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Date:         Sat, 23 Sep 2000 12:08:54 -0500
Reply-To:     John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Rodgers <inua@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: clutch shudder
Comments: To: l p <lphm@HOTMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;

A short while after installing a new engine and new clutch assembly with new clutch plate, my van developed a shudder. 3 or 4 months later I had it up on a rack for oil change and some other stuff, and found the rear of the engine case and clutch housing wet with oil...not enough to drip, but enough to tell me I had a weepy rear seal. Geeling around, I discovered the last two case bolts were not tight. Retorqued those oand checked the others.....and seemingly the seep has gone away. The chatter has diminished and I attribute that two two things...1) No more oil is seeping onto the clutch plate, 2) I have changed my clutch operation method.

Regards the clutch operation, I used to be slow about engaging/disengaging the clutch, so the clutch plate was not solidly against the flywheel, but now I am quick to get my foot off that clutch pedal. I has made a big difference. If there is any oil on the clutchface or flywheel face, the clutch will shudder.

John Rodgers 88GL Driver

l p wrote:

> Moby developed a clutch shudder overnight (actually, on return from the > service station she was towed to after last trip for fuel system related > problems--could towing be cause of this? who knows). Anyway, next Friday I > need to leave for river running extravaganza in Utah, 2500 mile round trip. > I probably won't have time to do any work on the car before then. My > question is: is this a reasonable thing to do, given my newly shuddering > clutch? > > For background, I checked the archives, found that this is a fairly common > problem for vanagons. Symptoms are heavy & fairly brief "shudders" that > seem to come from the rear end heavily and briefly when starting in 1st or > reverse, especially under load (on hills or quicker getaways) (other drivers > also noted symptoms in 2nd gear, not me). Many people have been baffled by > this problem, and a lot of part$ tend to get thrown at it, with varying > results. The definitive cause didn't seem to have been identified, but > possible causes include oil on clutch plate, problems with the throwout > bearing and/or cross shaft that supports it (I'm just quoting archives, I've > never been inside a tranny), flywheel, engine/tranny mounts, a certain brand > of clutch plates, & other theories like air in hydraulic line, etc. > > Anyway, trying to read between the lines, it seemed that people often took > their time to fix, or just lived with, the problem, making it annoying but > relatively benign at least in the short term. If this is true, I think I > would be inclined to go ahead and risk the drive to Utah. Anyone that can > offer advice to the contrary? TIA. > > Lloyd > Vancouver, Canada > '84 1.9 Vgon "Moby", slightly broken again, as usual


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