Re: Self Machining Syndrome (Read this one)

["Aaron D. Patton" <apatton1@airmail.net>]

If you will point your browsers to
http://www.spiretech.com/~vw6spd/rivets.htm, VL Enterprises expains the
problem, with pictures, and has a $35.00 kit that is supposed to
cure the problem.
I am not advertising for them, I am just passing along the info.

Aaron
'79 Scirocco S - FOR SALE (in Dallas, TX)
'93 Corrado SLC

- -----Original Message-----
From: Brett VanSprewenburg <brett@kodak.com>
To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Cc: etrik@pure-research.net <etrik@pure-research.net>
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 1998 11:34 AM
Subject: Self Machining Syndrome (Read this one)


>
>
>Uh yup, I got yer self machining symdrome roight here! :-)
>
>
>THIS NEEDS TO BE ON SCIROCCO.ORG, please for all to see and believe.
>
>==Brett
>
>
>
>----- Begin Included Message -----
>
>>From owner-scirocco-l@mantis.privatei.com Thu Nov  6 10:33:15 1997
>Date: Thu, 6 Nov 1997 10:21:51 -0500
>From: brett@kodak.com (Brett VanSprewenburg)
>To: scirocco-l@privateI.com
>Subject: Self Machining Syndrome (Read this one)
>
>
>
>There's been a few questions lately concerning the dreaded 020 tranny
>Self Machining Syndrome (or SMS) and which years and or transmissions
>*will be* affected.  It just so happens that the April 1990 edition
>of VW & Porsche can answer these questions.  There is an article
>called 'A brief look at the 020 5-speed transmission', with an
>information chart showing all the production years, codes and gear ratios.
>It has a multi page side-bar entitled 'VW 020 Gearbox Failures: Causes &
>Cures'.  This is what I'll be typing in.  ON WITH THE SHOW ALREADY!
>
>
>-----
>
> The problem has become a classic one for VW owners with close-ratio
>gearboxes:  sudden & catastrophic failure of the normally well-mannered
>and durable gearbox.  The 020 is a tough tranny, one that stands up well to
>the abuses of hard driving and the added torque from such upgraded
powerplants
>as a Techtonics Tuning 2020 motor or a turbocharged engine.  Now, stock
>transmissions, carefully driven, are failing when the differential eats
>it's way through the case.
>
>IDENTIFYING THE CULPRIT
>
> Those transmissions built with serial numbers up to 14102 (gearboxes
>up to October 14, 1982) have snap rings installed on the differential
pinion
>shafts.  Those boxes do not usually have any problems.  Cars with the wide-
>ratio gearboxes do not seem to have the problem.
> The cars affected include GTIs and GLIs from 1983 to 1986 (both A1
>and A2 chassis), 8-valve Sciroccos from 1983 to 1986, and 1984 to 1986
>Cabriolets.  These cars had close-ratio gear boxes starting with serial
>number 15102 (gearboxes built after October 14, 1982) and up, and did not
>have the snap rings installed.  The grooves are still there, but apparently
>some engineer at VW dreamed up the idea of using a larger head on one of
>the rivets as a retainer and doing away with the 15 cent circlips.  The
>special rivet is simply not able to properly retain the pinion shafts.
>Under even normal driving conditions, there's a chance that the pinion
>shaft works itself out, let's things tilt around and eventually machines
>a hole in the transmission case.  Shop supervisor Paul Boot at New
Dimensions
>said that most of the failures they've seen occur between the 50,000 and
>120,000 mile mark.
> One somewhat limp "cure" that VW has incorporated is to use rivets
>with a thicker head.  This still won't provide the positive location of the
>shaft afforded by the circlips, but at least it takes longer for the pinion
>shaft to pound it's way through.
> No one we've talked to has taken apart a late-model non-16v close-
>ratio box, so we're not sure if VW continued with the rivets or has
returned
>to using the circlips.  On the gearboxes used with 16v motors, VW has
>resorted to using the circlips again.
> For VW's service differential repair kit (#171-498-088) used when
>replacing the ring & pinion (either when changing ratios or as a service
>replacement) the rivets are replaced.  The kit included eight studs and
>nuts (to be used in place of the rivets), washers, retaining bracket -
>and two circlips.
>
>IDENTIFYING THE DAMAGE
>
> The first symptom that your beloved car has been attacked by this
>design flaw is a gear oil leak under the transmission and, perhaps, strange
>noises from the gearbox.  An alert driver will notice it right away.  Most
>gear oils have a distinct appearance. (It's thick smelly stuff)  Note
>that a failed differential side gear retainer is not the only source
