Date:         Thu, 17 Jan 2008 09:00:33 -0500
Reply-To:     "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Jack R." <jack007@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Clutch weirdness 84 standard trans ?
Comments: To: kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET
In-Reply-To:  <011720081342.1954.478F5B450001FED2000007A222058891169700040799020A05@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Ken,

Great advice!!! Having a MT on my 84 Westy, the steps and suggestions
outlined below match my experiences 100%.

The only 2 cents I can throw into this is that when you go through all this,
it is also a good time to check lube and/or replace all the shift linkage
while you are at it.  I'm sure you know a good source for those components
as well.

Jack R.
84 Westy Wolfy, owned since 87
Restored 99.5%
N. of Detroit

Note photo of my "German" Schnauzer guard dog and protector of my German
Westy!
http://flickr.com/photos/77623993@N00/1460280167/


-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Kenneth Wilford
Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:42 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Clutch weirdness 84 standard trans ?

It sounds like your clutch hydraulic system is failing.  It would kind of
make sense if the brake MC failed because of nasty fluid that the clutch MC
or Slave would fail soon afterward.  When you bled your slave you probably
flushed some bad fluid filled with contaminates right through both the
clutch MC and Slave.  Now they are failing internally.  When you replace a
failed Brake MC it is a good idea to get a turkey baster or something
similar and drain all of the old fluid out of the Brake fluid reservoir
(which also feeds the clutch hydraulic system on the Vanagon) before you do
any bleeding.  Take the reservoir off of the old Brake MC and clean it out.
That way when you put things back together you have a fresh start.

Or it could just be a coincidence.  However, since your fluid level is
staying put, I would say that either your clutch MC or Slave is failing.  In
my experience it is best to replace both at the same time that way you only
have bleed the system once and you are good to go.  If you replace just one
usually the other fails in short order afterwards anyway.  I have had
several folks who didn't want to replace both who just ordered one only to
call me a few weeks later to get the other one and tell me I was right about
replacing both at once.

Brake fluid/clutch fluid absorbs water out of the air over time and should
be flushed every couple of years.  If not you get water in your rear wheel
cylinders, front calipers, and clutch line, which causes rust, which
contaminates the system, and the water can also flash vaporize under hard
braking causing you to now have no brakes (just like having air in the
lines).  If you are wondering if you should flush your fluid or not just
look at your brake fluid reservoir.  The old fluid should be almost clear
(slight amber color).  But it doesn't look like that does it?  It looks
light brown to dark brown doesn't it?  That is the water in it that is
causing the color change.  Time to flush and replace.

A mityvac is the best way to pull the old fluid out of the system.  That way
you aren't using the pistons in your hydraulic system to push the
contaminated fluid out.  This helps you avoid wrecking the o-rings in your
system when you pump the pedals and push the pistons beyond their normal
range of travel (that is where the rust is hiding inside the cylinder).

I have the clutch slave and master cylinder in stock if you need one.  I
hope this helps,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com


-------------- Original message --------------
From: "dhanson@gorge.net" <dhanson@GORGE.NET>

> Hello all,
> I've twice recently experienced "soft pedal" on my clutch, once it just
felt
> 'weak' but I didn't
> have any problems shifting or starting out. Once, the clutch was not doing
it's
> thing
> properly..Then, after a few minutes of downtime..a trip into a store or a
few
> minutes on the
> computer in the parking lot and it goes back to perfect operation..What
the --?
> I have fresh brake
> fluid..a month or two old. I have the proper level. My brake master
cylinder
> is relativly new and
> when that was replaced, I bled the clutch slave properly. The clutch has
been
> good since that brake
> MC replacment(about 6000 miles ago)..no problems except at odd times, this
weird
> "air in the clutch
> cylinder' behavior that soon goes away again.
> Is it time to replace THAT now? Why the intermittent missbehavior?
> Thanks in advance...
> Don Hanson