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Mickey,
I agree with Bruce. I'd be talking to the builder.
I know the noise you described. It's usually with stock transaxles and big motors. When you get off the gas at higher RPM's the trans unloads and the thrust is now doing a jake brake. Everything in the trans is now loaded the other way.
I'm not sure what makes the noise, and I've never had one explode, but it is not a good sound.
I had my Speedster trans built at Rancho in Calif. I can't say enough about those guys and what quality work they do. It doesn't make that noise. The stock trans in my '72 Beetle and my '73 Ghia (Both with big(er) motors)do. I just avoid that situation and noise and let off slower (or coast) with those two cars.

Greg
Not that you need a third and similar opinion, but Bruce touched on the truth and Greg is totally correct! You could replace the trans fluid with Purple or Red Line or some other race formula to sustain life, but the damage is done. Didn't I tell you earlier, in another post to drain the trans and fill it with the right stuff?

If I forgot, I'm sorry.
It is (in my "most likely" opinion) one of the bearings at the very front of the transmission. There are two; one for the input shaft, and another for the output shaft. Believe it or not, they sit right behind the nose cone and can usually be changed by just pulling the tranny out, removing the nose cone and swapping the bearings. (OK, so there's a little more to it than that, but not much).

It's usually caused by poor quality bearings (you simply can't get German ones any more) and the amount of torque applied to them under acceleration and deceleration (Jake, or compression braking, as Greg mentioned).

Interestingly, my transmission was quiet for about 3,000 miles and then I changed the transmission oil to "the Good Stuff", Mobile 1 90 wt synthetic gear oil. About two weeks later, it started to whine in third and another two weeks later started to growl a little in third and fourth. I removed all of the Mobile 1 stuff, flushed it with the recommended solvent (streamed in under pressure) and replaced it all with Kendall 90 wt. Dino Hypoid Oil. Immediately, the noise decreased a lot (although it's still there a little). I've noticed no difference in shifting effort going back to Dino tranny oil, but I won't use synthetic in these transmissions any more, even though Porsche uses it exclusively on new engines/transmissions. My 1970-style doesn't seem to like it......

gn
Just to clarify my "Question of the Day" post - that was a shifting issue in part AND the mentioning of this issue. It would catch reverse on the downshift from 2nd to 3rd sometimes. And it was a littel tough getting into 3rd. That issue was resolved when I readjusted the empi shifter. The "throttle off" noise is till there however and that's why I posted.

I spoke with Scott from Metalcraft today, the guy who built my transmission. He's a very nice guy and was very helpful in going over things with me. Anyway, I'm going to put some Redline Heavyweight Shockproof gear oil in as per his recommendation. He suggested I drive it for a little while and see if things change. One of the things he thinks it may be is the "finishing" on the welded gears which to keep it simple, sometimes will make noise but not harm anything. The other maybe the mounts being a little stiffer than normal (Rhino). He said no matter what, if I have to send it back he'll stand behind it. So we'll go from here and see where we end up. Stand up guy for sure.
If you're running those red or black, stiff Urethane tranny mounts, rather than the "normal" black rubber ones, you'll get a LOT more transmission and engine noise than before.

Yes, they supposedly will take more torque from larger engines before they tear apart, but you pay for that with lots more engine and tranny noise transmitted through the frame into the cockpit.

I would go the Redline route, too...

gn
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