Date:         Sat, 10 Jun 2006 14:17:16 -0600
Reply-To:     vanagonvw <vanagonvw@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         vanagonvw <vanagonvw@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Clutch Pedal Freeplay
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Its just me throwing out thoughts and wondering if anyone would care to toss
anything back <g>

Got my van into the garage and dove under to take a look at the slave
cylinder, and there is no sign of any fluid....... It still looks brand new,
which is no suprise as it doesn't have 5000 miles on it.

Poked around the master cylinder, as best as I could, and there is surely no
fluid to be found. The fluid level in the reservoir is right where it ought
to be, and I have not noticed anything different in the braking action.

Had my helper press the clutch pedal, and watched the slave cylinder. It did
not move at all until she got to the very bottom of the pedal travel, and
then it was only about 1/4" movement on the clutch fork.

The pedal basically goes right down to the bottom of its travel, with very
mild resistance with the last small amount of movement near the floor.

I am going to bleed it, but have no pressure bleeder, so it will be just my
son pumping the pedal, me opening and closing the bleeder. As I have much to
do this weekend, I will be in the 'thinking and planning mode' which I tend
to do a lot of before attempting repairs. Not being my primary ride, that's
a 'luxury' that I like to take advantage of.

The stupid question of the day is this, just for thinking purposes. I know I
have to bleed it first thing, to see where this is going, and that will
happen later tonight, but my mind works this way:  If I bleed it, and there
is air, and after I am done, it seems to work, what happened? On my trip
earlier this week, when I left, it was fine, and I took a pretty hairy drive
up and down a winding jeep road for about 4 miles of probably the roughest
continuous road I have ever taken the van on. Tons of 'way up, and way down'
bumps, a few times coming off the ground. For me and the van, a wicked
amusement park ride. :-) Is it a really stupid thought to wonder if the
fluid in the reservoir got to sloshing around and the clutch master cylinder
gulped in some air? Has that ever happened to anyone here? Can such a thing
happen?

I ask because I like to have things to think about as I consider my next
move. It seems the only logical way that air could get into the system, but
the brakes seem unaffected. I believe the line that feeds the clutch
cylinder is out the side of the tank, and the brakes feed from the very
bottom?

Anyway, I know its just useless banter until I bleed ckt, but its how I work
these things, and I am just curious to know if the idea of swallowing some
air on a particularly wicked ride is just ridiculous, or a possibility.

I do appreciate all the help the list offers, and the time you folks take to
help me out with this kind of stuff.

John