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Subject:Strange sounds from my engine
From:Stuart Hutton
Date:Mon, 5 Dec 1994 00:11:19 -0700 (MST)

Hello gang,
Well, I think I am going to run through all possible problems, it seems,
with my vanagon.  At least they have to courtesy to happen one at a time.
Now, I am beginning to hear a strange sound which I think is coming from
my engine.  It seems to be quite pronounced above 58 mph or so.  I do not
think this is road noise or tire noise ... it is a recent sound.
It sounds sort-of like a medium-high pitched sound that one would expect
to hear from a rod turning inside something round, but fitting loosely.
My ideas so far:  Wheel bearings (the thing did not seem to pull at
all to one side) ... water pump ( there was not any problem with overheating).

I know it's asking a lot to say I've got a strange sound .... what is it,
but I can't really describe it much better than that.  Something similar
I have heard was this: once I had an old pontiac which made a similar sound
when all its seals blew at once on its automatic transmission.

Oh, one more thing: it is not too loud, but the loudness did seem to grow
once it was heard and speed increased.  Once the speed drops below 58, the
sound went away.  However, it always did return once the speed went above
58.    

Stuart Hutton (hutton@poly.oscs.montana.edu)
1982 diesel vanagon camper : powered by itself for the time being. :)