Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 13:41:37 -0800
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Clutch job... done properly
In-Reply-To: <DB10D7CE-ACAE-49B1-92F1-04D37742BFF0@NEWCLEAR.US>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Just diving into the clutch in that case might not be the right thing to do.
I had a similar thing....it was a vanagon with a subaru engine installation
started.
Pushing the clutch down , same thing, just stopped half way.
I'm not sure why, but after I bled the clutch system......and connecting the
slave cylinder that wasn't properly mounted yet, it fixed the problem. Never
had to take the clutch area apart.
I also say that good workmanship is worth 9.9 on a scale of ten.
And 'all new parts' is about a 5.
I would not replace a transmission input shaft seal that isn't leaking, for
example.
In things that failed before they should, I find out in virtually 100 % of
the cases - it was lousy workmanship that caused the failure.
Here's a very common one. There's a little metal ring that goes in the
middle of waterboxer flywheel, that holds the felt seal in place.
I've seen so many of these missing it's silly. And you can not get this
part ! What I think happens is the shop sends the flywheel out for
resurfacing, the machinist removes the little ring and makes sure it goes
under a workbench and gets lost forever. No one ever notices this ring is
missing, they put it back together without it, clutch dust ruins the pilot
bearing in a few years.
I have seen this many times kids. Plane old 'lousy workmanship.'
Good workmanship is the single most important factor in a car repair. After
that I'd put quality parts.
After that I'd put leaving not-broken things alone.
And of course, we do want to maximize the cost/benefit ratio by replacing
not-failed yet parts while a big thing is apart, like a trans off an engine,
of course ! - but there's a balance.
Putting in a Brazilian made trans input shaft seal ( for example ) ,
combined with careless workmanship, can create a problem where there wasn't
one.
I even cringe when I hear 'all new parts' .......replacing too many parts
introduces problems sometimes that wouldn't have occurred. What I like to
see is 'replaced all the parts that were due, with very high quality,
usually german, parts. ' and with perfect workmanship.
Like I lube at least 6 different little areas for a throw out bearing
installation, for example.
Really good workmanship - I can not overemphasize its importance, and it
almost doesn't matter how much you pay for professional car work - a high
price for the job is no guarantee at all that you'll get this critical
ingredient, unfortunately.
About just having workmanship and creativity to work with - Here's
something that just fascinates me - - you're stuck in Mexico, all there is
to work with is a collection of mismatched old clutch parts, and a nice
collection of greases, various spooges, maybe some sandpaper.......where
cleverness and workmanship are all there is to work with ....
And if there's no margin for failure, like for some reason it just 'has to
work' ...and perhaps the conditions are brutal - cold, hot, raining
etc........especially when there are no margins, where having it not work is
just not an option, like someone's medical health rides on it say.....
That's when I'm really good - when the chips are down, and creativity is all
there is to work with, and zero margins for failure - luv it ! Regular car
repair in good conditions with quality parts is so boring in comparison.
But .....PLEASE .....good workmanship ! the single most important
ingredient, and it's not even that common, in my seldom humble opinion - lol
!
Scott
www.turbovans.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Kai Mei
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 1:03 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Clutch job... done properly
Thank you. Hmm, something has had a dramatic failure... Currently the
van is immobile and the clutch pedal travel stops firmly at 1/2 way.
The engine starts in neutral... and the h pattern is fine with the
engine stopped.
On Nov 5, 2007, at 3:52 PM, James Henry wrote:
> If the cylinder that the throwout bearing slides back and forth on
> has any
> wear on it, it should be replaced. Failure to do so can cause the
> bearing to
> hang up, over heat and cause dramatic failures. Don't ask me how I
> know.
>
> Jim Henry
> Durham, NC
> 84 Westy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> Behalf Of
> Kai Mei
> Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 12:21 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Clutch job... done properly
>
> I'm about to have the rear main seal, throwout bearing, plate, pilot
> bearing, pressure plate, flywheel o-ring and felt ring done on my
> 87 Wolfie.
>
> Is checking the crank endplay common among average VW mechanics?
> There's a bit of a language barrier here.
>
> Anything else that should be done simultaneously? The slave cyl,
> looks to
> have been of a more recent vintage as opposed to never been touched...
>
> Thanks everyone.
>
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