Re: 16v tranny problems

[Cheapass Ron Pieper <rapieper@yahoo.com>]

Others can chime in....

020 trannies (ours) have had a history of two main
catastrophic failure modes:
-failing rivets holding the ring gear
-poor technique to hold the shaft that the spider
geards sit on.

Either of these occurrences will eat a hole in the
case; they are collectively known as "Self-Machining
Syndrome" or SMS.  Both generally destroy your tranny.
 Both issues can be solved with the addition of a bolt
kit, which contains hardened special bolts and
circlips to address both issues above, respectively.

Other, less catastrophic problems are:
-2nd gear synchro bad
-reverse gear and 1st/2nd gear slider (which also acts
as part of reverse gear) fail, usually due to driver
putting car into reverse while it's still rolling
forward (causes zzzztt zzzzt noise, may cause loss of
reverse).  Loose teeth and bits can get places where
they shouldn't, potentially causing untold damage.
-wobbly driveaxle flanges causing oil leaks, caused by
a worn diff and/or worn diff bearings
-misc. other stuff.

The tranny you mention (in the yard) was an SMS
tranny, I'd bet on it.  It may actually be decent if
it's been bolt kitted, but I'd pass.

To replace your reverse gear means a complete teardown
and new parts ($ouch).  OTOH I have two 4-speeds which
I will be parting, but I haven't checked if the
reverse gear parts are the same as the 5-speeds.  And
you'd still have to tear it down (not a job for just
anyone).  Last solution is the 16V tranny I took from
my Scirocco when I replaced it with the 4K in there
now, I could be tempted to sell it.  Shifted fine
after 148K miles.

Good luck, 

Ron


--- dave t <pearl16v@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Has anyone heard of any persistent problem where the
> 16v tranny's would go 
> bad around 100-120k miles due to a faulty design? Im
> not too sure how to 
> describe the problem, just that there will be a
> clicking noise only in 
> reverse gear and that whatever's broken will begin
> to chip away at the 
> housing.
> 
> the reason i ask is because i was going to pick up a
> used tranny at the 
> junkyard but noticed that it had considerable work
> done on it. there was 
> some epoxy on the bell housing possibly covering a
> hole and some spot 
> welding done on the tranny body. i decided to leave
> that tranny and take a 
> look at a new one at a shop. the guy at the shop
> said that it was a common 
> problem for the 16v tranny's to go bad. the new
> tranny's had fixed that 
> problem, and so did the rebuild kits. i told him
> that possibly my reverse 
> gear was bad and he said that the clicking noise in
> reverse was a sign that 
> the tranny was going bad.
> 
> dave
>
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=====
Ron (Cheapass)
'87 16V, ("Victor"), '93 Cabby ("Teufelhasen")
ICQ 108845455

"One....two....one...two...three..."
-Lynyrd Skynyrd

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