Date:         Wed, 7 Nov 2007 23:02:23 -0800
Reply-To:     Nathan Mc Blain <nmcblain@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Nathan Mc Blain <nmcblain@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Clutch shutter, vibation, shaking - why?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

List,
  The good news is all the coolant repairs and parts are holding thanks to the info gained from everyone Thanks.

  The bad news is my van is having clutch problems - alot of shaking when letting out the clutch.  Noticed mostly in reverse but really bad now in first,second.  Once I get going things are OK but I'm afraid of total failure so have stopped using it.  For a long time I have had a klinkity klink like a penny in a can noise and also a screeching noise at certain RPMS.  The catalytic converter did come apart and I replaced it and emptied the muffler.  I hate to ask questions and try to just listen and learn but now I have to ask.

  Some history: When I first inherited this van 2004 it started having clutch problems-suddenly there was just very slight grab nothing to move the vehicle.  At the time this list and any knowledge of vanagons was unknown to me.  It got stuck in my uncles yard.  To make a long story short he tried to help me without my knowledge and while heavily intoxicated.  He just floored it until it grabbed layed a good strip of grass and rubber when it reached the asphalt-not nice to my van:(  At the time I thought oil was on the flywheel and sprayed brake cleaner in the access hole with the motor running...probably washed grease out of places it should be and other bad stuff - stupid me!!!

  This Sunday I described this and everything I know to a young professional mechanic acquaintance (execpt for the brake cleaner blunder) of mine- he's a very good mech but not at all familiar with the uniqueness of our vans or the expense of the parts.  He's too busy to take another job but has offered to let me pull the trans with his tools at his house. Anyway he thought my flywheel is warped.  And together we came up with the thought that one of the dampening springs in the clutch disk may have broken.  I'm wondering if one of the springs on the clutch disk broke and is bouncing around in the belhousing?  That would account for the penny in a can noise.  Is this possible, plausible, common?

  While I was under there today preparing trans removal if needed -spraying all the corroded bolts trans/engine bolts with liquid wrench.  I tried pushing up on the clutch lever to see if the slave would move and it did with medium resistance.  Is that normal?  Can air in the clutch system do this?  And cause my shuttering and shaking?  My mechanic acquaintance says no what do you say?  I read somehere in the archives that it could but it is difficult to always determine fact from fiction as EVERTHING is in the arcives.

  FWIW:Under the boot the slave is wet- some weeping.  I also have a weep coming from the dash end of things but cannot see if it is brake master or clutch master.  So air could and probably is entering.

  Sorryfor the longwinded e-mail.  In short:
  What's the most likely cause to severe clutch shutter?
  Do the disk springs ever break, could that be the cause?
  Is it easy to warp the flywheel?
  Can air in the clutch system be a cause?

  TIA,
  Nate 90 2.1L MT silver non/GL- who just wants to avoid unessisary trans removal and fix the shaking

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