auto trans, no clutch plate.

I'm with drivetrain as the main suspect.

any check that the CV joint screws are all tight ?
or check for rear wheel brg play ?

and the muffler isn't just touching the body, right ?
sometimes they are very close to bodywork or the frame back there..
like 3/8th of an inch from contact.

----- Original Message -----
From: "ralph meyermann" <ralphmeyermann@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: More fun with mechanics

> Could the elastomers or springs be out of the clutch plate?
>
> On Apr 2, 2011 3:00 PM, "Rocket J Squirrel" <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> The thunking only occurs when the drivetrain gets slack. Like taking
> your foot off the gas pedal while cruising slowly on a flat street.
> Re-applying pressure on the pedal does not cause the noises. Sometimes
> when the van is moving at just the right speed . . . 8 mph or so . . .
> on a flat street, sort of idling along, you can hear the mystery thunker
> going thunk thunk thunk. It's a heavy sound, can be felt a little bit.
>
> Second gear seems to be perfect to set up the right relationship between
> engine power and van moving resistance, allows the right amount of
> slack. If that makes any sense at all, first is too "tight" and 3rd,
> well, there's a lot more road noise when up in third it might be
> happening but can't hear it.
>
> If this sounds like a suspension bushing thing, then we'll look again
> there. But it feels like a drivetrain thing. But the engine does not
> move visibly when thunking, the transmission and diff were rebuilt and
> the noise was happening before and now after the rebuild, and Gary just
> checked the axles.
>
> It baffles science.
> --
> Rocky J Squirrel
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, 2011-04-02 at 09:34 -0700, Don Hanson wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 2, 2011 at 9:10 AM, Roc...