Date:         Thu, 14 Feb 2002 10:08:46 EST
Reply-To:     KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         KENWILFY@AOL.COM
Subject:      LUK Clutch info.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

OK, after a little debate as to exactly which LUK clutch I have for sale (the
regular or heavy duty) I wanted to post what I have discovered.

I have a Sachs clutch kit here that is rated for Vanagons from 80-91.  I also
have a LUK kit that is rated for the water cooled Vanagons from 86-91 and
also for syncros.  In comparing the two there are some marked differences.
The LUK clutch disc has wider metal pieces that hold the outter disc to the
inner hub of the clutch disc.  This makes for a beefier clutch disc.  Also
the pressure plate is physically heavier (weight wise).  The pressure plate
has the same thickness contact area as the Sachs, however the Sachs pressure
plate contact area thins out along the last 1/2" of it's edge where the LUK
contact material is the same thickness all the way from the center to the
edge.  Also in the center of the pressure plate where it actually attaches
the heavy contact area (basically a heavy steel circle) with the release
spline assembly, the Sach PP has tabs that stick out from the center which
are riveted to the to release assembly.  The LUK PP has a lip that is part of
the pressure plate contact area that goes all the way around the center and
the release spline assembly is actually riveted to this (much heavier duty).


If you had these two clutch kits sitting on a desk in front of you the choice
between which was a heavy duty kit and which was not would be very simple to
make as the LUK kit looks and feels much heavier duty.

Having said all of this I have installed many of the Sachs kits on customer's
vans and on my own with no real problems (one warped PP which I found out
later was probably caused by the customer's inability to shift properly).
These kits sell for $125.  However if you want something more heavy duty then
I would suggest going for the LUK kit which is $149 on my web site.  The
third alternative is that LUK actually makes an even more heavy duty pressure
plate.  I am getting one of these here soon and will report back on it at
that time.  Even substituting this pressure plate into my "normal" LUK kits
the price is still going to be around $180.

Please remember that List Members get a 5% discount on orders over $100.  So
this would reduce your pricing accordingly.  I hope this clears things up on
this issue.

Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
Phone: (856)-765-1583
Fax: (856)-327-2242