Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 12:55:44 -0400
Reply-To: neil <goofymuso@YAHOO.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil <goofymuso@YAHOO.CA>
Subject: Re: suddenly clutch just gone?
In-Reply-To: <4469F903.1080407@frontleftspeakerposse.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
True, as you've discovered, you do have a
"hydraulically operated clutch release mechanism".
AFAIK, if the clutch disc or diphragm spring were at
fault, it would give warning signs before wearing out
completely. If pedal suddenly goes to floor, its
likely a failure of a related mechanical or hydrualic
component in linkage between pedal and release shaft
in clutch housing.
Since tranny was replaced, see if slave cylinder is
moving at all when pedal depressed, and check for
hydraulic fluid leaks. Have a look at end of clutch
pedal. Maybe the clevis slipped out at end of pedal.
Don't know how common it is for linkage to fail inside
clutch housing.
Any takers on that one?
Neil.
--- chris <vanagon@FRONTLEFTSPEAKERPOSSE.COM> wrote:
> for some reason these things never seem to happen
> when ive driven the
> van myself the day previous... and I wish it did, so
> I didn't have to
> wonder if these things are related to *how* the
> others drive it.
>
>
> anyway, so I get up this morning, load up the dogs
> and get ready for a
> nice wake-up at the beach when I realize the clutch
> pedal just *whoomp*
> drops right to the floor with zero resistance.
>
> admittedly I don't know a lot about how they work
> and thought at first
> it was some sort of cable given how much it dropped
> and how quickly, but
> im looking through the bently and don't actually see
> a cable, just all
> hydraulics.
>
> checked the brake fluid resivour, and it was nearly
> a little DOT3 bottle
> low (from the MAX mark, just a bit below the MIN
> mark really.)
>
> So I top that off, but its not getting anywhere.
> (nor did I think it
> was, even with as little as I know about the
> system.)
>
> What can I check next?
>
> Mine is an 81 aircooled if that makes a diff.
> I had the whole tranny replaced just last year, but
> didnt have the
> clutch done at the time as the PO claimed to have
> had done it not too
> long ago as is. (against the advice of the local
> mech that did the trans
> work.)
>
> is this how a clutch goes out? Just out of the blue
> you hop it and the
> pedal drops to the floor? or IS there some cable
> somewhere and im just
> missing any reference to it in my Bently?
>
> I hate it when the list of things that need to be
> addressed start
> growing larger than the list of things that are
> working well at the
> moment. grrrrr.
>
> any help, suggestions, or misc tomfoolery is always
> welcome.
>
> thanks.
>
> --
> Chris
> '81 (AC) Vanagon Westfalia 'Rocky'
> nor*cal
>
> frontleftspeakerposse.com
>
Neil Nicholson.
1981 air cooled Westfalia.
Cheap-o web site:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/tubanick/welcomewesty.html
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