Vanagon EuroVan
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Date:         Mon, 11 Feb 2002 14:45:06 -0500
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM>
Subject:      Re: Clutch Option/Question for '81 air cooled
In-Reply-To:  <002001c1b032$92ec5620$4e0145cf@vaio>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> Hello from Atlanta, Ga. I read with interest the various listee > and vendor explanations as to the clutch options for an '81 air cooled 4 speed. It > seems there are three choices---the basic, the middle of the road and the > fabled----"only sold in Europe, but I sell 'em here in the US of A"--- > Syncro Clutch! .....A hush falls over the crowd.....Visa cards > ready--Charge!!! > > From experience, fellow listees, is there any discernable > difference between > the choices, other than price and who is selling which one? Are they all > 228 mm? I for one would gladly pay twice the price of the basic clutch to > have "the best clutch" in my '81's. Is one type really better, or is it a > case of "the more you pay, the more it's worth"? Thanks!

Well, since nobody seems to be jumping in here, I'll explain as best I can...

Good... The Sachs kit ($114 with listmember discount). This is the kit that most Vanagons came with. Originally all components in the kit were German made. This is not always the case anymore, as Sachs-USA is also using the Mexican Sachs facility for supply. Most people use this kit, and without problems. I have one in my own Westy, and had one in the Westy before that and the Westy before that. However, some people have complained of a tendancy for this kit toward "clutch chatter," a complaint which is well documented in the archives. Others have said that they believe this to be caused by external factors such as worn motor mounts or an uneven flywheel surface. I would tend to weigh in on the latter side; I think that in most cases the causes are external. I have seen few or no confirmed cases on vans where the flywheel was replaced or resurfaced, the motor mounts changed, etc. when the clutch job was done. This is not to say that I am convinced that the Sachs kits never chatter, but I think that in the vast majority of cases the culprit lies elsewhere. Perhaps the Sachs kit is more sensitive to everything being just right. Or perhaps there isn't any problem with the Sachs kits at all, and the only reason that everyone who complains about clutch chatter has a Sachs kit is that virtually everyone has a Sachs kit anyway, since they have a huge percentage of the market share. Myself, I had the identical Sachs kit in three vans; one chattered, two didn't. Go figure.

Better... The $143 LuK kit (w/listmember discount). LuK is another OEM supplier to VW, just like Sachs. Other listmembers have commented that the parts have a somewhat heavier duty appearance than the Sachs kit, although this does not always translate into a real difference in longevity. I have been selling this kit for a number of years and have had not even one single complaint of clutch chatter with a LuK kit. (But as I said, the installed base is much smaller, so the odds favor less complaints anyway.) Still, for the small difference in price, versus the hassle/cost of doing the work, it's good "insurance" in my opinion.

Best... The "European only" LuK kit, which I import from Germany, for $189 (with listmember discount). This is the later style kit, which was designed to reduce clutch pedal travel. It also does appear heavier duty than the other two kits. I myself have ground the gears once or twice because I just hadn't pushed the pedal all the way to the floor. For this reason, I plan to use this kit on my own Westy, which is just about in need of a new clutch.

So, are they really "good, better, best?" Perhaps, perhaps not. I can only tell you what I know and what my customers have told me, which is certainly less than scientific proof. You could install the cheapest one and it could last you ten years, or you could install the best one and get the one in a million that is defective and self-destructs in a month. No one has a crystal ball. Frankly I don't make any more money selling you the most expensive kit; in fact I make just a tad less on it, having cut my standard markup slightly in order to hit the magical "under-$200" price point that makes things sell. But as a general rule of thumb, my philosophy is this. When deciding on whether to spring the extra bucks for a "better" product, I always consider the worst-case scenario - what will it cost me in hassle, time, money, and safety if the part fails prematurely? If the part will be easy to replace again if it fails prematurely, or if its failure is unlikely to leave me stranded or cause my van to crash, I may opt for the cheapest part. Worst case I'll just have to replace it again sooner, and best case I saved some money. But if premature failure of the part could cause an expensive repair bill, dangerous or inconvenient breakdown, etc., I will tend to pay more for the claimed "better" part, just as good "insurance." Saving the few bucks on the part just isn't worth the downside risk to me, and the way I look at it, the higher-end part is unlikely to be _worse_, so I'll opt for what I perceive as the safest bet. That's why I'm putting the LuK in my own van next time.

Just my $.02 (or $189.95 as the case may be :-) ...

- Ron Salmon The Bus Depot, Inc. (215) 234-VWVW www.busdepot.com

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