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Date:         Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:01:15 -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 Adjustment ?
Comments: To: Vanagon <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
              reply-type=original

it's true .. an automatic is 'nice' ....especially for traffic, otherwise.... a manual trans gets significantly better fuel mileage. I had an 85 Wolfsburg Weekender with a full conversion to 2.1 wbxr, with auto trans . It got 16.5 on the highway driven nicely, and 14mpg in town in the winter ....... and it was running as good as any 2.1 waterboxer could. Tops they're 17.9 mpg . Not really acceptable I think.

Manual trans ... You can push start 'em. You can drive it on the starter 50 feet in an emergency if you have to. It can keep going with a whole gear not working. You can keep going even if the clutch hydraulics are not working ............there's a trick to it, but very doable. There's more control and 'feel' in slippery conditions, like on packed snow ....significantly better than with auto trans. A manual trans weigh less than the auto trans does. You can swap the axles from side to side to 'rotate' the CV joints to wear 'the other way.' There's more involvement in the driving experience...

A whole lotta reasons to love a manual trans in a vanagon. It's a bit of work, but an auto trans vanagon can be converted to manual. I have an 86 GL I might do that to even. Right now the auto trans only backs up - the stupid thing ! lol.

Scott www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Vanagon" <camping.elliott@gmail.com> To: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 4:45 PM Subject: Re: Clutch Adjustment ?

Golly I miss having a manual transmission. Automatics are so ... uninteresting? so ... limited in what you can do? This van is the first auto trans vehicle I've owned since, ever.

Sent from my smartphone with tiny screen & even tinier keypad.

On Sep 14, 2011, at 4:16 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> wrote:

> Clutch chatter.. > the whole van vibrates .. > or feels like it is, when you let out the clutch. > > classically, ( but not always ) is caused by oil on the clutch disc. > > the real repair of course is to remove transaxle, ..inspect the clutch > and > repair as necessary. > I suspect yours is probably pretty tired anyway. > ( fwiw .....vanagon clutches are quite long lasting .. > though I see lots of very poorly done clutch workmanship on the job too, > in > vanagons - pretty common actually. ) > > if it IS oil.. > one thing you can try in the short term is start out in a quite high gear > and slip the clutch a lot to get the van moving. > ( this is unorthodox , so don't tell anyone I shared this ) .. > start out , like on an empty road in 2nd, or even 3rd.. > and keep rpm up while you very gradually let out the clutch .. > and don't stall out the engine ...instead slip the clutch until you > finally > get up to where rpm matches road speed for the gear you are in. > I have started a car or van from a dead stop in 3rd gear.......and slipped > the clutch a whole block or more .. > until finally rpm and road speed match ..or clutch is fully hooked up. > I've done that 3 times in a row .. and the clutch was smooth again for a > while. > Of course if it's a very tired clutch .. > that could just push it over the edge anyway..so be careful with anything > unorthodox like this that you might be tempted to try. > > This is ONLY if it's a matter of lots of oil on the clutch > disc................., and it burns it off. > and clutch will be smooth for a while. > > at least look under there and see if there's any oil leaking out of the > clutch/bell housing area. > and you really want to fix it right of course. > > Beautifully .......the transmission 'just comes out' on 2WD vanagons .. > it's a nice clutch job that way. > > did you check the brake reservoir fluid level ? > hope you know where that is. It's in the Owner's Manual that hopefully is > still with your 84 Westy. > regardless of what clutch issue you are having .. > one must at least check the fluid level for the very nice hydraulic clutch > mechanism that vanagons have. > > be like working on tail lights that are out without checking fuses first.. > you should check the fluid level.. > and if the brake fluid there looks old, or dark, or watery, that's not a > good sign. > > let us know what you find. > good to see your post. > Scott > www.turbovans.com > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "dan rick" <danrick01@YAHOO.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 3:04 PM > Subject: Re: Clutch Adjustment ? > > > I've got an 84 westy. This is defiantly the "Clutch Chatter" issue you > explained and I do not know what that is. I would love to hear your > suggestions to research and fix. > > > Thank you! > Dan > > 84 Westy > > > > ________________________________ > From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 3:23 PM > Subject: Re: Clutch Adjustment ? > > the Vanagon clutch is brilliantly self-adjusting at all times. > > ( it never hurts to say what year, and what model/version of vanagon you > have btw ) > > Do you know what 'clutch chatter' is ? > it sounds like maybe -sorta that's what you are experiencing. > > here are the common clutch complaints... > if any of these match please comment.. > > engages too close to the floor ( van moves with clutch pedal barely off > the > floor ) > Can't get it in gear ( clutch fails to release completely and gears grind > when you try to select 1st etc ) > Van does not move until clutch pedal is very high. > Van vibrates badly when clutch is starting to move the van ( clutch > chatter ) > Clutch slips when accelerating or going up hills ( engine revs increase, > but > van does not gain speed ) > > those are the common ones. > did you check the brake fluid reservoir fluid level ? > the clutch hydraulics get their fluid from there too. > > perhaps you are talking about clutch chatter.. > if so ..we can talk about what could going on there, now to check for it, > etc. and what the repair is. > Scott > www.turbovans.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "dan rick" <danrick01@YAHOO.COM> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2011 1:09 PM > Subject: Clutch Adjustment ? > > >> Hello All, >> >> My clutch is extremely sensitive when taking off in first gear and even >> shifting into second gear. If I even touch the gas a little bit, I get a >> shaking and slipping type of noise. If I don't touch the gas at all and >> ease the clutch out, it doesn't make that noise and shaking. Has anybody >> had this happen or heard about this kind of problem? Any advice or >> experience appreciated greatly! >> >> >> Thank you, >> Dan >> >> 84 Westy


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