you make a little stick that will fit between the driver's seat and gas
pedal, and try set the rpm to about 2,000.
or you jam a small stick or piece of wood under the throttle return screw on
the throttle body.
- or a helper with a steady foot.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Walter Houle" <whoule@ecscontrols.com>
To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, December 29, 2008 4:07 PM
Subject: Re: Transmission Noise ?

>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
>>