Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 09:12:41 +0100 (MET)
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: darie@hasler.ascom.ch (Darie Duclos)
Subject: Update: where'd my clutch go??
With all the great expertise I received, and by deciphering my
german VW Bus manual (!), I was able to get a little further into
the investigation of the problem. Then it got too dark. Here is the
progress I've made:
1 - The book said to push the clutch in while at a standstill
and hold it there 3-5 seconds, then try to engage reverse
(which is non-synchronized). If it grinds, then the problem
is with the clutch (as opposed to the transmission I take
it). It grinds. Good, it's the clutch.
2 - According to Joel's description, since the pedal still has
a normal feel to it (full resistance), it shouldn't be the
clutch cylinders or brake fluid. Also, I found no leaks
anywhere along the hydraulic system.
3 - Found the slave cylinder above the left side of the tranny
(took a while, I was expecting something bigger :-) ).
Following Jim Bryant's advice I had my hubby press the
clutch pedal while I observed the slave cylinder. It moves.
Unfortunately, I couldn't identify the clutch lever to see
if *it* moved. Would it be on the thick or the narrow end
of the slave cylinder? Or somewhere else?
4 - Found the shifting rod (the thing that moves back & forth
when you shift, right?) but couldn't identify the "big nut"
which Joel suggests might have come loose. Could it have
come *off*? Where should it be exactly? Is this possibility
still consistent with the findings above?
5 - Harvey suggested that the bolt holding the slave cylinder
to a bracket mounted on the transaxel could have come loose,
in which case the slave reacts when you step on the clutch,
but doesn't move the clutch lever. Very good possibility.
So where's the clutch lever that's supposed to be moving? :-}
Alternately, would I be able to jiggle the slave cylinder
with my hand if the bolt has gotten loose?
Finally, the book I have says that if the clutch does not
disengage the transmission and the test in (1) has been
performed successfully, then it's either the brake fluid
or the clutch plate (!) Resistance in the pedal tells us
it's not the brake fluid, so how would the clutch plate be
at fault? (Mind you, it sounded like clutch plate, I didn't
look it up in the dictionary..)
Thanks again!!
Darie
'86 Westy