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Date:         Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:08:42 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: Clutch change?
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

Hi Don, the smart thing is to get a Sachs clutch kit .. you get pressure plate, disc, and throwout bearing.

I've just excellent luck with those. they happen to be 'rebuilt in mexico'.... but they just fine ...sachs original german parts ... then they do whatever they do to them. ...but a most excellent clutch kit, have used them many, many times in diesel and vanagon waterboxers.

the kit is less than the indivudal parts of course. you could/should have a new diesel vanagon pilot bearing on hand, if you find it needs one of those. Those pilot bearings ( *like all the metal parts that come into contact with each other throughout the entire van are just fine ..IF ..they get proper lube .....I'm seeing that over and over ....the parts would not wear, if they just had adequate and fresh greases and oils ) ..

anyway .. I try not to sufrace flywheels. If it's all blue and checked and there are tiny almost cracks, then I supposse you have to , but normally, I clean up the surface with 180 grit black waterproof sandpaper and carb cleaner ... a few minutes of that ....they're usually fine. - you know me ...'It's not in the parts...............it's in the Workmanship' .. getting the flywheel really prepped nicely is a good example .

oh, the discs last exceptionally well. I have pulled on out of a 4 speed diesel vanagon that had no 1st gear for about 1 1/2 years ..and the disc was just fine.

chattering from oil contamination .... better to put in a new one. I've even seen someone burn the oil out of the friction material on a clutch disc with a propane torch, though I don't recommend that !

RMS ...rear main seal.. get one that is black with red lip, or all red .. the plane black ones don't last that long.

for detail workmanship clutches are one of my favorite areas.....when I work on just the part inside the bell housing ..I do like 20 seperate little things ... and I pay particular attention to where any metal moves or slides or engages with any other piece of metal.

extra.... about lube and metal - I see dozens of vanagons a year.....and work on them from one end to the other .. I constantly see CV joints without engough grease in them. Nearly every last one ....some almost very dry ....my point is, they will not even wear at all, almost, if there is good grease near and in the parts that move. the only 3 lubes I can think of between the tops of the pistons ( where the driving force that eventually gets to the rear wheels starts ) ..........is engine oil on crankshaft bearings etc... then that is transferred to the transaxle ( and I find lots of those with gear oil in them that's just kind of old....has very fine metal particles in it ...that copperly look ....5 years is a LONG time on any gear oil in my opinion ) . ............and then from transaxle to CV joints .. those balls pushing on what they push on ...all that needs decent and somewhat fresh lube on it . And no kidding .. engines wear, yes ...and if you changed the oil every 2K miles ( a very, very general interval ) the engine would wear much more slowly that usual.. but all the rest of it ....If Kept Well Lubed with fresh lube ... would barely wear at all. I'm sure a CV joint will go 250,000 miles if driven nicley in a not too horrible envirmoment, with a good rubber boot and good grease in there. The grease seems to very slowly dissapper ..and I do not find that the stock amount of grease is adequate after a while, I put in some extra. my point is ....fresh and generous amounts of the right lube on every part that moves .. and a vanagon would barely wear out at all in many areas.

anyway...just sad for me to see these old beauties not being taken care of , when the tiniest shot of lube will keep shift linkage, door latches etc etc. working just fine forever. And nice black slimey moly graph grease in there with the CV joint balls.....kinda of a turn on even.

'Fixing a vanagon when it breaks is a horrible way to take care of it."

----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 11:49 AM Subject: Clutch change?

> So I am about to swap in my 'new' 2.0 liter inline gas block (93 Jetta > ABA) into my 84 with a diesel 5sp. I am almost done gathering parts to > try > to anticipate possible need and minimize down time during the change over. > I have a leak in my old 92 1.8liter inline gasser set up...the rear main > seal, I guess, and my clutch seems to chatter a bit sometimes. So I > thought > I might consider installing a new pressure plate, at least, during my > swap. > Can I just order up a pressure plate to install after cleaning the other > parts up really well? Probably replace the throw out bearing too? Or > should I just leave it alone and avoid some unanticipated extra expense > and > time.? Am I talking a lot of work and time and possible "gottchas" with > this clutch change as I install the new motor? > I am thinking my current clutch may be slightly contaminated from the > leaky rear main and it is probably a bit thin from me using 2nd gear (of > my > 5sp) to start from a stop most of the time...Since I am in there, I > thought > the change might be a good thing. It is still working OK, it only > chatters > if I do a ham-footed Jackrabbit start so it 'ain't broke' really...just > tired...I don't want to have to surface the flywheel...nearest machine > shop > (that I really would trust) is in Portland...a few hours away.. > > anyone thoughts? > Don Hanson


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