manual transmission suddenly quit working ?

[twopeanuts]

On the driver's side there is no gap like in the pic of the passenger's side CV to drive flange area.  

I'll try torqueing the CV to drive flange bolts(Bently: 33lbs) first and see if that works.

I don't guess there's anyway to tighten that drive flange back into the transmission?  I didn't see anything scanning my book - so I'm guessing if that's the problem I'm looking at a trans rebuild?

(Thanks for all the help!)

[wyldman]

Hmmm.....strange..........pic didn't show up for me until now.Oh well,at least now it's easy to diagnose.

Yes,the drive flange is coming out of the trans,and that is your problem.No need to tighten the bolts,that's not the problem.

The circlip must have popped out.You will need to remove the shaft,and use a flange tool (to compress the spring behind it),and then replace the clip.I wouldn't reuse the old clip,as it may be weak or worn,and that's why it popped out.You may also want to remove the flange,and check for damage to the splines.It can usually be touched up with a small chain file so it slides together nicley.You may want to replace the spring too,it may be weak.

[LeeG]

link to a flange re & re :

http://www.thediygroup.com/020flange.htm

[shwartzbewithyou]

Did you ever fix this?

[twopeanuts]

I was going to try it myself but haven't had the time so decided to go ahead and pay a shop.  I'm about to be relocated to another state for work and things are too busy for do it myself stuff right now - so had tbe rabbit towed Thursday to a transmission shop up the road that said they could fix it - hoping they can get to it next week as gas for my 72 impala is ridiculous compared to driving the rabbit!

[twopeanuts]

update:

The transmission shop finally got to looking at it today, then called me to tell me that they'd been fighting with it for the last hour, can't get the outside clip to hold it, that its the inside clip that needs replaced, so they need to pull the transmission out and crack the case open to get in there to replace the inside clip, which will be at least 600, and I can come and they can show me what they mean on another vw transmission they pulled a few years ago...

So I said to hold on for that much money I'd expect more like a full rebuild,  and that I'd stop by tomorrow to see what he's talking about - and that I've got the bently book and it only shows one clip and you get to it from the outside middle of the drive flange...  

I'm taking the Bently and a print out of that DIY link above with me tomorrow and offer it as help for doing the job without requiring a pull or opening the case.

Any idea what he might be talking about as far as an "inside clip"?
Is there a clip holding in the drive axle (that the drive flange is clipped onto)?

[shwartzbewithyou]

There generally is on other manufacturers cars a circlip on the shaft at the end of it (in the tranny) but it doesn't require pulling the whole tranny.  You gnerally pop the shaft out, put a new clip on and put it back in until it snaps in place.  But the last time I did it was on a Ford.

[twopeanuts]

I'm fixed - for now - drove 45 miles to work this morning fine.

I stopped by the shop this morning to drop off the Bently and DIY printout and to see what they were talking about as far as an inside clip.  He had the parts out of the other vw transmission and showed me where there is a squared off clip that connects the shaft on the inside - and said that on mine the shaft itself was coming out so that pin must have broken and was probably chewed up by the gears there and hopefully the metal from that was on the magent now and wouldn't cause any more damage.

Then he went on to say after they talked to me yesterday afternoon the mechanic kept messing with it and found a way to get that inside clip in from the outside, and had fabricated one out of a part from another trans, but had to file it and taper it to get it in from the outside.  Then put it all back together.  Drove a few miles. He said it would probably hold - and if it was his he would try driving it like that - but there is a chance that it won't hold or the clip they made may break etc... and if I really wanted to trust it that it would be better to have them pull the trans and open it up and replace the inside clip the correct way with a real replacement clip...

Seemed kinda song and dance like to me - like maybe they just reused the old outside flange clip, weren't sure if it would, or maybe were trying to get an upsell for a rebuild - but when I only got charged $45 and was able to drive to work in it - well, I dunno - I'm happy till I'm stranded anyway

[shwartzbewithyou]

I think you're good to go.  Remember this clip really isn't taking the stress, it's the splines (?) on the shaft.  That clip is just guiding it, it's not even guiding, it's just .....it's just...well, you know.

[TDForNow]

Also keep in mind, for that $600, you can get 2 used trannys day in day out.