>of a gear oil leak.  Leaky side seals or a worn-out output shaft seal are
>other potential sources.  Both of those tend to be slower, smaller leaks
>then a case that's ground through.
> Don't worry - if you miss the first hint, you'll get a second
>chance. Like most second chances, this one can be a bit more expensive
>than the first.  You'll notice it when all of a sudden, your clutch fails,
>but strangely, when you check the adjustment, it's okay.  One symptom of
>a slipping clutch occurs on a long upgrade, when the engine revs climb
>but the road speed stays the same.  Is it all over at that point? Will
>everything in your tranny be trashed?
> At this point, we would hate to call it a credit to VW engineering,
>but here we go:  When to retainer rivet fails, the hole is ground high
>enough up on the case that it does not immediately drain all of the gear
>oil.  With time, it will continue to pump more and more out. The first
>damage is "just" the clutch and pressure plate.  As the gear oil level
>drops, the next thing to go is fifth gear, soon followed by the rest of
>the gears.  In short, many of the affected transmissions are repairable,
>if you stop driving the car immediately.  That includes towing with
>the front wheels on the ground too.
>
>THE PROGNOSIS
>
> So, you noticed that puddle and it's definitely gear oil.  You
>checked your tranny case and it has one of the "problem" numbers. What
>now?
> If you call a dealer thinking that they will take care of it
>for you, you might want to have smelling salts handy.  First of all,
>VW does not consider this a design fault or any kind of warranty problem
>if it occurs after the standard warranty has expired.
> Will VW repair your defective transmission under warranty? It
>depends.  All the cars that suffered from the problem are out of the
>factory's two-year 24,000-mile warranty.  If you let the dealer sell you
>an extended warranty, it will probably cover everything but the clutch.
>We feel that your dealer should hear about the problem from you, and
>the VW district office should hear about it as well.  It might not do
>any good, but at least it's a reminder.
> You will pay full rate on this one.  A new transmissino case, to
>replace the one with the hole in it, lists for over $500.  On top of
>that, you'll have to add the cost of removing and replacing the gearbox,
>and also throw in the bucks for a new clutch and a complete transmission
>rebuild.  Any guesses on what the bill will be?
> You can lower the cost of having it repaired at the dealership
>a bit if you're willing to remove the transmission yourself and
>take it in for repair. You'll still need to replace your oil-soaked clutch
>though.
> Yet another way to save some money is to purchase an entire
>replacement gearbox.  Note that when you do buy a
>replacement close-ratio gearbox with a serial number in the problem range,
>it will probably not have the retaining clips either.
>
>ANOTHER SOLUTION
>
> There is another way to go, which is definitely more cost-effective.
>Darrel Vittone at Techtonics Tuning offers a service for customers who have
>suffered the Self Machining gearbox syndrome.  If you are certain that you
>discovered the problem before there was any major damage, the easy way
>out is to remove your transmission, clean it up and ship it to Techtonics.
>For a charge of $300 Techtonics will disassemble the transmission and
>repair the case damage using a specialized welding procedure called TIG
>welding.  This type of welding uses a tough tungsten electron and an
>evelope of inert gas to keep oxygen from entering the weld area.  It makes
>it possible to weld aluminum alloys like cylinder heads and tranmission
>cases and have them be as strong or stronger then new.
> Techtonics then puts the trans back together for you, using
>the circlips that VW should have used in the first place.
> As one might expect, the tranmission repair job is not simple.
>The entire tranmission and differential, every last piece, must be
>completely disassembled before any welding is possible.  The welding
>job itself is straigtforward.  The location of the hole is far enough
>away from anything cricical that warping is not a problem.
>
>
>There's a few more paragraphs, but you get the gist (and then some).
>Sorry this was so long, but I hope that this puts the question of
>if your affected or not away forever.  I think I'll post this to
>the VW newsgroup too, many people seem to have questions about this.
>
>==Brett
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