Date: Sat, 10 Jun 2006 13:35:04 -0700
Reply-To: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Clutch Pedal Freeplay
In-Reply-To: <001101c68cca$e35dde20$adc3a404@desktop>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Hey John.
I really don't see your master getting air, not on a ride that you
survived. I had my throwout bearing rod bind and eventually break, many
years ago, and the only warning sign was some stiffness in the clutch pedal
before it started hanging up in a similar manner to yours.
Go on back and have some one cycle the pedal, then see if you can make it go
all the back to the starting position by pushing with your hand ( sneaker,
python boot, etc). Try oiling the shaft ends.
Seeya, Jake
On 6/10/06, vanagonvw <vanagonvw@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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
>
--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
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