Date:         Fri, 10 Jan 2003 05:12:10 EST
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Oxroad <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Time for a clutch?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Seemed like my clutch was slipping today. I was going up hill and had been in
stop and go traffic for about an hour. Seemed I would check trying to
"rapidly" accelerate and the RPMS would rise but the bus wouldn't gain speed.
Then if I eased off the gas I could accelerate at a slower steady pace.

Then after my "check" the clutch made noise just as it engaged from a dead
stop. The noise was similar to a worn brake noise--a bit of metal on
metal--not sever but definately audible. I stopped the "checking" for fear
I'd bust something and nursed the bus to my destination.

Seems like a no brainer. But here's the catch. When I came back home tonight
I couldn't create the same effect. The clutch didn't seem to slip at all even
up hill with heavy acceleration. And no noise even from a dead start.

Would the clutch being hot from stop and go traffic, in addition to the
clutch being worn, increase the slippage going up hill. Then when I was
coming home in no traffic, and the clutch was cooler let's say, would it not
be inclined to slip? (And yes, it's up hill both coming and going--up and
down that is.)

Finally, the clutch pedal engages and disengages the clutch quite close to
the top of the pedal's travel. I suppose this would also lead to the clutch
being worn out. But is there a standard travel that delinates "time for a new
clutch." I can't find any info. on travel in Bentley. And it seems like there
is no adjustment for the hydralic clutch--true?

I''ve put about 60K on the clutch, but it was in the bus when I bought it so
I'm not sure of the clutch's actual mileage.

TIA
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA