oh Tom,
it's more fun to drive them until they just won't move another foot forward
under their own power.

I can top your brake story though,
my daughter's mother drove metal-to-metal on front brakes ( Renault 16
...fantastic car actually )
until..
the brake caliper and hose caught on fire !
single worst case I have ever seen ..
one of the brake pads was actually fused ..........fused into one lump of
metal ...
to a caliper piston.

In San Francisco where the steep hills are very rough on brakes and clutches
..
I've see a disc worn though until it was a loose, unattached shiny ring of
metal rattling around in there.
*That* is getting your money's worth out of the brakes !!

lol.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Hargrave" <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 3:13 PM
Subject: Re: 5sp trans woes

> Robert,
>
> Why do people drive something with a known problem until it fails?
>
> My youngest brother drove a Mazda 626 with bad brakes until one of the
> caliper pistons popped out. Then he drove it to my house for me to "fix"
> using only the hand brake because he had no brakes!!!!
>
> He complained that the "fix" cost too much because he had to by new
> brakes,
> new rotors and a new caliper.
>
> The pads would have cost him $19.00 six months earlier!!!!!
>
> You need to tear into it now and not when it fails. Wait until it fails
> and
> you don't know what additional hard parts you will be paying for!!!!
>
> Tom
> www.towercooler.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
> Robert Downes
> Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2010 4:24 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: 5sp trans woes
>
> so, i started hearing a hum that got louder as my speed increases, and
> then
> gets quieter around 45mph. i thought maybe my CV joints had reached a
> breaking point? hoped that my transmission, which was rebuilt not toooo
> long
> ago by a PO, did not decide to spontaneously bust itself. i decided to
> change the trans fluid, and when i took out the magnetic plug...there's a
> piece of stamped metal and a single ball bearing stuck to it. the ball
> bearing was maybe 4mm,here is a picture of the metal
> piece<http://imgur.com/V15Vi.jpg>.
> i could not identify which bearing this might be from in the bentley
> diagram. the van still runs fine, just makes noise. do i need to tear the
> thing apart? i'm in Alaska for the summer, and if this is going to have to
> be done, i should probably do it pretty soon, but if i can make it south
> to
> civilization this fall on what i've got, i'm sure i'd end up saving some
> precious summer work dollars.
>
> basically, i've been trying to drive it alot to see if i can make it fail.
> i
> work for a tour boat company and i could probably talk our mechanic into
> helping me tear it apart, he's familiar with vanagons...what do you guys
> think?  what is the best source in the northwest for parts? tell me what i
> need to hear, list.
>
> thanks in advance
> -bob
>
> PS, while this message was pending, i've learned that this transmission is
> somewhat rare, the code is DX, it's the 5 speed diesel trans.