
(425) 788-4070
aatransaxle.com
86 Syncro Westy
Zetec in the trunk
----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Houle" <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: Transmission Noise ?

> 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