If the rubber stops could be fitted between the fork and the mounting block I’d say they’re to stop the engine/box from shunting forward. If they’re on the outboard side of the block I don’t see how they can do anything, but there is a hole in the torsion bar beam just in front of the mount, what’s that for? Incidentally I haven’t reached the high status of being a pauper and don’t paint the box at all; it’s naked alloy.
late boxes are longer by 1cm and as a result the fork is different - it does have little rubber stops cast in.
You'd think so, but they don't seem to do much. The cow horns are pretty well clamped. It's a mystery.
The rubber blocks are probably there to stop the front of the gearbox beong trashed when some low paid worker in a VW factory smashed the gearbox and engine assembly into the bus on the production line as a part of the assembly process... something like .. as the body shell goes past , jack up the engine and gearbox in the way , get the fork lined up with the axle tube slap on the clamp ...then once it hits the suspension tube on the rubber buffers pull it back and do up the two gearbox hanger bolts then clamp it up tight on the front fork.
Oh the smug feeling when you drill out a sheared off stud and it winds out the back. That's all 4 of the little buggers removed from the hubs
Another trick with sheared off bolts and studs Is to build up a blob of weld on the top and then use mole grips to wind them out. The heat from the weld normally releases them.
I had to do this to get the sliding door retaining plate off. The Philips head bolt on the inside had worn down so a blob of weld and mole grips made quick work of it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I don't have day welding equipment though, so I usually drill them out working gradually up.to a 7mm bit for M8 and then taps. Love it when the broken bit just winds out like this when I'm only on the 4mm bit
Just to update this thread, the flange wobble was a well well worn differential. Its quite amazing how long those gearboxes carry on while at the same time eating themselves out.
I have to say I've been mightily impressed with all the detailed photos and videos you've sent me while you've been rebuilding my gearbox. I doubt I'd have got that from anyone else.
