Club 80-90 Forums

I had a faint scraping noise from the back end (varies with road speed), accompanied by an occasional very faint clatter. It's too cold, dark & wet outside so I took it in to the garage who found remnants of some part in a brake drum. (I'm still not clear what it was, but I was told it prevents something from coming undone which never, in fact, comes undone – they are a well-established commercial vehicle garage who seem to know what they are talking about and I trust them). After he removed the whatsit, the clattering stopped, but I could still hear the faint scraping noise. I thought the brake shoe must have got scuffed and that it would bed in, but it hasn’t, and it only changes very slightly when I apply the brakes. I took it back in and he had another look at the brakes and the wheel bearings, and he can’t see anything wrong. Recently, 300 miles or so later, there is a new noise : a faint one again, and varying with road speed again. It could be described as a soft buzzing, or a deep hum, the sound I imagine a knobbly off-road tire pattern would make, or perhaps a worn cog. It is only noticeable above about 40mph, and changes pitch according to road-speed. It comes and goes a bit. I notice it for 10 minutes or so then it fades out again. I doesn’t seem to change when I brake, accelerate, corner, press the clutch or anything. I’ve looked at the wiki and I’m beginning to think I should change the gear-box oil, which seeps slightly past what might be the drive flange seal, and which I have been meaning to look at, and feeling guilty about, forever. It doesn’t sound like descriptions of CVs on their way out. I think the brake thingy must have been simple co-incidence. Any other ideas, anybody?
It is a 1983 1.9 petrol DG with a 5-speed box
Thanks
Miles

If you've got a DG on a 5-speed box you need to be taking a lot greater care of it than that. A 5-speed box (in good nick) is hard to come by and leaving an oil leak unchecked is asking for trouble. You could try topping up (as a matter of urgency I'd say) but it may now have accelerated wear in more than one place if its been running low or dry. Whatever you do, don't keep driving it if you haven't checked the oil level.

I added a pictorial explanation in the WIKI of how to replace the seals on the drive flanges (either in situ or with box removed).
https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ge ... eak_repair" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Mine is a 5-speed and it has not leaked since. Do shop around for parts. It is not uncommon to find that VW themselves are cheaper than some of the more popular outlets - depends on what the part is and availability.