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gearbox problem.

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Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#391351
for about a week my swing axle box has been making some nasty sounding noises.

now this box has never been perfect. i jumps out of 4th some times and makes some great whining noises. both of which i could live with.

but now in 1st and 2nd when i drive the car harder than a slow motion granny i get a scratching sort of noise. it doesnt sound good at all and u can hear it over the radio.

ive got a spare box back at dads but i have no idea what condition its in and i think its a 1200 box.

any ideas?

Nick
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

kaoskombi Casual Dubber

33 posts · joined Jul 2005 ·

#391365
my kombi has a similar problem, my avdice is take it to a veedub person who can listen to it and tell you what they think but mine whines and pops out of reverse, they said its general wearing on an old box and that its slowly on its way to the grave, they put a special lube in the box that slilenced it al little, but i think i need to have the box pulled apart and the bits that are worn inside replaced. to make this the cheapest for you you can try to use parts from the other box that are in better nick to make a combo g/box that works cause getting some of those parts new i have been informed is a costly exercise. i dont know if the 2 different size boxes will be trasferable into one though.

good luck.
Creativity is Life.

amazer kombi pilot

3,187 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391388
noisy grumblings are probably from the pinion bearing... the bearing that takes pretty much all the load the engine produces.

trouble getting second gear is usually the first thing to go, then it starts jumping out of gears, thats all normal stuff for an old gearbox. If you get off and on the throttle the gearstick will move back and forwards by itself, signs of a worn housing.

they are pretty expensive to overhaul, not quite as much as an engine. For the kombi box you will probably be looking at a bit over $1000. I've never had work to a beetle box but I assume probably slightly less for a box needing the same amount of work. The real cost will be determined by which parts you have that are serviceable and which arent. You'll need a full set of synchros, possible bearings, who knows what condition the gears are in, selector forks... The final bill isnt pretty ... but at least it will outlast your next 2 engines!
Chris.... kombi pilot, oval dreamer... finisher #26971 2005 city to surf

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#391396
ok question 2.........is it gonna break on me? how long before it dies and i cant drive the thing? lol noises are fine i can live with noises its my gearbox braking as im driving up a hill in first in the middle of nowhere that scares me.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

amazer kombi pilot

3,187 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391405
It all depends on what your star sign is and what planets are aligned. it may carry on a little noisy for a long time, or even eternity, it could possibly seize tomorrow. So long as it isnt getting worse, I would continue driving it for a while.
Chris.... kombi pilot, oval dreamer... finisher #26971 2005 city to surf

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#391530
hmmm......might have to arrange that kombi box sooner than i would have liked.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 ·

#391571
Yeah. collapsed bearing. My beetle had the same problem. When I started having trouble changing gears, and I'd lost m,ost of my hearing in one ear from the constant grinding I swapped it out with a type 3 box.
When I was swapping the shift housings two things were apparent.
1: The oil was an intriguing shiny metallic grey.
2: I could see the remnants of the collapsed bearing. It had split and dropped half its guts.
If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.

amazer kombi pilot

3,187 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391602
naaaah, seriously, I WOULD use it.

This is mine. I kept using it long after it got noisy.... and then for a couple of days after it started going bang bang around corners until the diff locked up... and then for another day until I put a hole in the diff and all the bits that had locked it up fell out when I stopped at a set of lights.

bummer, I hate having to push cars, and it gives the anti vw people in my life another reason to put shit on me.

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Chris.... kombi pilot, oval dreamer... finisher #26971 2005 city to surf

amazer kombi pilot

3,187 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391638
nah, you're safe, only an 1800.
Chris.... kombi pilot, oval dreamer... finisher #26971 2005 city to surf

11CAB If ya got it....Baja it

4,674 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391640
I've seen a 2L kombi box do worse than that.....and it was full of Albins Gears too.......
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab

11CAB If ya got it....Baja it

4,674 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391698
I reckon there is a fair chance it was a turbo Type 4.... 😂
65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab

amazer kombi pilot

3,187 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391702
the diff was only a stock 2 litre, it was just a very tired box, and I think something in the spider gear area began to seize. It kept locking and unlocking and I guess it did that until it broke right off, locking the diff. Then evetnually the locked bits just pushed out and all of a sudden there was no drive.

this next pic is another 1800, the following one is albins. But they were abused slicked, puck clutch, turbosmashed ones.

I probably shouldnt say keep driving it without hearing the noise, it could cost more money in the long run. If it was just a rumbly bearing then it should be fine for a while, if its a crunchy knarly one then it wont last.nn[ Edited on 30-7-2005 by amazer ]

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Chris.... kombi pilot, oval dreamer... finisher #26971 2005 city to surf

11CAB If ya got it....Baja it

4,674 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391712
Here's a nicer pic to drool over......mmmmm syncro diff lock

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65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab

11CAB If ya got it....Baja it

4,674 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#391714
and locked

1 attachment · Log in to view

65 Meyers Manx
68 Country Buggy (KO 367)
68 Country Buggy (KO 669)
68 Country Buggy (KO 789)
68 Country Buggy (KO 815)
68 Baja Bug
76 Baja Kombi Twincab

Anthiron The Baja Rejuvenation Begins

4,936 posts · joined Oct 2003 ·

#391716
it still drives fine. but if i give it juice in 1st or second it makes a growling scratchy noise.. its always howled a little in 4th inve just ignored it.
62/60 model bug eye baja bug, (Full Build in Progress)
1974 Chevrolet Luv
1970 MK2 Ford Cortina GT
1979 Yamaha RX125 Two Stroke tracker project.
2004 Harley Davidson Sportster XL Custom

tassupervee That really hurts doesnt it!

1,171 posts · joined Sep 2003 ·

#391740
well I suspect that failure is really a matter of "when" not "if"!
Thing is it can growl and fizz for years or go bang tomorrow. Who knows?!

Noisy gerboxes are a real unknmown quantity.

L8tr
E
Im not a complete idiot, quite a few parts are missing....