Labor Day Weekend from Hell (long)

[Toby Erkson <Toby_Erkson@ccm.jf.intel.com>]

Okay kids, here's a condensed story of my weekend so gather 'round and 
remember, when the story's over and you're laying in bed, don't turn out 
the light or the Oil Sucking Mosquitoes will get ya!...

After about a two hour drive me and Scott arrive in Toll Bridge Park at 
10pm to meet our friends that we're going to go rafting with.  As I pulled 
into the park I noticed that I couldn't enter 1st or 2nd gear.  After the 
engine was off for a couple of minutes I was able to drive normally.

The next day Scott talked too long and we ended up missing our road.  We 
finally did get to the drop off site where everyone was waiting for us.  My 
gas needle was deep in the red zone (i.e. 3 drops of petrol left).  Luckily 
I carry a gallon plastic gas can and we were off shootin' the rapids and 
gawking at the bikini's, er, scenery.  Time passes and we eventually arrive 
back at my car, you know, the one with no gas and has been keyed down the 
passenger side...WHAT!?  Yep, some ass**** scraped my car and didn't leave 
a note (karma, kill that bastard!).  Scott and I go back down the unpaved, 
washboarded four mile dirt road and pick up Terri (I don't know how she put 
up with our testosterone).

Nine miles out of Maupin (pronounced mop'in) I suddenly see smoke from 
behind my baby and my oil pressure gauge ever so slowly dropping.  I 
immediately pull over, exited the car so fast that Scott and Terri still 
swear I must've jumped through the rag top opening, scurried to the back 
and dropped to my hands and knees to see all my synthetic oil pouring out 
through my OIL DRAIN HOLE!  A five quart system can leave a good sized pool 
of blood, let me tell you.

We followed the oil trail to the beginning and began a desperate search for 
the drain plug, for I knew nothing could save us with out one.  We finally 
had to quit because the mosquitoes were swarming us so badly that none of 
us (i.e. that'd be me) could concentrate.  Great, out in the puckerbrush 
with the nearest town (population 420) nine miles away.  We were (later) 
able to cell phone AAA (I'm a customer for LIFE!) and get towed back to 
Maupin.  Luckily the cool, grundgy truck dude knew a couple of people into 
VWs.  The local Sheriff just so happened to work on Bugs and after a short 
trip I had the drain plug installed, 4 quarts of Havoline 20W-50 
conventional oil (shudder) in my baby and she was runnin'.

Well, sorta.  Entering camp was difficult in 3rd gear in a 5mph zone.  
Seems the tranny was really gone.  Well, 11pm isn't a good time to check 
things so it'd have to wait 'til morn.

Morn.  Inspection proved an extremely loose shifter, slack clutch cable, a 
LOOSE SIDE COVER PLATE and tranny fluid all over the oil sump (oh, and a 
headache that started yesterday and hadn't stopped).  If it wasn't for 
Terri I think I would've put five gun shots into my car and the other four 
into me.  Luckily I carry my tool box and was able to fix everything but 
the tranny was really bad.  We did make it home and I refilled the tranny 
with 75-90 Valvoline synthetic but she is still, in my mind, undriveable.

So, here's my problem and I'm hoping to get some info before I go out and 
buy a brand new tranny:
     Tranny cold:  Car wants to move forward in neutral, must keep clutch 
in if idling.  Shifting is very unreliable, it may go in, more than likely 
it won't.  Trying reverse causes the car to lurch, almost like the rear 
brake shoes had rusted to the drums then broke free (and for those not 
paying attention it's *not* a brake problem but a tranny problem).
     Tranny warm: Car won't move forward in neutral but it sure is just 
whirring away (making noise).  First and second gear whine as well but 
third and fourth seem okay.  Shifting is a little easier while moving.

When I drained the tranny oil the drain plug was *brimming* with metal.  I 
was able to get my finger in the tranny a little and I scrapped out a 
couple of thin fragments of metal (okay, I'm screwed, where's my gun, this 
horse is lame).

I bought the transaxle new and beefed up from Transform in '87 and it has 
server me with no problem except for this one event.  I do admit that I 
knew the oil level was low and I did intend on topping it off on Sunday and 
this may have led to the failure (because I procrastinated).

     Toby "well, at least I have an excuse to drive my 914" Erkson
     air_cooled_nut@pobox.com
     '72 VW Squareback 1.6L bored and stroked to 2.0L
     '75 Porsche 914 1.8L NOT for sale
     Portland, Oregon
     http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/8501/