I did it with both sides up on stands too, but I didn't have the
stones to lean in there with a piece of wood! I stayed in the drivers
seat with my head out the window.

I'll try it again with a helper this time.

Thanks
Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 29, 2008, at 3:52 PM, "Scott Daniel  - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com
 > wrote:

> Daryl did chime in,
> he said he rarely sees ring gear bearings being bad..........
> ( ok, 'final drive bearings' )
> I agree........but I've sure seen a lot of bad ring and pinion
> GEARS ......
> and those can make noise I'd think.
> Run it in the air at about 35 mph, on very solid safe jackstands,
> and put your listening rod on the bell housing area of the trans.
> Make the engine go at a steady speed , not varying.
>
> and why are you sure it's not in the front of the van ???
> we'll get it.
> and actually............you'll see, in the end, that it falls under
> the famous saying :
> "it's just a blockage or leakage of fluids or electrons."
>
> a failed bearing or gear falls under the 'blockage or leakage of
> fluids.'
> Almost Every failure falls under this too - blockage or leakage of
> fluids or electrons.
> even a flat tire.
> and there are a few people that don't realize 'fluids' include
> gases, not just liquids.
> 'cracked windshield...........I suppose that doesn't fit under
> 'leakage or blockage  come to think of it.......but most failures to.
> anyway............
> run 'er in the air !
> just be very careful.  Solid jack stands and a hard level floor are
> imperative.
> Scott
> turbovans.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Walter Houle" <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM
> >
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 3:22 PM
> Subject: Re: Transmission Noise ?
>
>
>> On the gas, off the gas, uphill, downhil, it doesn't seem to matter.
>> The noise stays the same. It sounds well, like a worn bearing. Kind
>> of
>> like a low frequency hum. It's as loud as the engine is at 35 mph and
>> it goes thru harmonics with the engine as the RPMs change.
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Dec 29, 2008, at 3:00 PM, "Scott Daniel  - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> hi,
>>> I'm thinking of R & P  more now all the time.
>>> yes, it turns anytime the rear wheels are turning.
>>> regardless of clutch in, cluch out, in gear, neutral, or engine
>>> running.
>>> The ring gear turns with the rear wheels, the pinon gear is
>>> constantly engaged with the ring gear.
>>>
>>> ok......does the sound vary whether you are on, or off, the gas, or
>>> 'neutral pressure' on the gears ?
>>>
>>> I have an 87 Wolfsburg ........248,000 miles on the odo. it was
>>> noisy in all gears.
>>> noticeable from 30 mph up.
>>> I would describe that as 'bearing noise' and not 'dronning.'
>>>
>>> Darryl.......plase comment - on this guy's situation.
>>>
>>> btw, the ring and pinion can be seen just be removing the bell
>>> housing.......
>>> which means engine out or trans out.
>>> one trans shop I go to ............once the R & P is shot, the whole
>>> care value of the trans is zip.
>>>
>>> drive alongside a wall, like on an overpass if you can find one,
>>> trying to isolate it to left or right, front or back.
>>> scott
>>> turbovans
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Walter Houle" <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM
>>> >
>>> To: <VANAGON@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>; "Scott Daniel" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM
>>> >
>>> Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 2:07 PM
>>> Subject: Re: Transmission Noise ?
>>>
>>>
>>>> In that case, I guess they just retightened the axle nuts. I saw
>>>> them
>>>> working with with the big socket & long extension handle.  They
>>>> said the
>>>> rears loosened up a little. There was a rattle when going over
>>>> bumps that
>>>> developed after their first work. That's gone now, but the main
>>>> droning
>>>> noise remains. Touching the brakes and swerving side to side have
>>>> no
>>>> effect at all. The noise is directly proportional to the speed of
>>>> the van.
>>>> Dry CVs  sound possible, but I did them approx. 500 miles ago. I
>>>> used the
>>>> 90G grease packet that came with the Van-Cafe kit in each joint,
>>>> then I
>>>> shot a little more in with a needle after the boots were on. Does
>>>> the ring
>>>> & pinion still spin when the clutch is in and the trans is in
>>>> neutral?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:28:56 -0800, Scott Daniel - Turbovans
>>>> <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> hmmmm.............'readjusted rear wheel bearings sounds a little
>>>>> fishy.
>>>>> There is no adjustment per se, like the front wheel bearings have.
>>>>> There is only the torque of the large rear axle nut, and there is
>>>>> a spacer
>>>>> between the bearings that affect where things get positioned
>>>>> exactly, but
>>>>> it's not an adjustment really.
>>>>> that they checked all things......that's good.   And maybe they
>>>>> meant the
>>>>> check the torque of the rear axle nuts, but there really is no way
>>>>> to
>>>>> 'adjust' the rear wheel bearings.
>>>>> Does touching the brakes while it's doing it make any difference ?
>>>>>
>>>>> 'dry CV joint' doesn't quite fit your symptom............
>>>>> but I find many of CV joints quite dry, and worn.
>>>>> Worn ring and pinion comes to mind for a droning noise, but that's
>>>>> not a
>>>>> diagnosis......just something to consider.
>>>>>
>>>>> how does swerving gently at 35 mph affect the noise ?
>>>>> not at all, or somewhat, swerving either left or right ?
>>>>> Scott
>>>>> www.turbovans.com
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Walter Houle" <whoule@ECSCONTROLS.COM>
>>>>> To: <VANAGON@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>; "Scott Daniel"
>>>> <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.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
>