Gearbox Flange Blanking Plug has been battered!!!

[Yozza]

Ay up,
I recognize the grinding/rumbling noise from the rear drive shafts, I suspected it was the CV joints again (after only 2 years ). That may teach me to buy off ebay? Sure enough there is damage to the inner race but most disturbing was the near side inner CV dropped a load of oil when it was removed. What the? I'm not sure went wrong but maybe I had the CV boot secured to the shaft in the wrong place and as a result pulled the shaft against the gearbox flange blanking plug and eventually wore a hole in it allowing oil through.
Anyone suffered the ailment? If so, am I barking up the right tree?
Can I assume this can only be sourced from VW only?
Cheerz

[billy739]

were the circlips holding the joint to the shaft in place?

also early shafts are longer than later shafts 541 & 548 mm

also auto shafts are completely the wrong length!

i would check this first.

did you replace both sides? if not you can measure the original one

[Aidan]

All these bits on shelf here, ? is the spring washer present ? that's under the circlip

[Yozza]

Thanks fellas, I'll double check the lengths, however, I did line them up on the bench and they did look the same length (either both too short or too long). It's an '88 so can I assume they should be the longer length?

All these bits on shelf here, ? is the spring washer present ? that's under the circlip

There was only the Circlips, no spring washer (do you mean Beville style - like on the Syncro shafts)? I had no spring washers on any of the shafts.