I have a friend with a Syncro westy with rattling noise quite similar
yours... it's the exhaust pipe that hit the engine guard rail

On Mon, May 25, 2015 at 11:20 AM, Mark McCulley <markmcculley@gmail.com>
wrote:

> My '87 Syncro is experiencing a noise emanating from the transmission area.
> It does not sound like it's internal to the transmission, it's not a gear
> whine sound. I would describe the sound as rotational vibration sound. I do
> not feel the vibration, just hear it. The sound occurs only when I let off
> the gas and coast, as when approaching a turn or going down a slight hill.
> The sound will go away if I accelerate. It will also go away if I push in
> the clutch pedal.
>
> The transmission does have a driveshaft decoupler. The sound is unaffected
> by whether the driveshaft is coupled or decoupled. It also made no
> difference when I removed the driveshaft altogether.
>
> Suggestions as to what might be causing this sound?  I'm guessing it could
> be a throw out bearing or something else in the bell housing.
>
> -Mark
> Seattle WA
> 1987 Syncro Westfalia
>