It came on slowly after the wheel bearing replacement sometime during
a 300 mile road trip. The shop re-checked the tolerances and torques
but they didn't pull the wheel and take a closer look. I"ll revisit
them.

I'm glad to hear the odds are favorable that it's not the sound of a
dying transmission.

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 29, 2008, at 3:31 PM, "aatransaxle" <daryl@aatransaxle.com>
wrote:

> 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
>