Stress cracks and busted gearboxes...

[Knestis]

Cameron split the gearbox case this week and figured out - pretty quickly - why we lost 3-5th gears at the VIR 13. The pic above shows approximately half of the output shaft, which has broken right at the root of the spline between 2nd and 3rd gears.

The circular crystalized looking bit about as big around as the end of my pinkie finger is what broke while Greg Amy was on the track. The rest of the break shows the classic "beach marks" of a propegating stress crack, except where it's scuffed on the right from rubbing on the bit that WOULD drive 1st and 2nd. Greg had a theory about what busted but I was too busy getting into the car to remember it. Were you right, Greg?

This is why we make an exception to the "you break it, you buy it" rule for codrivers. This piece has been failing for a long time. This shaft and the ring gear that goes with it was out of a 1996 Golf diesel, so it's been there.

K

[Greg Amy]

Were you right, Greg?[/b]

100%. Scary, ain't it?

An unfortunate - and highly unusual - failure. In 20+ years of driving H20 V-dubs, I've never seen a failure like that... - GA

[67ITB]

It looks like the driver was abusing it !!!! you let THAT guy drive your car???

Don’t you know his history?



Matt Bal

[Bill Miller]

100%. Scary, ain't it?

An unfortunate - and highly unusual - failure. In 20+ years of driving H20 V-dubs, I've never seen a failure like that... - GA
[/b]

Yep, I have to echo what Greg said, I've never seen one fail like that.

[JamesB]

I have seen that failure once before, but is was on a turbod rabbit. But that sheering happen too, however, even then that was the first time any of us had seen that kind of failure. Usuualy its just 2nd or 3rd gear syncro explodes.

That is an odd failure. As for trannys I am still searching for a spare one myself, but im being cheap and picky.