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Date:         Mon, 6 Mar 2006 16:46:47 -0500
Reply-To:     Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Subject:      Re: obvious always first - shifter problem solved!
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

Will,

If the mechanic who did your brakes a year ago had left the system less than full or needing to be bled, you would have noticed it long ago. In all likelihood, the problem you are experiencing has nothing to do with the brakes.

It is very likely that you have a leak in the clutch part of the hydraulic system. It is fed by the tube that comes off the top of the reservoir going to the right and then downward. Yes, leaking in the hydraulic system first disables the clutch. Stopping is more important than shifting or so the design logic went.

If your master cylinder is leaking you will see brake fluid right under the pedals beneath the steering column. If the slave cylinder is leaking, you might see fluid outside of it or maybe not. It is located on top of the driver's side of the transmission Since the system has taken so much fluid and still has a soft clutch, you probably will be to see where clutch fluid has leaked. The leaking can be inside the accordion like rubber thing around the end of the slave cylinder and not show itself until you push that back.

It is quite likely that you have a bad slave cylinder, since you haven't noticed fluid under the steering column. I've had to replace 3 or 4 of these. I have saved several sets of "how-to's" for this job from the list and the archives and will send them to you if this is the problem. I haven't ever had to do the master cylinder job, but do have saved materials for that if the leak is up front.

Let me know what you find and I will send you the appropriate files.

Sam

-- Sam Walters Baltimore, MD

89 Syncro GL, Zetec Inside 85 Westy Weekender 85 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel - to become veggie oil powered

All incoming and outgoing email scanned by automatically updated copy of Norton AntiVirus.

-- Sam Walters Baltimore, MD

89 Syncro GL, Zetec Inside 85 Westy Weekender 85 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel - to become veggie oil powered

All incoming and outgoing email scanned by automatically updated copy of Norton AntiVirus.


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