Clicking from the rear!!

[Mikes]

I’ve just brought myself an austrian ex police 1996 golf estate syncro, there is some clicking from the rear area, which goes away after a few 100 meters.
Has anyone experienced this or has an idea what it may be?
I was wondering if it was the VC.
It sounds like a cv joint noise i’ve heard before from the front of my normal car when on full lock.
I can get a VC from a passatt V6 – are they the same unit or just better? will it fit????
thanks
Mikes

[h4den1]

i had this problem a while ago , tured out to be the transferbox on my car

[Chris S]

The VC cannot not make any noises, so it wont be that.

It could be the rear diff though, however these are in plentiful supply for 4 cylinder engine and there will be no difficulty getting hold of another one if it does happen to fail,

However the VR6 rear diff is notoriously difficult to get hold of and if your car is a 6 potter you should get it checked asap

[Mikes]

Right, here’s where I am now.
over christmas I MOT’d the syncro,
and over the last couple of days it’s been a little snowy and icey here and obviously the best time to have a syncro, when driving along forwards the clicking goes after you get the speed beond 20km/hr, 4×4 works in forwards, doesn’t in reverse.
so the clicking must be related.
when I looked at the rear diff there are lots of pipes like break pipes, what are they for? could there be fluid missing? How does it all work……
If I need a new diff then does anyone have one for sale?

[Mikes]

quote:

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Originally posted by h4den1

i had this problem a while ago , tured out to be the transferbox on my car

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the transfer box is at the front and the nosie is at the back, I’m thinking of jacking up the whole car starting it and putting it in gear to have a look at everything moving to see if there is anything obvious.

[Mikes]

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris S

The VC cannot not make any noises, so it wont be that.

It could be the rear diff though, however these are in plentiful supply for 4 cylinder engine and there will be no difficulty getting hold of another one if it does happen to fail,

However the VR6 rear diff is notoriously difficult to get hold of and if your car is a 6 potter you should get it checked asap

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I can pick up a v6 diff and vc for £100 from a scrappy I know who has an estate with a blown engine.
what does a 6 potter mean?
my car is a 66kw turbo diesel.
Who would know how to check it? my local VW dealer hasn’t any real idea I spoke to the head mechanic who hasn’t seen any!! So I’m not really willing to waste £50 an hr for them to scratch their heads.

[Mikes]

just read in the forum
Rear Differential
This operates as a conventional differential with one exception it allows drive in one direction and freewheels in the other. This can be reversed by a mechanism that is controlled by an electrical solenoid and vacuum actuator to enable 4WD when reverse gear is selected.
(The operation of this device gives the characteristic “Clunk” occasionally heard when the car is moved in reverse)

Could it be my solenoid and vacuum actulator that’s broken?

[Chris S]

Its more likely to be a vacuum pipe that has become disconected (the ones that you thought were brake pipes), the clicking you can hear is the freewheel (like a pedal bicycle freewheel)

The reverse 4wd is switched by the reversing light switch (mounted on the gearbox) so yes it could be either that or the solenoid or or vacuum pipes / actuator that is not working.

As in your original post you say that it goes away after a few hundered meters I would first look at the non return valve in the vacuum line, It is a set in a green plastic pipe coming off the inlet manifold and heading off along the bulkhead towards the left front wing.

A 6 potter is a 6 cylinder motor, the transfer box/ rear diff have different ratios to the 4 cylinder motor and are not compatable with each other.

[Mikes]

I’ll be checking it out this weekend. thanks for the pic that’ll help.

[Chris S]

btw part nr 2 the 3 ball reservoir sits under the right front wing.

[Mikes]

right, been under the car finally!, and all the pipe work looks in fine condition,
The only thing that looks bust is a little unit by the axle (has 4 pipes going into it) with a spring attached to it, and it looks like one of the locating pins is missing, however without one to compare with is a little tricky.
the spring feels loose and not very springy! is this the bit that engages the 4×4 for reverse?

[Mikes]

found a picture of the axle on here,
http://www.vwsyncro.co.uk/?arc=Adjustable+rear+axle&page=3&size=3&tpxbasketid=&search=&sortby=filename&sortbydir=asc&cols=3&cmd=show_item&i=6&big=0&gotourl=&p=6.Photos_ChrisS%2F_&basket_params=&basket_params_index=&noflash=&video_or_image=

You can see the new spring, it’s the bit that it fits too on mine that looks broke. what is it?

[Chris S]

Thats the new rear brake regulator operating spring link I fitted when I rebuilt a wide track rear end for my Syncro,

Its highly unlikely to be anything to do with any clicking noises,

btw it is supposed to be a bit loose []

[Mikes]

Ok, well that’s good news I spose as it isn’t that!
I checked all the vacumn pipes and they don’t appear to be damaged. They go into a large plastic thing just behind the axle, impossible to get to really.
Maybe the next thing to do is drop the rear suspension down to check it all out???
Don’t really fancy it till it warms up for summmer.
The 4×4 is working going forwards so at least I can still have fun in the snow!!
I’ll change all the oil next.
It looks exactly the same as the Mk2 golf rear drive, maybe I could get one of those to fit
or find a damaged Mk3 syncro in a scrappy in Europe somewhere and get the rear axle…… still big money then don’t fancy that

[Chris S]

Mikes, I just sent you an e-mail

[Author]

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