[Vwdiesel] 5 speed transmission

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

  Surprisingly they run a LONG time on a 4 speed although I'm 
sure before long you'll be ready to hear the tower give you 
clearance for take off!
  Unless you get a rebuilder for near free, you're more likely to 
get a good deal on a good one and then tear into it.  A "bad" 
one at best will have a chipped reverse tooth or worn synchro.  
Good odds that you'd end up finding one with a bad pinion 
bearing, 5th gear or ring gear.
  It'd be good to open one up and replace the rear pinion bearing 
and check the synchros.  Checking them according to the 
measurements doesn't work.  Mine was fine and it had to come 
apart again to fix it.  :-P  You check each one by hand by the 
friction the syncro and it's hub impart to eachother.  Too little 
and it'll grind.
  You do need the special puller to seperate the main body from 
the bellhousing part.
     Loren